The 10 Most Remarkable Chief AI Officers to Watch in 2025

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Officers

Chief Officers to

Wch in 2025

The Architect of the Self-Driving Network

Editors Insights

Welcome to The Fortune Leader's November

Special Edion “The 10 Most Remarkable Chief AIOfficerstoWatchin2025.”

This edion proudly features Bob Friday, Chief AI Officer of HPE Juniper Networking, on the cover a visionary leader redefining the future of enterprise networking through arficial intelligence, innovaon, and purpose-driven leadership.

Bob Friday's disnguished career reflects decades of technological evoluon, from the early development of wireless mesh networks to the emergence of AI-driven, selfhealing, and self-opmizing network systems. His mission has always been centered on people to make connecvity as dependable and accessible as any essenal service. Through his pioneering work at Mist Systems, Bob introduced the world to AI-powered network management, revoluonizing how enterprises predict, prevent, and resolve network challenges.

At HPE Networking, Bob's leadership extends beyond technological advancement to the responsible and ethical applicaon of AI. Under his guidance, arficial intelligence has become deeply integrated into the networking ecosystem, driving automaon, enhancing security, and improving customer experience. Plaorms such as Marvis AI showcase his commitment to predicve intelligence that simplifies operaons and empowers IT professionals to work moreefficientlyandeffecvely.

Beyond his technological achievements, Bob is deeply commied to building collaborave, cross-funconal teams and fostering an environment where innovaon thrives. He believes that true progress begins with people that empathy, creavity, and inclusion are as essenal to innovaon as algorithms and code. His leadership philosophy ensures that AI not only transforms organizaons but also delivers meaningfulvaluetosociety.

This special edion celebrates Bob Friday as a pioneer whose vision and leadership are shaping the next era of intelligent networking. His story highlights that the true power of AI lies not just in data and models, but in improving human connecon, advancing collaboraon, and creang a smarter, moreconnectedworld.

Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor-in-chief

Sco Edward

Sales & Markeng Manager

Lily Hayler

Business Development Manager

Lauren Green, Millie Butler, Rosie Jonas

Business Development Execuve

Victoria Mahews, Ashley Tucker

Art and Design Director

Paul Brown

Research Analyst

Robert Smith

COVER STORY

The Architect of the Self-Driving Network

Inthedynamicworldoftechnology,where

innovationmovesatthespeedoflightand transformationistheonlyconstant,fewleaders haveconsistentlystayedaheadofthecurve.Bob Friday,ChiefAIOfficeratHPEJuniperNetworking, isoneofthem.Hiscareerreadslikeablueprintfor theevolutionofmodernnetworkingfromtheearly daysofwirelessmeshsystemstotoday'sAI-driven, self-healingnetworks.Butbeyondhistechnical brilliance,itishisvisiontomakemobileaccessto theinternetasubiquitousandreliableascleanwater andpowerthatcontinuestoguidehisjourney.

FromtheDawnofWirelesstotheAgeofIntelligence

Bob'scareerbeganattheintersectionofpolicyand possibility.Theunlicensedspectrumrulescreatedbythe FCCinthe1980sopenedthedoorforwireless innovation,adoorhewasdeterminedtowalkthrough. HisfirstmajorroleatMetricomsawhimhelpingbuild theRicochetnetwork,oneoftheearliestlarge-scale wirelessmeshsystemsintheUnitedStates.“Itwas aboutconnectinglaptopstotheemerginginternet,”he recalls.“That'swhenIrealizedconnectivitywouldsoon becomeasessentialasanyutility.”

FromMetricom,Bobwentontoco-foundAirespace,a companythatrevolutionizedhowenterprisesmanaged Wi-Finetworksastheworkplacebecameincreasingly mobile.WhenCiscoacquiredAirespacein2005,Bob tookonanewchallengeleadingtheirenterprisemobility strategyasCTO.Hisworktherepushedforwardkey industrystandardslikeHotspot2.0andPasspoint,while histeamdevelopedinnovativewirelesslocation experiencesthatredefinedhowusersconnectedand navigateddigitalenvironments.

ButitwasduringCisco'sduediligenceontheMeraki acquisitionin2012thatBob,glimpsedthefutureof cloud-managednetworking.Aroundthesametime, IBM'sWatsonfamouslydefeatedJeopardychampion KenJennings,signallingthatAIhadmovedfromthelab intotherealworld.

FoundingMist:TheBirthoftheSelf-Driving Network

In2014,Bobco-foundedMistSystemswithabold vision:tobringreal-time,AI-poweredautomationto enterprisenetworking.Mistintroducedtheworldto “Marvis,”anAI-drivenassistantdesignedtohelpIT teamsmanagenetworksproactivelyratherthan reactively.Itwasnotjustaboutfixingconnectivityissues fasteritwasaboutpredictingandpreventingthembefore usersevennoticed.

“Theshift,”Bobexplains,“wasfrommanagingnetwork elementstomanagingtheclient-to-clouduser experience.Thatrequiredareal-time,cloud-based AIOpsarchitectureandacleanslateapproach.”

LeadingwithVisionandHeart

ForBob,leadershiphasalwaysbeenateamsport.His startuprootstaughthimthatbuildingabusinessisnot thesameasbuildingaproduct.“Youneedgreat customers,greatteamsacrosseveryfunction,anda sharedsenseofpurpose,”hesays.Hisleadership philosophyblendsvisionarythinkingwithpractical executiongroundedincustomeroutcomesanddrivenby empathyforusers.

Thatempathyhasbeencrucialtohisfocusonartificial intelligence.Theturningpointcamewhenalargeretail customertoldhimbluntlythattheywouldnotdeployhis solutionuntilhecouldensurefasterupdates,eliminate crashes,andguaranteeagreatuserexperience.“That waswhenIrealizedAIwasn'toptional,”Bobsays.“We neededreal-timecloudAIOpstodeliverwhatcustomers expected.”

TheChiefAIOfficer'sMandate

Today,asChiefAIOfficerofHPENetworking,Bob's rolesitsattheintersectionoftechnologyand transformation.Hismandateisclear:guidethe expansionofHPENetworking'sMarvisAIOpsplatform acrosstheenterpriseportfoliotodeliveranunparalleled client-to-cloudexperience.ThatmeanssettingthelongtermAIvision,aligningtechnologyroadmapswith marketneeds,anddrivingcollaborationbetween engineering,datascience,andproductteams.

Balancingstrategyandinnovation,hesays,requires connectinghorizon-tworesearchwithhorizon-one execution.“Innovationcancomefromanywhere,”he notes.“MyjobistowateritwhenIseeit.”

AIastheCoreoftheHPEJuniperMission

UnderBob'sdirection,AIisnotanadd-on,it'sthe foundationofHPENetworking'sself-drivingnetworking journey.ByembeddingAIintoeverylayerofthe network,HPENetworkingismovingfromreactive problem-solvingtopredictive,autonomousoperations.

KeyinnovationsliketheMarvisConversational Interface,MarvisActions,MarvisLargeExperience

Model(LEM),andMarvisMinisexemplifythis evolution.Theseagentic-basedtoolshelppredictand resolveissuesbeforetheyaffectusers,automate repetitiveITtasks,andcontinuouslylearntoimprove performance.

AIinAction:TransformingSupportandOperations

OneofBob'sproudestinitiativeshasbeenintegrating MarvisAIdirectlyintoHPENetworking'scustomer supportoperations.Traditionally,supportteamsworked insilos,respondingtoticketsafterproblemsarose.With acloudAIOpsarchitecture,supportisnowbuiltintothe productitself.

EthicalAI,byDesign

BobisalsoavocaladvocateforresponsibleAI.Under hisleadership,HPENetworkinghasadoptedasetofAI InnovationPrinciplesemphasizingtransparency, explainability,inclusivity,anddatasecurity.“AIshould beintentional,”heinsists.“Itshouldinformhuman decision-making,notmanipulatehumanexperience.”

TheFuture:AgenticAI,Trust,andScale

Lookingahead,Bobidentifiesthreetrendsthatwill defineAIin2025andbeyond.AgenticAI,hesays, representsanewparadigm,onethatallowsautomation ofcomplex,nonlineartaskstraditionallyrequiring humanreasoning.

Trust,meanwhile,isbecomingthenewcurrency.Justas usersnowtrustautonomousvehiclestodrivethem safely,ITteamswillincreasinglytrustAIsystemslike MarvisActionstomakeandexecuteoperational decisions.

AIandtheNextFrontierofNetworking

BobenvisionsAItransformingnetworkinginthreekey dimensions:security,automation,andcustomer experience.Thesamedatausedtooptimizeuser experiencecannowpredictcyberrisksinrealtime. Automationwillcontinuetoeliminatemanualtasks, makingnetworkstrulyself-driving.Andcustomer experience,oncemeasuredinuptimeandspeed,will evolveintosomethingricher:networksthatanticipate

needs,adaptdynamically,andmaketechnologyfeel invisible.

BuildingTeamsfortheFuture

AttheheartofBob'sleadershipisabeliefthat innovationstartswithpeople.Hefostersteamsthat prioritizecustomerproblemsovertechnicalnovelty, encouragingcuriosityandcollaborationacross disciplines.“AIisnotjustmathandmodels,”hesays. “It'saboutautomatingcognitivetasksandthattakes diversityofthoughtandtrust.”

Healsocultivatesacultureofcontinuouslearning, encouragingengineerstoexplore,experiment,and connecttheirinsightsbacktocustomeroutcomes. “Adaptabilitycomesfromempoweringpeopletotake risks,”henotes.“Setbacksarepartofprogress.”

TheRoadAhead

Bob'slong-termvisionforAIatHPENetworkingis clear:deliveronthepromiseoftheSelf-Driving Network,asystemintelligentenoughtopredict,adapt, andimprovecontinuously.Throughtheintegrationof generativeAI,agenticautomation,andintegrationwith HPEGreenLakeIntelligence,Marvisisevolvingfroma virtualassistantintoatrueAIcopilotforITteams.

“Thegoal,”Bobsays,“istotakecomplexityoff operators'shoulders,reducecosts,andgiveenterprisesa networkthatjustworks.”

WordstotheNextGenerationofAILeaders

Bob'sadvicetoaspiringAIleadersisbothhumbleand profound:staygroundedincustomerproblems.“The realimpactofAIisn'tinthemodel,”hesays,“it'sin solvingchallengesthatmatter.”Heencouragescuriosity, resilience,andcollaboration,remindingfuture innovatorsthatAIisultimatelyateameffort.

“Ifyoucancombinetechnicalvisionwithempathyfor usersandacommitmenttoresponsibleinnovation,”he concludes,“you'lldomorethanbuildgreatproducts, you'llbuildtechnologythattrulymakeslifebetter.

HOW COPILOT IS TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP IN THE AGE OF AI

Inthecurrentfast-paced

technologicalenvironment, artificialintelligence(AI)has transcendeditsroleasameretooland hasbecomeavitalpartnerinfostering innovationandenhancingproductivity. Asignificantdevelopmentinthisfield istheemergenceofAI-driven assistantssuchasCopilot.Originally createdtoaidincoding,writing,and dataanalysis,Copilotisnow transformingtheoperationalmethods ofleadersacrossdiverseindustries, providingnovelapproachesto leadership,collaboration,anddecisionmaking.

Atitsessence,Copilotisanartificial intelligence-basedplatformcreatedby organizationssuchasMicrosoftand GitHub.Itutilizesmachinelearning algorithmstosupportusersacross varioustasksbyofferingimmediate suggestions,automatingrepetitive processes,andboostingoverall productivity.Intherealmofleadership, Copilottranscendsmeretask optimization;ittransformstheway leadersengagewithdata,oversee teams,andformulatestrategic decisions.

EnhancedDecision-Making

Oneofthemostsignificantimpactsof Copilotonleadershipisitscapacityto enableleaderstomakedata-driven decisionswithremarkablespeedand precision.Inthepast,leadersoften dependedonlengthydataanalysisand forecastingprocessestoarriveat informedconclusions.Incontrast, Copilotcananalyzeextensivedatasets inmereseconds,bringingtolight trends,patterns,andinsightsthatmight otherwiseremainhidden.This capabilityempowersleaderstoadapt toevolvingsituationspromptlyand efficiently,ensuringtheymaintaina competitiveedge.

AugmentedCollaborationand Communication

AItoolssuchasCopilotenhance collaborativeefficiency.Leaderscan assignroutinetaskstoAI,allowing themtoconcentrateonstrategic discussionsandinnovativeproblemsolving.Thenaturallanguage processingfeaturesofCopilotfacilitate clearercommunicationbetween leadersandtheirteams,promotinga sharedunderstandingamongall members.Thisultimatelycultivates improvedteamalignmentand contributestoamoreunifiedworking atmosphere.

PersonalizedLeadership

TheinsightsgeneratedbyCopilot, poweredbyartificialintelligence, enableleaderstogainadeeper understandingoftheirteams.By analyzingemployeedata,Copilot assistsinpinpointingstrengths, weaknesses,andopportunitiesfor growth.Thisinformationempowers leaderstotailortheirleadership approach,aligningitwiththespecific needsofeachteammemberand promotingacultureofongoing development.

DAN YOGEVKaznelson

DanYogevKaznelsonisavisionaryleaderinthe

aviationindustry,currentlydrivingdigitaland operationalinnovationatELAL.Witha backgroundinITandprojectmanagement,hehasbuilta careeraroundleveragingtechnologytotransformcomplex systemsandenhanceefficiency.Hisleadershipstyle emphasizescollaboration,inclusivity,andempowering teamstoco-createimpactfulsolutions.Underhisguidance, ELALhasembraceddigitalization,AI-driventools,and customer-centricinnovationstostaycompetitiveina rapidlyevolvingmarket.Widelyrespectedforbridging technologyandpeople,Dancontinuestoshapethefutureof aviationwithstrategicforesightandapassionfor meaningfulimpact.

Herearethekeyhighlightsfromtheinterview:

Canyousharethestoryofyourprofessionaljourney andwhatinspiredyoutopursueacareerintheaviation industry?

Mycareerhasbeendrivenbyapassionfortechnology, problem-solving,andoperationalexcellence.Ibeganin projectmanagementandIT,whereIdiscoveredhowdigital solutionscantransformcomplexenvironments.Aviation stoodoutbecauseit'satrulycomplexindustrywith multipleinterconnectedsystems,whereeverydayis differentandnotwodaysarethesame.It'sanenvironment thatconstantlydemandsflexibilityandtheabilitytoreact quicklytochange,whichalignsperfectlywithmyinterest instrategicthinkingandinnovation.Theopportunityto applytechnologytocreatemeaningfulimpactacrosspeople andoperationsinspiredmetodedicatemycareertothis dynamicfield.

Howdidyourearlyexperiencesshapeyourleadership styleandvisionfordrivinginnovationatELAL? Earlyinmycareer,Irealizedthatsuccessfulleadershipis aboutlisteningasmuchasdirecting.Workinginproject

managementandITtaughtmetounderstandpeople's perspectives,involvetheminshapingsolutions,and harnesstheirpotential.Ialsodevelopedahabitofasking keyquestionsforeveryinitiative:Whatvaluedoesthis bring?Howwillitbenefittheorganization?AtELAL,this approachdrivesinclusiveinnovation,whereemployeesare activeparticipantsinvaluableprojects.Imaintainanopen mind,encouragingeveryonetosharenewideas,because thoseclosesttotheworkoftenhavethebestinsights.By buildingstrongpartnershipsacrossteamsandfostering opendialogue,I'velearnedthatsustainableinnovation emergeswhenpeoplefeelempowered,engaged,andpartof thejourney

Whatdrewyouspecificallytofocusonaviationand airlinemanagement,andhowhasyourroleevolvedover time?

Aviationdrewmebecauseit'sahighlycomplex,dynamic industrywheremultiplesystemsinteract,andnotwodays areeverthesame.Itchallengesyoutoreactquicklyto changeandmakedecisionsthatrippleacrosstheentire organization.IinitiallyfocusedonITanddigitalprojects, butovertimemyrolehasevolvedtooverseeingbroader operationalanddigitalstrategies,integratingtechnology andprocesses.Severalprojectshavealsoimprovedthe employeeexperience,whichinturnhashadapositive impactonthepassengerexperience.Today,Iworkto enhanceefficiencyandensureELALremainsinnovative, agile,andfuture-ready.

HowhasELALadapteditsservicestomeettheevolving expectationsoftravelersandthechangingdynamicsof theaviationindustry?

ELALhasembracedinnovation,digitalization,andAIdrivensolutionstomeettheevolvingexpectationsof passengers.Wehaveintroducednewservicesandselfserviceoptionsthatmakethetravelexperiencemore convenient,flexible,andpersonalized.Atthesametime,we

continuouslyimproveoperationalprocesses,enabling smarterdecision-makingandmoreefficientday-to-day operations.Passengersnowreceivereal-timeupdatesand enhancedsupport,reflectingourcommitmenttoseamless, technology-enabledexperiences.Bycombiningthese elements,ELALstaysagile,innovative,andaheadina competitiveaviationlandscape.

Whatwerethemostsignificantchallengesyoufacedin leadingwithinsuchahighlycompetitiveandregulated industry,andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Oneofthegreatestchallengesinaviationisleading transformationinahighlyregulatedandcompetitive environment.Regulatoryrequirements,complexsystems, andnaturallycautiousmindsetsoftenmakechangedifficult. Iovercamethisbylearningfromleadingcompaniesinthe industry,drawinginsightsfromcolleaguesatotherairlines, andapproachingproblemswithcreative,out-of-the-box thinking.Atthesametime,Iemphasizedcollaboration, buildingstrongpartnershipsacrossdepartments,and fosteringopendialogue,ensuringthateverychangewas understood,embraced,anddeliveredclearvalue.This approachhasprovenessentialindrivingsuccessful innovationinacomplexenvironment.

HowdoyouensureELALremainscompetitiveand relevantinafast-changingglobalaviationlandscape?

Tostaycompetitive,ELALfocusesoncontinuous innovation,operationalexcellence,andcustomer-centric solutions.Weinvestindigitaltools,AI-drivensystems,and self-serviceplatformsthatenhanceefficiencyandimprove thepassengerexperience.Atthesametime,wenurturea cultureofcollaboration,learning,andagility,ensuringthat newideasaretested,refined,andimplementedeffectively. Bycombiningstrategictechnologyadoptionwithstrong operationalpractices,ELALremainsadaptive,resilient, andpositionedtoleadinarapidlyevolvingglobalaviation market.

Whatadvicewouldyougivetoyoungprofessionalswho aspiretobuildacareerinaviationandairline management?

Foryoungprofessionalsaspiringtoacareerinaviation,I wouldadvisethemtoremaincurious,embracechallenges, andthinkboldly.Seekopportunitiestolearnandmakea meaningfulcontributionbyaddressingproblems,andtake lessonsfrombothsuccessesandsetbackswhilemaintaining adaptabilityinafast-pacedindustry.Cultivaterelationships andsurroundyourselfwithindividualswhochallengeyou andhelpyouachieveyourfullpotential.Aboveall,striveto

makeatangibleimpact—throughinnovation,collaboration, practicalengagement,andpersistenceinbringingideasto fruition.

Howdoyouseetheaviationindustryevolvingoverthe next5–10years,andwhatroledoyouenvisionELAL playinginshapingthatfuture?

Theaviationindustrywillcontinuetoexperiencestrong growthoverthenextdecade,drivenbyrisingpassenger demandandglobalconnectivity.Digitalizationwillplaya centralrole,withintelligent,data-drivensystems,AI,selfservicesolutions,andflexibleplatformstransforminghow airlinesoperateandanticipatepassengerneeds.ELALhas alreadyinitiateditsdigitaltransformation,andasanIsraeli companyinthe“StartupNation,”wearecommittedto adoptingemergingtechnologiesandbecomingafully digitalairline.Ourfocusisondeliveringefficient,seamless, andpersonalizedexperiences,whileleadingthenext generationofinnovationandshapingthefutureofaviation.

Howwouldyoulikeyourleadershipandcontributionto theaviationsectortoberemembered?

Ihopetoberememberedasaleaderwhobridged technologyandpeople,turninginnovativeideasinto meaningfulimpact.Mygoalhasalwaysbeentoimprove operationalprocesses,enhanceexperiences,andempower teamstoperformattheirbest.Iwantmycontributionto reflectacommitmenttoinnovation,collaboration,and practicalresults,leavingalegacythatnotonlyadvancedEL ALbutalsohelpedshapethebroaderaviationindustryfor thebetter

Isthereanythingspecificyouwouldliketohighlight aboutELAL'sjourney,achievements,orimpactthat youfeelwouldinspireourreaders?

ELAL'sjourneyinrecentyearsdemonstratesthepowerof vision,innovation,andperseverance.Followingthe challengesofCOVID,ELALrebuiltitselfasanewgenerationairline,redefininghowweoperateandserveour passengers.ProjectsIhaveled—suchasEFF,TripTrade, ACCandmanymore—haveshowcasedhowstrategic technologyadoptioncantransformoperationsanddrive efficiency,withseveralreceivinginternationalrecognition andawards.Beyondtheseachievements,ELALhas consistentlymaintained5-starcustomerserviceratings acrossmultipleyears,atestamenttoourdedicationto excellence.Together,thesemilestoneshighlightwhatis possiblewhentechnology,people,andstrategyalign,andI hopetheyserveasinspirationforotherstoembrace innovationandcreatemeaningfulimpactintheirown industries.

MicrosoftissignificantlyimpactingtheAIintegrationsectorbyopting

tobroadentheapplicationofnon-OpenAImodelswithinits365 Copilotproductsuite.Asthedependenceonartificialintelligence continuestoriseforenhancingproductivityandoptimizingbusinessoperations, MicrosoftaimstoprovideawiderarrayofdiverseandpowerfulAI-driven functionalitiestoitsenterpriseclientele.

The365CopilotsuiteencompassesapplicationssuchasWord,Excel,Outlook, andPowerPoint,allofwhichincorporateOpenAI’stechnologytoimprove functionalityandstreamlinetasks.Thesetoolsutilizeartificialintelligencefor variouspurposes,includingdraftingdocumentsandsummarizingemails, therebyenablingemployeestoenhancetheirproductivityandefficiency. Nevertheless,Microsoftacknowledgesthenecessityofprovidingflexibilityand options,particularlyasAItechnologiesevolveanddiversify.Byincorporating modelsbeyondOpenAI,Microsoftseekstoofferawiderarrayofsolutions customizedtomeetvariousbusinessrequirements.

Thisactionispartofacomprehensivestrategyaimedatintegratingadiverse arrayofAImodelsfrommultiplesources,encompassingbothinternal developmentsandcollaborationswithexternalpartners.Theobjectiveisto establishanecosystemthatenablesbusinessestochoosethemostsuitableAI toolstailoredtotheirspecificworkflows,industryneeds,anddataprivacy considerations.Thisstrategyisexpectedtonotonlyaugmenttheflexibilityof Microsoft’sofferingsbutalsoimprovetheoveralluserexperienceby facilitatingmorepersonalizedsolutions.

Theseamlessintegrationofthesemodelsintoexistingproductsisessentialfor Microsoft.Thecompany’ssubstantialinvestmentincloudcomputingand artificialintelligenceinfrastructurethroughitsAzureplatformpositionsit advantageouslytopursuethisnewinitiative.ThecapabilitiesofAzurewill enableMicrosofttoefficientlymanageandscalethesemodels,guaranteeing thatusersof365Copilotproductsenjoyasmoothandhigh-performance experience,irrespectiveoftheAImodeldrivingtheirtasks.

Theconsequencesofthistransitionareextensive.Ascompaniesincreasingly dependonartificialintelligence,theopportunitytoselectfromabroaderrange ofmodelsmaycreatenewpossibilitiesforoptimization.VariousAImodels demonstratestrengthsindistinctdomains;forinstance,certainmodelsmaybe moreadeptatproducingcreativecontent,whereasothersmightspecializein dataanalysisorprovidingdecision-makingassistance.Thisadaptability guaranteesthat365CopilotproductswillprogressintandemwithAI advancements,enablingbusinessestomaintainacompetitiveedgewithintheir industries.AscompetitionamongAIprovidersescalates,Microsoft’sdecision tointegratenon-OpenAImodelsinto365Copilotrepresentsastrategic initiativeaimedatdeliveringthemostversatile,adaptable,androbustAI-driven businesssolutions.ThisapproachreinforcesMicrosoft’scommitmentto shapingthefutureofwork,positioningAIasacrucialpartnerinenhancing productivityandachievingsuccess.

AI and RegTech: A Compliance Leader's Perspective from the UAE to the Global Stage

IamHemanthKumar,currentlyservingasChiefComplianceOfficeratFederalExchangeinthe

UnitedArabEmirates.Overthelast15years,Ihaveworkedacrosscompliance,riskmanagement, andregulatorytechnology,spanningtheUAE,India,HongKong,Singapore,andtheUK.Ihold certificationsincludingCAMS,CRCMP,ICASpecialistinAICompliance,andCCE(CryptoExpert). MuchofmycareerhasbeenshapedbyexposuretoglobalstandardsFATFframeworkanditsapplication acrossregions.Ihavealsohadtheprivilegeofcontributingthoughtleadershiponcomplianceand technologyinnovation,includingperspectivesonRegTechandAIintegration.

Assomeonedeeplyengagedwithbothtraditionalfinancialframeworksandemergingregulatory expectationsinthevirtualassetspace(underregulatorssuchasVARAandADGM),Iapproach compliancenotonlyasarulebook-drivenresponsibilitybutasahuman-ledmissiontosafeguardtrustin financialsystems.

TheEvolvingComplianceLandscape

Intoday'sglobalizedeconomy,complianceisnolongeraback-officefunction—itisastrategicpillarof organizationalresilience.FATFstandardshavecreatedacommongloballanguage,butimplementation varieswidelyacrossjurisdictions.

TheUAE,whereIcurrentlypractice,hasemergedasaregionalhubbyaligningwithFATF'sevolving expectations.Thecountry'sremovalfromtheFATFgreylistin2024wasnotaccidental—itwasthe resultoftargetedreformsinsupervision,risk-basedapproaches,andcross-bordercooperation.

Whatthisdemonstratesissimple:complianceisnolongerjustabout“followingtherules.”Itisabout provingeffectiveness,demonstratingthatsystemsandprocessesarenotonlyinplacebutareactually preventingillicitfinancialflows.

Yetthechallengeremains:thesheerscaleandcomplexityoftransactionsinaborderlessfinancialsystem makeithumanlyimpossibletomonitorriskswithouttechnologicalaugmentation.ThisiswhereRegTech andAIentertheconversation.

AIasaGame-ChangerinCompliance

Artificialintelligenceisnotsciencefictionincompliance—itisalreadyhere.Fromsanctionsscreening totransactionmonitoring,frombiometriconboardingtopredictiveanalytics,AIisrewritingtheway institutionsdetect,assess,andmitigaterisks. Takesanctionsscreeningasanexample.Traditionalsystemsoftengenerateoverwhelmingfalse positives,consumingvaluableanalysthours.AI-drivenalertcalibration,ontheotherhand,canreduce falsepositivesbylearningpatterns,refiningrules,andhighlightingtrueriskswithhigheraccuracy

Similarly,intransactionmonitoring,AImodulescandetectanomaliesthatrule-basedenginesmiss— suchashiddenlayeringincross-borderremittancesorcrypto-to-fiatconversionrisks.AI'spredictive capabilityenablescomplianceteamstomovefromreactiveinvestigationstoproactiveprevention.

Buthereliesthecaution:AIisnot infallible.Algorithmicbias,lackof explainability,andover-relianceon automationcancreateblindspots.In myexperience,themosteffective complianceprogramsarethosethat treatAInotasareplacementfor humanjudgmentbutasan enhancementofit.

RegTechandHumanJudgment:

StrikingtheBalance

RegTechhastransformedcompliance efficiency,buttechnologyalonecannot safeguardintegrity.Ioftenremindmy teamsthatsystemsareonlyasstrong asthevaluesofthepeoplewhodesign, monitor,andinterpretthem.

Overtheyears,Ihaveseencases whereinstitutionsinvestedheavilyin systemsyetfailedcomplianceaudits —notbecausethetechnologywas inadequate,butbecausegovernance, accountability,andownershipwere missing.

Thisiswhereideologyandleadership matter.Complianceleadersmust ensurethatRegTechsolutionsarenot simplydeployedbutmeaningfully integratedintoacultureof responsibility AIcanscanmillionsof transactionsinseconds,butittakesa humanleadertoask: Are we asking the right questions? Are we willing to act when the answers are uncomfortable? Forme,theintersectionoftechnology andhumanethicsiswherethetrue futureofcompliancelies.

GlobalLessonsfromtheUAE Corridor

WorkingintheUAEhasgivenmea front-rowseattooneofthemost dynamicregulatoryenvironmentsin theworld.TheUAEisuniquebecause itmustmanagetraditionalbanking, sprawlingremittancecorridors,andthe fast-emergingvirtualassetecosystem simultaneously.

WhenFATFcalledforstrongeraction, theUAErespondedwithentity-wide riskassessments,strengthened sanctionsframeworks,anddedicated

virtualassetregulationsthrough VARA.Thesewerenotmerecheckthe-boxexercises—theywere structuralchangesaimedatembedding complianceintotheDNAof institutions.

Forexample,underVARA,Virtual AssetServiceProviders(VASPs)must demonstratenotjustKYCprocedures butongoingmonitoring,transaction surveillance,andtravelrule compliance.ThismirrorsFATF's Recommendation15butaddsalocal layerofaccountabilitytailoredto Dubai'smarket.

Thelessonforglobalcompliance leadersisclear:adoptingFATF standardsisnotenough.Each jurisdictionmustadaptthosestandards toitsuniqueriskenvironment,and eachinstitutionmustinternalizethem aspartofdailyoperations.

FutureOutlook:AI,Trust,andthe HumanRole

Ascomplianceprofessionals,weoften discusswhattechnologycando.I believethenextconversationmustalso focusonwhattechnologyshouldnot do.

AIshouldnotreplacetheethical compassofhumanjudgment.AI shouldnotdiluteaccountabilityby allowingleaderstodeferresponsibility toalgorithms.AndAIshouldnever becomeanexcuseforcomplacencyin governance.

Thefutureofcompliancewillbe definedbyhybridmodels—whereAI providesthespeed,scale,and precision,andhumansprovidethe judgment,values,andcouragetoact. Regulators,too,areevolving.TheEU's AIAct,forinstance,requires explainabilityandaccountabilityin high-riskAIapplications.Thisisa reminderthatevenasweinnovate,we mustremaintransparent.

Forme,theessenceofleadershipin thisspaceisaboutmorethan compliance.Itisabouttrust.

HEMANTH KUMAR Chief Compliance Officer

InstitutionsthatuseAIresponsibly, transparently,andethicallywillnot onlysatisfyregulators—theywill earntheconfidenceofcustomers, partners,andtheglobalcommunity

Conclusion

Weareenteringanewerawhere compliancecannotbeseparatedfrom technology,andtechnologycannotbe separatedfromvalues.

AIandRegTechwillcontinueto redefinetheefficiencyofcompliance programs,buttheycannotreplacethe roleofethicalleadership.Attheendof theday,complianceisnotabout machinesorsystems—itisabout peopleprotectingpeople,safeguarding economies,andpreservingtheintegrity ofglobalfinancialsystems.

Assomeonewhohaslivedthrough audits,regulatoryreforms,andcrossborderchallenges,myconvictionis simple:AIisanenabler,buthuman leadershipisirreplaceable.