HSBC Holdings has appointed David Rice as its first Chief AI Officer, as the bank moves to embed AI more deeply across its operations and customer services. The new role is intended to provide centralized leadership for AI adoption as HSBC expands the use of generative AI tools across the organization. The bank said it is making such tools available to all employees to simplify internal processes, policies, and procedures, while also equipping frontline teams with technology to deliver more tailored customer interactions.
Rice, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer for HSBC’s Corporate and Institutional Banking business, will lead this effort as the bank seeks to modernize service delivery while retaining human oversight in key decisions. HSBC said the appointment forms part of a broader push to deploy AI at scale across the institution. The bank also expanded Mario Shamtani's responsibilities as its Chief Technology Officer, who will focus on strengthening HSBC’s technology infrastructure, including modernizing core systems, building a centralized AI platform for employees, and overseeing strategic partnerships.
HSBC highlighted that its customers increasingly expect their bank to provide services tailored to their specific needs and delivered quickly. The bank said that AI is central to achieving its goals and noted that it plans to deliver these capabilities safely, in real time, and at scale. Rice commented, “AI is going to play an ever-increasing role in HSBC’s future plans, so I am thrilled to take on this new role to help us drive forward our transformation agenda.”