HSBC appoints David Rice as its inaugural chief AI officer

Rice, a long-serving member of HSBC with nearly 20 years of experience, most recently served as COO of the bank’s Corporate and Institutional Banking division.

HSBC has named David Rice as its first chief AI officer (CAIO), joining a growing trend among global banks of appointing dedicated executives to directly oversee AI strategy.

An HSBC veteran, Rice has spent nearly two decades with the banking group, working across multiple regions including the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK. 

Over the years, he has held several senior roles, such as global chief operating officer (COO) of commercial banking and COO of wholesale banking for the Asia Pacific region. Most recently, he has served as COO for HSBC’s Corporate and Institutional Banking unit since January 2025.

Assuming his new position on 1 April, Rice’s appointment comes as part of a “wider focus on deploying AI at scale across HSBC by making generative AI tools available to all staff to simplify processes, procedures and policies, and equip customer-facing colleagues with the AI tools they need to deliver more personalised services”, according to a company statement.