The appointment strengthens CFTE’s advisory expertise at the intersection of AI governance, responsible adoption and institutional capability building.
London, 22 May 2026
CFTE, the Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship, today announced the appointment of Dr David R. Hardoon as Senior Advisor, strengthening its work on AI governance, responsible adoption and capability building for financial institutions, regulators, central banks and governments.
As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to implementation, financial institutions face a growing challenge: how to govern AI responsibly while building the people, systems and operating models required to use it effectively at scale. The question is no longer only whether institutions should adopt AI. It is how they build the capabilities, judgement and governance structures required to make AI adoption safe, useful and scalable.
Dr Hardoon brings more than two decades of experience across data, artificial intelligence, financial regulation, banking, government, academia and enterprise transformation. He was the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s first appointed Chief Data Officer and Head of Data Analytics Group, and subsequently served as Special Advisor for Artificial Intelligence. In these roles, he contributed to the development of AI strategy for MAS and Singapore’s financial sector, and was closely involved in the development of the FEAT principles and the MAS-backed Veritas consortium.
“I am delighted to welcome David Hardoon as Senior Advisor to CFTE. We have had the privilege of working with David for many years, and his expertise across policy, banking, technology, AI governance and ethics is exceptional. At a time when financial institutions and regulators are navigating one of the most important technological shifts of our generation, his perspective will be invaluable. David’s appointment strengthens CFTE’s mission to help institutions and leaders build the capabilities, confidence and responsible practices.”
Tram Anh Nguyen, Co-Founder, CFTE
He has also held senior data and AI leadership roles across financial services and enterprise innovation, including Global Head of AI at Standard Chartered, Chief Data and AI Officer at UnionBank of the Philippines, and Chief Executive Officer of Aboitiz Data Innovation.
From AI Governance to AI Capability at Scale
Dr Hardoon’s appointment comes at a time when governance has become one of the most important questions in financial services. Institutions are developing policies, principles and controls for AI, but governance can only work if it is translated into the daily behaviours, capabilities, workflows and decisions of the organisation.
Through his advisory role, Dr Hardoon will support CFTE’s work in helping institutions move from AI awareness and experimentation towards structured AI capability. His expertise will contribute to CFTE’s work across executive education, AI governance, responsible innovation, AI proficiency, institutional readiness and capability-building programmes for financial institutions, regulators and public-sector organisations.
The appointment also reinforces CFTE’s broader work on AI Capability Infrastructure, which focuses on helping institutions develop the people system and organisation system required to thrive in the AI era. This includes leadership alignment, AI capability diagnostics, role-based pathways, responsible use, operating model thinking and measurement systems that allow organisations to move from AI ambition to execution.
“I am delighted to join CFTE as Senior Advisor. Drawing on my experience pioneering the FEAT principles at MAS and leading enterprise AI strategy and governance at Standard Chartered, I am excited to help CFTE equip financial institutions with the human capability and responsible governance frameworks essential for safe, scalable and ethical AI deployment.”
Dr David Hardoon, Senior Advisor, CFTE
Supporting Responsible AI Adoption in Financial Services
CFTE works with financial institutions, regulators, central banks and governments globally to build capabilities in finance, technology and artificial intelligence. Its work increasingly focuses on helping institutions move from AI ambition to AI Capability Infrastructure: the practical systems, pathways and measurement mechanisms required to make AI adoption real, responsible and scalable.
Dr Hardoon’s appointment will also support CFTE’s institutional programmes, including senior leadership AI programmes, AI governance pathways, AI capability diagnostics and AI Academy initiatives for financial institutions, regulators and governments.
Dr Hardoon’s appointment will strengthen CFTE’s ability to support institutions as they address some of the most important questions in AI adoption:
- How should institutions govern AI while still enabling innovation?
- How can financial services leaders build responsible AI capability across teams and functions?
- How can regulators, central banks and financial institutions develop the internal capabilities required to understand, supervise and apply AI?
- How can AI governance be translated into practical behaviours, role-based capabilities and operating model decisions?
- How can organisations move from pilots and experimentation to responsible implementation at scale?
The appointment forms part of CFTE’s wider body of work on the future of finance, including AI-fication of Work, AI Capability Infrastructure, the CFTE AI Proficiency Framework and the development of Supercharged Professionals.
Notes to Editors
About Dr David R. Hardoon
Dr David R. Hardoon is an internationally recognised leader in data and artificial intelligence, with experience across financial regulation, banking, government, academia, advisory and enterprise transformation. He was the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s first appointed Chief Data Officer and Head of Data Analytics Group, and subsequently served as Special Advisor for Artificial Intelligence.
He has contributed to the development of AI strategy for MAS and Singapore’s financial sector, and has been closely involved in initiatives related to responsible AI, including the FEAT principles and the MAS-backed Veritas consortium. He has also held senior leadership roles including Global Head of AI at Standard Chartered, Chief Data and AI Officer at UnionBank of the Philippines, and Chief Executive Officer of Aboitiz Data Innovation.
Dr Hardoon holds a PhD in Computer Science in the field of Machine Learning from the University of Southampton and a First Class Honours BSc in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from Royal Holloway, University of London.
About CFTE
The Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) is one of the world’s leading capability platforms in finance, technology and AI. Since 2017, CFTE has helped more than 200,000 participants across 130 countries build capabilities in fintech, digital finance, AI and the future of work.
CFTE works with financial institutions, central banks, regulators, technology firms, universities, development institutions and public-sector organisations to build capability at scale. Its work combines industry expertise, practitioner-led learning, proprietary frameworks and scalable programme design.
CFTE’s work on AI focuses on helping institutions move from AI awareness and experimentation to AI Capability Infrastructure: the systems, pathways and capabilities required to make AI adoption useful, responsible and scalable.
Media Contact
Email – partners@cfte.education
Website – https://www.cfte.education/
