Government names Accenture’s Shaheen Sayed as AI Champion for professional services
Accenture’s chief commercial officer has been selected for a new government role in the UK. The firm’s former UK chief will now work as an ‘AI champion’ on behalf of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, as the incumbent administration seeks to foster growth across the professional services sector.
For more than two decades, Shaheen Sayed has held senior roles across Accenture. Having led the firm’s UK technology practice, in 2023, she was installed as the leader for its operations in the UK, Ireland and Africa – before being picked this year to become the firm’s global chief commercial officer for reinvention services. As the firm continues to reorientate itself in relation to AI services, she is responsible for streamlining how Accenture delivers AI-enabled solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients.
Putting the experience of both roles to use, Sayed has now also been announced as an ‘AI champion’ for the UK government. With the professional and business services sector having long been a key partner for technological transformation across the economy, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has tasked Sayed with improving AI adoption in professional business services — one of the UK government’s eight growth sectors.
Reeves and the Labour government have placed an enormous amount of importance on AI, presenting it as the key to reviving UK economic growth. The belief is that AI will trigger a productivity surge, which will in turn lift tax receipts. While supporting the introduction of AI into the professional services sector is viewed as crucial to this, Sayed’s position is reportedly not a paid role.
Sayed commented, “As AI reshapes the global economy, we have a pivotal opportunity to build on this strength and help position the UK as the world’s most trusted adviser to global industry by 2035. That’s why I’m delighted to take on the role of the Government’s AI Champion for the UK’s Professional Business Sector. We can’t afford to stand still. To deliver smarter, faster and higher-quality services, we need to move beyond early adoption and put AI to work in ways that drive real outcomes for everyone.”
Sayed is also a recognised thought leader on inclusive business cultures and talent in the digital age. She is a guest lecturer for the London School of Economics Global Masters Programme, and serves as an Honorary Colonel in 3 Military Intelligence, a unit of the British Army and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
