TLDR: Gordon Baggott has been appointed as the Chief Data Scientist at Smart Data Foundry, a University of Edinburgh subsidiary. He will lead research initiatives focused on financial wellbeing and economic resilience, leveraging his extensive experience in data science, machine learning, and AI. The appointment comes as Smart Data Foundry prepares to expand its Economic Wellbeing Explorer across Great Britain.
Edinburgh-based Smart Data Foundry, a subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh, has announced the appointment of Gordon Baggott as its new Chief Data Scientist. This strategic hire aims to bolster the organization’s research initiatives focused on financial wellbeing and economic resilience across the UK.
In his new role, Mr. Baggott will be responsible for spearheading the data science strategy, driving research that not only promotes financial wellbeing but also informs crucial policy changes. He brings over two decades of experience from diverse sectors including healthcare, banking, and insurance, where he has applied data science, machine learning, and generative AI to extract valuable insights from complex data sets.
Mr. Baggott is particularly noted for his pioneering work in integrating machine learning and AI within major high street banks, specifically in areas such as risk operations, insider fraud detection, and cyber security. His commitment to the broader application of AI is further evidenced by his role as co-founder and commissioning editor for the Business AI Alliance, a cross-party parliamentary group dedicated to helping small and medium-sized organizations safely adopt AI for growth in the UK.
Dougie Robb, CEO of Smart Data Foundry, expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment, stating, “Gordon’s skills and ambitions fit perfectly with our mission to unlock financial data for the good of all and to drive real societal change. His technical expertise coupled with his commercial acumen will play a key role as we develop our range of data services into new areas.”
The appointment is timely, as Smart Data Foundry is at a “pivotal time for the business,” preparing to expand its “Economic Wellbeing Explorer” from Scotland to cover the entirety of Great Britain. This expansion is part of its ongoing work as the Financial Data Service (FINDS), one of the six research data services forming Smart Data Research UK.
The Economic Wellbeing Explorer, launched in April, utilizes near real-time data from over five million bank accounts. This platform is designed to track economic resilience and wellbeing at national, regional, and local levels, as well as across different age groups and income ranges, providing granular insights into the financial health of the population.
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Mr. Baggott shared his excitement about joining the organization: “I’m thrilled to be joining Smart Data Foundry as chief data scientist. It’s a great opportunity to bring my experience of analytics, machine learning and AI to help the team unlock the huge potential that financial data holds.” He further emphasized the importance of using data for societal benefit, adding, “With much of the focus of modern data technology being applied to the accumulation of wealth for the few, it’s critical to use our capability to better support positive societal change and work towards a more equitable UK.”
