Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) is undergoing a data revolution… Navigating this journey of change is Director of Data and AI, Rebecca Fitzgerald. Her vision is unapologetically ambitious: to transform the 160-year-old mutual through ethical, human-centred strategies and AI innovation. Moreover, in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, she is driving forward a vision that ensures YBS does not just to keep up but leads from the front.
“I’m accountable for developing and implementing strategies to enhance data-centricity and drive value from data and AI for our customers and colleagues,” Rebecca states. This directive is grounded in strong governance, positive culture, and the empowerment of people through data literacy and technological upskilling.
Rebecca believes data has the power to humanise financial services. This can help understand customers better, to tailor solutions more effectively. And to create experiences that are responsive, empathetic and inclusive. “Data and AI can help us meet customers where they are, not where we assume they should be,” she explains. This mindset has helped reframe how initiatives are positioned at the executive level. From compliance costs to value-generating opportunities that strengthen long-term purpose for YBS.
From Data Silos to Strategic Enablement
Over the past three years, Rebecca has led a fundamental shift in the role of data at YBS. Once seen as a compliance-focused, back-office function, it is now embedding across business functions. Furthermore, it is viewed as a catalyst for strategic decision-making and innovation.
Her early work focused on aligning data governance with operational efficiency. “We transformed our approach to GDPR. We moved from reactive compliance to proactive data stewardship. That created a solid foundation to build on.”
Rebecca oversaw the creation of the internal Data Academy, which has become a blueprint for enterprise-wide upskilling. “With resilience and know-how, my brilliant senior manager Beth Lancaster, who has clocked up a lot more years in this space than I, set about delivering a shared vision to increase data literacy across the whole organisation, boost specialist knowledge and drive data-leadership within the heart of YBS. “We built the Data Academy for our people, not just data professionals. It’s about equipping every colleague with the skills and confidence to use it responsibly.”
Building Foundations for an AI-First Future
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape the financial services landscape Rebecca has been proactive in laying the foundations for responsible, scalable adoption at YBS. Her completion of an MIT course in AI Strategy is indicative of her commitment to lifelong learning and leading from the front.
“AI is still new territory for most of us, so I took the initiative to understand it deeply,” she explains. “We can’t afford to be reactive. We need to be thoughtful and informed in how we adopt this technology.”
She outlines three strategic focus areas for AI at YBS:
- Efficiency and Productivity – using AI to automate repetitive tasks, improve colleague workflows, and boost operational capacity.
- Customer Insight and Personalisation – leveraging AI to unlock insights from unstructured data, improving customer interactions and product relevance.
- Decision-Making and Innovation – accelerating research, fact-finding, and problem-solving through natural language tools and predictive models.