Lloyds Banking Group is setting a new industry benchmark by putting its entire executive and senior leadership teams through a bespoke Artificial Intelligence (AI) training programme, reflecting the bank’s commitment to driving innovation and responsible AI adoption. Developed in partnership with Cambridge Spark and experts from the University of Cambridge, the 80-hour “Leading with AI” course is focused on increasing AI literacy and reimagining the future of banking with Generative AI (GenAI).
Over 110 senior leaders have already completed the course, which launched earlier this year. Three members of the Group Executive Committee—Sharon Doherty, Elyn Corfield, and Jayne Opperman—have completed the programme, with the full executive and senior leadership teams set to follow by the end of 2026.
Driving responsible AI innovation
The intensive 80-hour programme is designed to equip leaders with the knowledge to understand the evolution of AI and drive ethical, value-focused innovation across the Group. The curriculum blends hands-on sessions, virtual masterclasses, and real-world projects, generating potential future GenAI use cases that can progress to pilot phase. These use cases include deploying GenAI to support market insights and integrating it into Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for commercial customers, ultimately freeing up time for strategic client engagement and improving customer retention.
Ranil Boteju, chief data and analytics officer at Lloyds Banking Group, stated that the investment is necessary given the pace of change in the industry. “We are investing in advanced AI skills across our senior leadership, recognising how quickly technology is reshaping financial services,” Boteju explained. “By partnering with Cambridge Spark, we are already seeing the benefits. Our leaders are better equipped to drive AI innovation responsibly and deliver for the changing needs of our customers in every part of our organisation.”
This leadership training builds on the Group’s existing technical expertise, which includes the Centre of Excellence for AI launched in 2023. This hub now houses over 200 specialists, including data scientists, machine learning engineers, and AI ethicists, with 50 PhD-level experts among them.
Bristol: The group’s AI capital
As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Lloyds Banking Group has designated Bristol and the Southwest region as a critical hub for technology and data expertise. The region is now home to around 650 data and AI experts, making it the largest hub of AI technology experts for the Group across the UK.
The Centre of Excellence for AI, which has its largest concentration of colleagues in Bristol, is driving core innovation, enhancing customer service for the Group’s 28 million UK customers, and ensuring ethical AI deployment across the organisation. The team collaborates closely with academic institutions, including a partnership with the University of Bristol’s AI for Collective Intelligence Hub, ensuring the Group remains at the forefront of safe and ethical AI deployment.
Trystan Davies, group head of data science and member of the AI centre of excellence at Lloyds Banking Group, underscored the region’s importance. “Bristol is the cornerstone of our AI transformation. We’re building high-performing teams here, investing in skills and creating long-term career opportunities for people across the region,” Davies said. He stressed the commitment to building the next generation of AI talent to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of financial innovation.
