Avanade has appointed Ben Beath as Chief AI Officer to lead its artificial intelligence strategy and accelerate AI adoption across its business and client operations.
In his new role, Beath will focus on helping organisations integrate AI into their operations, improve decision-making and unlock business value. He will also drive AI fluency across Avanade and expand the use of intelligent tools and agentic systems across its teams and service delivery.
Beath said the focus of enterprise AI is shifting from investment decisions to realising measurable returns. He added that organisations need to rethink how work is performed, decisions are made and customers are served, rather than simply adopting new tools.
Chris Howarth, chief executive officer, Avanade, said Beath’s entrepreneurial background, understanding of AI and experience in leading digital transformation would support the company’s efforts to scale AI adoption. He added that organisations need to adopt AI responsibly and confidently to realise its potential.
Beath has been with Avanade since 2018, most recently serving as AI Acceleration Lead and co-lead of its AI Transformation Office. In these roles, he worked with enterprise clients to identify opportunities for AI to transform business operations.
He joined Avanade following its acquisition of Loud&Clear, a digital agency he co-founded in 2009 and grew into Australia's largest independent digital agency. The acquisition led to the establishment of Avanade’s first Digital Innovation Studio in Asia Pacific, which Beath subsequently expanded across Singapore, Japan and Brazil.
In 2022, he relocated to New York to lead Avanade’s Digital Experiences business across the Northeast before transitioning to AI-focused leadership roles.
Beyond Loud&Clear, Beath has co-founded five startups, including PlayHQ, a community sports platform, and FanHub, which was acquired by Genius Sports in 2021.
Founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade specialises in Microsoft technologies and digital transformation services. The company operates across 26 countries and has more than 60,000 professionals worldwide.
