2026 NewYorkCIO ORBIE Awards

2026 NewYorkCIO ORBIE Awards · Super Global Finalist

Leigh-Ann Russell

CIO and Global Head of Engineering

BNY

Leigh-Ann Russell

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Bio

I Chief Information Officer and Global Head of Engineering at BNY, I serve on the BNY Executive Committee and previously held top leadership roles at BP across. I’m a chartered engineer, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Energy Institute. I am a Professor of practice of the prestigious Queens University of Belfast. I am an ultra runner and qualified yoga instructor.

Success Story

BNY’s digital employee program demonstrates how governed AI can improve work at enterprise scale. Through its Eliza AI platform, BNY has built, onboarded and deployed more than 100 digital employees, each with credentials and human supervisors. These AI agents automate routine activities, support payment teams, accelerate client onboarding, assist with coding and increase reconciliation automation. The result is faster processing and more capacity for colleagues to focus on judgment, relationships and higher value work. Adoption has been reinforced through companywide training: BNY reported that 100% of employees were trained and onboarded to Eliza, making AI practical, responsible and accessible.

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