ANZ Banking Group finds AI chief

ANZ Banking Group will bring in Kai Yang as its first chief data and AI officer, starting from July.

Yang, who will report to group CIO Donald Patra, will be based in Sydney.

He is currently the chief data and analytics officer (CDAO) for HSBC in Asia and the Middle East, and has held several CIO and chief data officer roles at the bank in his almost six-and-a-half years there.

Prior to HSBC, Yang was with CBA for over 16 years, working his way up to group chief data officer.

At ANZ, Yang will oversee the building of internal data and AI capability, strengthening of governance and controls, and a planned acceleration in responsible data and AI use.

The move comes amid a broader recruitment of chief-level roles to oversee AI adoption.

Westpac brought on an executive charged with data and AI in September last year, and more recently hired a chief AI innovation officer as well.

Meanwhile, CBA recruited its AI chief in November last year, and NAB in January of this year.