Experian CPO: 'AI is a New Operating Model'
Experian CPO Jacky Simmonds described the company's approach to AI as a fundamental shift, not a side project. In a recent interview, she emphasized that AI is "a new operating model" that requires a relentless focus on data quality, cross-functional alignment, and ethical guardrails. Her perspective highlights the CPO's role in leading AI transformation from the top down.
Experian's AI-driven approach extends beyond internal operations to consumer-facing products. In February 2026, the company launched an insurance marketplace app on ChatGPT, allowing users to compare auto insurance quotes from over 37 carriers through a conversational interface. This follows the creation of EVA, the Experian Virtual Assistant, an AI agent designed to help members interact with their personal financial data to understand and improve their financial health. The company's AI-powered fraud detection models have demonstrated significant performance gains over traditional systems, with detection rates improving by 37% for loans and 45% for credit card applications. To combat emerging threats, Experian has also made strategic investments, including in Resistant AI, to specifically target sophisticated authorized push payment (APP) fraud by detecting anomalous behavior in real time. For its enterprise clients, Experian is embedding AI into its Ascend platform. A new tool, the Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management, uses AI to automate compliance documentation and validation for complex credit and risk models, claiming it can reduce internal approval times by up to 70%. This focus on governance and explainability is a core part of its strategy for the highly regulated financial sector. Internally, Jacky Simmonds' HR organization has deployed AI-driven tools to support employees and leadership. The company uses an AI coach named "Nadia," which facilitated over 35,000 coaching conversations in its first year, and has implemented personalized career development platforms that have helped fill 60% of senior roles from within. This top-down AI integration reflects a broader enterprise trend where AI is becoming a core infrastructure, not just a feature. While nearly nine in ten companies report using AI in some capacity, only a small fraction have moved beyond pilots to deploy AI agents in production, highlighting the operational challenges of scaling. Within the HR and compensation technology space, AI is being used to analyze pay equity, benchmark salaries against real-time market data, and predict employee turnover risks. As companies adopt these tools, 82% of HR professionals now report using AI daily, shifting their focus from administrative tasks to strategic, data-driven compensation planning.
