Davies, the leading specialist professional services and technology company, has today announced the appointment of Paul O’Brien as the firm’s first Group Chief AI Officer.
The newly created role is one of a series of significant investments made by Davies to leverage innovation and capitalize on the value of artificial intelligence (AI), including the use of generative AI, across the business.
As Chief AI Officer, Paul will be responsible for advancing the use of AI technology across the organization, developing a core strategy for the ethical use of GenAI, and to expand on our GenAI technologies across products and services that will drive additional value for the firm’s global client base.
Commenting on the appointment, Jen Morrissey, Davies’ Chief Operations Officer, said: “As AI continues to play a crucial role in enhancing Davies client services and operations, this demonstrates our strong commitment to innovation and excellence.”
In his most recent role as Chief Technology Officer of Davies’ Global Solutions division, Paul has been responsible for supporting the development and launch of a portfolio of technology products for the insurance and financial services and other highly regulated markets, as well as continually assessing emerging technologies in order to drive the overall global technology strategy for the firm’s Insurance Solutions, Consulting, Technology Solutions and Forensic Accounting business units.
Paul, who will continue as Chief Technology Officer alongside his new role, will report to Mark Grocott, CEO of Davies’ Global Solutions division and Jen Morrissey, Davies Chief Operations Officer. Morrissey joined the firm last year to lead its global technology and operations functions.
Morrissey elaborates, “In a time where GenAI is rapidly reshaping business landscapes, Davies is proactively positioning itself at the forefront by appointing Paul to this critical role. With a profound understanding of AI and its dynamic applications, Paul is uniquely qualified to optimize our internal processes and harness the power of AI to provide our clients with superior services.”
Davies’ investment in a range of AI solutions includes Lauri, a portfolio of claims technology which has revolutionized the processing of personal injury and credit hire claims by drastically reducing average handling times and supporting the delivery of more accurate claim valuation.
In addition to focusing on research and development, innovation & AI, Davies is also investing in platform integration, underlying business systems, colleague development and client service. Davies has consistently delivered high single digit annual organic growth which alongside its M&A strategy, has seen the firm grow revenues more than 25-fold since 2014, to now boast 8,500+ colleagues operating in 20+ countries, with large operational centres in the UK & U.S.
Davies delivers professional services and technology solutions across the insurance and financial services value chain, including excellence in claims, underwriting, distribution, regulation & risk, dispute resolution, customer experience, human capital, digital transformation & change management.
Commenting on his new appointment, Paul O’Brien, Group Chief AI & Technology Officer, Davies said: “At Davies, we have a rich history of delivering exceptional service to our clients through deep expertise in our respective fields and technological innovation. As Chief AI & Technology Officer, I look forward to collaborating across the business to build on our existing AI capabilities and support our teams in leveraging rapidly evolving technologies.”