HSBC CIO Stuart Riley on Leading with Data and AI

Stuart Riley became Group Chief Information Officer at HSBC in February 2024 after a 14-year run at Citigroup, where he rose to Co-CIO and oversaw technology for 50,000 people across 100 countries.

Just eight months into his HSBC tenure, the bank broadened his mandate to include data and innovation and appointed him to the Group Executive Committee - signalling that his leadership is working.

Tasked with defining and executing HSBC’s technology strategy, Stuart is focused on building an efficient, resilient and innovative digital bank. He is advancing the group’s Digitise strategy while simplifying a famously complex IT estate.

Under his watch, HSBC now deploys AI across more than 600 use cases, from fraud detection to customer service.

Cutting through hype, he says: “Whilst some overestimate AI's short-term impact, I believe many significantly underestimate its long-term potential”.

The balance of disciplined delivery today and compounding gains tomorrow frames his approach to platforms, data and safe scaling of AI.

Orchestrating scale at Citigroup

Stuart’s defining stretch came at Citi, which he joined in 2010 to run eCommerce in Sales & Trading. There, he led the development of Citi Velocity, a market-leading suite of digital products that was widely adopted across the industry.

His responsibilities grew across capital markets, securities services, investment banking, trade and treasury and private banking, culminating in his role as Global Head of Institutional Client Group Technology.

In that capacity, he led more than 50,000 technologists and operations colleagues in 100 countries, managing an annual operating budget exceeding US$4 bn.

Promoted to Co-Chief Information Officer in September 2023, he oversaw global technology and infrastructure and spearheaded AI initiatives, recognising early that strong data foundations would be decisive, and backing that conviction with significant investment in private cloud infrastructure.

Entrepreneurial start at Deutsche

Before his global remits, Stuart built capability from the ground up. He founded TAG Consulting in 1996 and spent five years as partner and development manager.

That entrepreneurial chapter gave him first-hand appreciation for the speed and pragmatism required in smaller firms - experience he later translated into large-enterprise leadership.

He entered investment banking technology at RBS in 2002 as Technology Manager for FX eCommerce.

From 2003 to 2010 at Deutsche Bank, he progressed through senior roles including Head of Rates eCommerce, Global Head of Sales Technology and, ultimately, Global Head of Global Finance & Foreign Exchange Technology.

Those years cemented a reputation for shipping complex, client-facing platforms while building followership across distributed teams.

Leadership with impact beyond the bank

Stuart brings purpose to delivery. At HSBC, he serves as Executive Sponsor for Strive UK, an employee resource group that supports colleagues from different economic backgrounds.

Beyond the bank, he is an expert member of Teach First’s Technology Committee, helping drive major technology transformation and the use of educational technology to address educational disadvantage.

His external influence continues to expand: in February 2025 he joined Quantexa’s board, aligning with its focus on decision intelligence and data-driven risk insights.

He advises HiveNet on environmentally sustainable cloud computing and sits on BP’s Digital Advisory Council as the energy major navigates its net-zero transition.

For a leader who began as a software engineer, Stuart has remained unusually close to the technical coalface while ascending to the top tier of banking.

That blend of hands-on depth and systems-level leadership, honed across Deutsche and Citi and now applied at HSBC, underpins his mandate to modernise core platforms, elevate data as a strategic asset and responsibly industrialise AI. 

With his role expanded to include data and innovation, the bank has tied its long-term digital competitiveness directly to his leadership.