Faculty appoints Dr. Christopher Purves as Senior Financial Services Adviser
Faculty today (18th December 2025) announces the appointment of new Senior Adviser, Dr. Christopher Purves.
London, 18th December 2025 – Faculty, one of Europe’s leading and longest standing applied AI companies, today announces the appointment of Dr. Christopher Purves as Senior Financial Services Adviser.
Faculty already has deep expertise deploying AI at scale across financial services. Led by David Bholat, who previously led and launched data science functions at Barclays and the Bank of England, the team delivers mission-critical work for global institutions. The team continues to grow, with their expertise being complemented by Christopher joining.
"Few companies have Faculty's credentials in the applied AI space. Even fewer are able to deliver strategic AI projects in high-stakes, regulated environments. Faculty are one of the few firms chosen as a strategic partner of UBS’s AI expert framework, and I am delighted to join their team. The next leap for AI in banking will be about the highest-materiality cases at the heart of operations. Faculty is well positioned to be a key strategic AI partner to ambitious banking organisations globally.”
Christopher Purves
With over 30 years in banking and a decade leading AI transformation at UBS, Christopher has solved the most complex AI implementation challenges financial services executives face. During his tenure, Christopher built UBS's internal AI expert networks, established enterprise-wide AI governance, led regulatory engagements worldwide, and directed the bank's innovation and venture investments. He knows what it takes to move AI from boardroom strategy to production systems that work.
Most recently serving as Co-Head of Group Emerging Technology at UBS, he authored the bank's AI strategy and designed the governance frameworks needed to deploy AI at scale across global operations.
"I’m delighted Christopher will work in an advisory capacity with us. His technical expertise and experience will be invaluable as we work with leading financial institutions. The macroeconomic cycle is turning, regulatory expectations are rising, and customers are more empowered than ever to switch providers. Meanwhile, fraud and cyber threats are evolving at pace. In this environment, AI isn't just a nice-to-have, it's becoming essential for financial institutions to manage costs, deliver differentiated customer experiences, and build resilience against emerging risks. Christopher's insights will help us ensure our AI solutions drive genuine business value in this shifting landscape."
David Bholat, Director for Professional and Financial Services
About Faculty
Founded in 2014, Faculty is one of Europe’s leading applied AI companies. Our suite of AI services and products spans everything organisations need to access frontier AI and get it into the hands of their frontline teams to support their most important work. Our PhD-heavy team of technical experts has delivered hundreds of real-world AI projects to improve critical public services and drive sustained economic returns across every sector of the economy.
