AI Champions appointed to help UK finance safely seize AI opportunities
Published: 20 January 2026
Government has appointed two AI Champions for financial services to turn fast adoption into safe, scalable delivery. With around three-quarters of UK firms already using AI, the focus is simple: improve outcomes for customers, boost productivity, and protect financial stability.
Independent analysis indicates AI could add tens of billions of pounds to the financial and professional services sector by 2030. The task now is to turn potential into consistent results, without compromising consumer protection or trust.
Who's been appointed
Harriet Rees, Group Chief Information Officer at Starling Bank, leads data, engineering, information security and product development. She founded Starling's Data Science practice in 2018 and now drives the Group's technology strategy and operational resilience. Harriet also serves as Co-Chair of the Bank of England's AI Taskforce and is a member of the AI Consortium.
Dr Rohit Dhawan, Group Director and Head of AI & Advanced Analytics at Lloyds Banking Group since 2024, sets strategy for AI, machine learning and advanced analytics across the Group. He leads multidisciplinary teams spanning data science, behavioural science, ML engineering and AI ethics, focused on transforming customer experience and operations. He is also a member of the AI Consortium.
What they will do
The Champions will report directly to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby KC MP. Their remit: help firms seize AI opportunities at pace while keeping consumers and the financial system safe.
- Accelerate safe AI adoption at scale across financial services.
- Identify where innovation can move faster and remove blockers holding firms back.
- Support better customer outcomes, higher productivity and competitiveness.
- Maintain trust, resilience and strong consumer protection.
- Reinforce the UK's position as a global hub for finance, technology and investment.
Statements
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
"Harriet and Rohit bring deep, real-world experience of deploying AI safely at scale, and they will help turn rapid adoption into practical delivery - unlocking growth while keeping our financial system secure and resilient."
Harriet Rees, Group Chief Information Officer - Starling Bank, said:
"Being appointed AI Champion for Financial Services is an exciting opportunity as the sector faces a pivotal moment to become a world leader in AI. I look forward to working with HM Treasury and the industry to create a world-class ecosystem in which innovation exceeds customers' expectations and the transformative power of AI unlocks growth. In turn, this will reinforce the UK's status as the world's most technologically advanced financial centre."
Dr Rohit Dhawan, Head of AI and Advanced Analytics - Lloyds Banking Group, said:
"It is a privilege to have been asked by HM Treasury to take on the role of AI Champion for financial services. AI has the potential to reshape the industry and at Lloyds Banking Group we are already seeing how thoughtful and responsible adoption of AI can transform customer experience and the way a large organisation operates. I look forward to working with HM Treasury, regulators and industry partners to accelerate the trusted and effective use of AI across financial services and support the UK's ambition to remain a global leader in financial innovation."
What Government teams should prepare for
- Policy alignment: Coordinate across HMT, regulators and departments so AI policies, standards and guidance are consistent and easy for firms to execute.
- Model risk and testing: Strengthen expectations for model documentation, validation, explainability, bias testing and incident response.
- Data foundations: Promote secure data access, quality standards and privacy-preserving techniques that support competition and consumer protection.
- Procurement clarity: Update guidance for onboarding AI vendors (security, resilience, IP, liability, auditability) to speed safe delivery.
- Operational resilience: Ensure AI use fits within existing resilience frameworks, including stress testing and third-party risk management.
- Skills and capability: Build AI literacy for policy, supervision and audit teams, with clear playbooks for assessment and oversight.
- Consumer outcomes: Keep fairness, accessibility and redress at the center of AI-enabled products and communications.
- Measurement: Define metrics for adoption, productivity gains, service quality and risk incidents to inform policy and course-correct quickly.
Appointment details
The appointments take effect from 20 January 2026. These are unpaid, direct ministerial roles reporting to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
Established processes for declaring and managing interests have been followed. Terms of Reference are available from HM Treasury.
Practical resources
- For an overview of the tooling landscape in finance, see AI tools for finance.
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