Commonwealth Bank appoints Ranil Boteju as chief AI officer

Commonwealth Bank has appointed Ranil Boteju as chief AI officer, with the role commencing early 2026. Boteju joins from Lloyds Banking Group in London, where he is group chief data and analytics officer. He leads a team of more than 2,000 people and has overseen more than 50 generative AI initiatives, helping lift Lloyds’ ranking in the 2025 Evident AI Index by 12 places.

A former CBA employee, Boteju returns to Australia after 15 years abroad. Before joining Lloyds in 2021, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered and HSBC in Singapore and Hong Kong. He brings more than 25 years of experience in data, analytics and business transformation.

CBA said the appointment strengthens its focus on responsible and customer-centred AI. The bank recently ranked #4 globally in the 2025 Evident AI Index, reflecting continued investment in AI talent, global partnerships and product innovation across its 18 million customers.

“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. 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,” CBA CEO Matt Comyn, said.