CBA finds its first chief AI officer

CBA has poached a data and analytics executive from Lloyds Banking Group in the UK to become its first chief AI officer, starting early 2026. 

Ranil Boteju, who is Lloyds' group chief data and analytics officer of four years, will join CBA's technology leadership team, and report to the group CTO Rodrigo Castillo.

“CBA is focused on bringing together world-class talent, technology and partnerships that help us deliver on our strategy of building tomorrow’s bank today,” CBA CEO Matt Comyn said in a statement.

“As we scale to deliver even greater value from AI for our customers and our people, Ranil’s global leadership in harnessing AI and data will be instrumental.” 

The bank said the hiring of Boteju "reflects our continued focus on advancing responsible and customer-focused AI."

In the interim, iTnews understands that the CBA's general manager of AI and advanced analytics Richard Nesbitt is the acting chief AI officer.

AI responsibilities at the CBA previously fell to the group's chief data and analytics officer, iTnews understands.

The group's last chief data and analytics officer, Andrew McMullan, left for Westpac in September.

The chief AI officer announcement comes just days after CBA revealed its group CIO Gavin Munroe will leave the company in late December.

CIO responsibilities now fall to Castillo and retail banking CIO Victoria Ledda. 

CBA has been busy deploying AI, announcing plans earlier this year to use the technology across all of its software delivery. 

In April, CBA said it had been using AI as part of its ‘big room planning’ for coordinating software delivery activities and goals. 

OpenAI and CBA signed a “multi-year partnership” in August “to explore advanced generative AI solutions.”