David Hardoon is departing Standard Chartered less than a year after joining the bank as Global Head of AI Enablement, according to Bloomberg.

Hardoon, who is based in Singapore, is on gardening leave, the report said. Standard Chartered declined to comment on the departure.

He joined the bank in April 2025 to support its broader AI ambitions as lenders step up efforts to embed the technology across core business functions.

Hardoon brought experience across banking, regulation, academia and AI startups.

His earlier roles included serving as the first Chief Data Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

He also held senior data and AI positions at UnionBank and UnionDigital in the Philippines before leading Aboitiz Data Innovation, the conglomerate’s data science and AI venture.

The departure comes as banks continue investing in AI talent, governance and deployment.

In the 2025 Evident AI Index, Standard Chartered ranked 26th globally for AI maturity, based on factors such as talent, innovation, leadership and transparency.

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