Avanade appoints Florin Rotar as chief AI officer

Enterprise IT consultancy Avanade has appointed its first Chief AI Officer. Florin Rotar takes on the role as the demand for AI services from consulting firms continues to grow.

"AI has become the new computing platform. It demands us to rethink the relationship and engagement between people and technology, perhaps as fundamentally as during the Industrial Revolution,” said Rotar. "We have an opportunity to truly empower people to realise their full potential and to become the best versions of themselves. To ask ourselves what can be created and how can technology and human ingenuity be empowered for every person in their organisation.” 

Avanade – and its parent group, Accenture – are regularly recognised among Microsoft’s global partner of the year awards. A provider of digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem, Avanade has 60,000 professionals in 26 countries.

According research from the firm, while 85% of organisations expect AI to increase revenue growth by 2025, just 36% of business and IT leaders were completely confident that their organisation currently has sufficient checks and balances in place to mitigate the potential risks and harms of AI. This has led Avanade to open up a new service line, catering to the needs of its clients as they adopt AI technology.

As chief AI officer (CAIO), Rotar will lead the global AI strategy and execution, helping clients accelerate their journey to become AI First, while keeping the utmost consideration for ethical standards, privacy, and social impact. He will also be responsible for driving Avanade’s own AI transformation. 

A 20-year Avanade veteran, Rotar has held several leadership positions across the business including chief innovation officer, and most recently chief technology officer. Aaron Reich, head of emerging technologies at Avanade, will succeed him in that role. 

Commenting on Rotar’s appointment, Avanade CEO Pam Maynard added, "Generative AI has opened a whole new world of possibilities for how we can use technology to do what matters and transform industries on a scale not seen since the industrial revolution - from healthcare and education to agriculture and the environment. With Florin’s leadership, I’m confident that Avanade will continue to lead the market, driving responsible innovation that will help our clients thrive in an AI-first world.”