Deloitte UK appoints first chief AI officer in drive for ‘AI-enabled’ services

Deloitte has appointed its first chief AI officer in the UK in a push to become the country’s leading professional services firm, integrating AI into both client services and internal operations. 

The Big Four giant said it has selected Hayley McKelvey for the newly-created role where she will be responsible for “accelerating the firm’s progress towards becoming the leading AI-enabled professional services firm in the UK.”

McKelvey will be leading the firm’s AI strategy as part of a series of “strategic appointments” to Deloitte UK’s Executive – the management team which leads the firm’s operations in the UK – led by the UK’s new chief executive, Darren Graves. 

A wider team of three other roles has been appointed across technology and risk to support the Executive team’s AI expansion. 

Graves said he is “confident” the new team “will each help ensure we don’t just navigate an era of profound technological disruption and geopolitical complexity, but lead our clients and people through it”.

“By appointing a Chief AI Officer to the UK Executive in particular, we are sharpening our focus on the future and positioning our firm for continued growth as the next-generation professional services firm,” Graves said. 

McKelvey, who has been employed at Deloitte for more than 20 years, most recently served as the firm’s chief AI officer for the UK’s Tax and Legal practices. 

McKelvey said she is “honoured” to be “appointed” at a time when AI is fundamentally reshaping professional services.” 

“Data, AI and technology are changing how business is done, with profound implications for economies, organisations and the future of work,” McKelvey said.

“Harnessing the power of AI responsibly and strategically, both for our clients and in our own operations, is my priority. I look forward to working with our partners to build on our momentum and continue to deliver real, measurable outcomes with AI,” she added. 

AI is seeping into every part of the sector 

The professional services sector is facing a huge transformation as AI disrupts the traditional business models and the services it offers to clients.

Firms are in a predicament to keep up with technological changes by injecting billions of pounds of investment into using the technology to automate much of their core services, whilst trying to navigate the issues it creates.

However, there is widespread concern over the impact AI may have on the industry and its workforce, which is increasingly being cut down because of the tech push.

 City AM revealed earlier this month that fellow Big Four giant KPMG has been facing an internal comms meltdown after complaints of poor communication during a ‘mismanaged’ redundancy round.

AI use is also causing issues for firms, including Deloitte, having to issue a partial refund to the Australian federal government after a report it issued contained several errors caused by AI.