Head of AI and Analytics Strategy and Exploration

About the role

We're the world's leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value - across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we're proud to support the global economy. We're unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value - a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We're always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions. Role purpose To shape, inspire, and prepare Swift for the age of AI... defining what is possible, building the case for where to act, and ensuring the organization has the vision, appetite, and capability to lead. By leveraging existing AI and Analytics capabilities, you pioneer how they can deliver tangible business value and set Swift up for success in the coming years. As Head of AI and Analytics Strategy and Exploration , you operate at the leading edge of change. You scan the horizon, interpret emerging trends before they become consensus, and translate external signals into clear strategic direction. You do not wait for the industry to show the way. You challenge assumptions, surface non-obvious opportunities, and turn the potential of AI and Analytics into differentiated advantage for Swift and its customers. This is a role that spans the full arc from insight to impact. You identify and develop high-value opportunities, drive experimentation through to validated outcomes, and build a balanced portfolio of bets that reflects both near-term commercial reality and longer-term ambition. In doing so, you create a continuous pipeline of well-defined, decision-ready opportunities that engineering and delivery teams can act on, connecting strategy to execution in a way that is disciplined, not theoretical. Reporting to the Head of AI, Analytics and Automation, you operate as a trusted partner to senior leadership across Swift by bringing structure and confidence to decisions, scaling the adoption of proven capabilities, and ensuring the wider organisation understands and is prepared for what AI makes possible today and in the future. You own key external relationships with customers, vendors, and partners, and you represent Swift as a credible and compelling voice on AI strategy in industry forums and client conversations alike. This is a role for someone who thinks boldly, communicates with clarity, and knows how to turn vision into momentum. Specific responsibilities include: Strategic foresight - Monitor the evolution of AI and Analytics technologies, market dynamics, and ecosystem players, translating external signals into clear and actionable business strategic implications for the organisations. Build forward-looking perspectives on how AI will reshape the industry, our customers, and our operating models. Provide structured, fact-based guidance to senior leadership on what matters now and what will matter next . Communicating the art of the possible - Champions AI's potential across the organisation, translating cutting-edge capability into compelling narratives that inspire curiosity and ambition. Builds shared understanding of what AI can deliver today and shapes a credible, forward-looking vision for where it is headed. Opportunity exploration - Identify and pursue high-value opportunities at the intersection of enterprise priorities and AI and Analytics capability. Challenge existing assumptions about where value lives, surface non-obvious use cases, and build the case for bold bets. Drive momentum from insight to action, ensuring promising opportunities are translated into tangible initiatives rather than remaining theoretical. Experimentation and delivery - Drive AI and Analytics opportunities end to end, from early hypothesis through experimentation, proof-of-concept, and into validated outcomes. Maintain momentum across the full arc, ensuring promising ideas don't stall at the exploratory stage. Communicate progress, learnings, and results in ways that build organisational confidence and appetite for further investment. Portfolio construction & prioritization - Build and maintain a balanced AI and Analytics portfolio that combines near-term impact with longer-term strategic bets. Recommend investment priorities and sequencing, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategy and risk appetite. Enable informed, fact-based decision-making at executive level through clear framing of t