On May 6, 2022, Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) officially announced the appointments of Guy Sheppard to the role of General Manager for Financial Services and Luis Gonzalez as General Manager for Power Industry, strengthening its commitment to advance business and communities through Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) strategic initiatives.
A new addition to the team, Guy Sheppard will play a key role in continuing the advancement of ADI’s mission to drive the adoption of DSAI tools and solutions that can help reduce operational cost and drive effectiveness within financial crime processes, collections, alternate lending and ultimately accelerate more inclusive financing.
Luis Gonzalez, formerly Data Science & AI Principal – Power Industry of ADI, has been redesignated as General Manager, Power Industry where he continues to power clean energy and sustainable solutions for the industry. In addition, Gonzalez’ expertise and knowledge in leading ADI’s development strategy for DSAI solutions for the power businesses in distribution and generation has also led to his dual appointment with Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) as Chief Data Officer.
Gonzalez notes, “This new structure will allow us to explore external innovative and dynamic solutions for power through Aboitiz Data Innovation while helping steer data-driven initiatives within AboitizPower. This 2-speed approach will help us real-life test all our Data Science and AI solutions and ensure that we are helping AboitizPower become the leading power generation company in the Philippines and an Asia Pacific innovation leader in driving power sustainability.”
With over 24 years of experience in leading and developing AI Solutions, Enterprise Software and Digital transformation for industrial enterprises, Gonzalez will develop and align initiatives related to Data Science, Governance and Engineering within the Aboitiz Group. Gonzalez is also the Cofounder of the AI Asia Pacific Institute, where he focuses on the ethical deployment of learning algorithms in society.
“At AboitizPower, we have set an ambition to transform into the digital leader in the local and regional power industry. With the recent launch of our data innovation program, led by Luis, we hope to kickstart the DSAI innovation journey solving some of our most meaningful problems through data and AI. We see a promising future at the intersection between data and energy and we are excited to explore it together with Luis and ADI with the end goal of improving the lives of Filipinos,” said Carlos Aboitiz, AboitizPower Chief Corporate Services Officer.
Sheppard joins ADI with over 16 years of experience in Financial Crime, Cyber and Fraud, having recently led Financial Crime commercial and market teams for SWIFT in the Americas, UK and APAC. As a recognised domain expert and speaker in Due Diligence, Fraud, Cyber and Sanctions technology assurance, he is also an active individual in the community, having held various positions such as being a former member of the Singapore FinTech Association’s RegTech sub-committee and Course Director for the Wealth Management Institute’s InfoSec Central Bank training programme.
Commenting on his new position, Sheppard said: “I am delighted to be working for an organization that truly walks the talk in developing and deploying its own DSAI technologies and models within the wider Aboitiz Group. As a financial crime practitioner, I have experienced firsthand the many challenges within the industry and have noticed the regulatory shift towards more effective outcomes. In order to share and manage confidential data more effectively, financial institutions must adopt the right technology to help them identify patterns of true significance across their data. ADI has the successful metrics and use cases to help lead the way for other financial institutions to follow.”
On Sheppard and Gonzalez’ appointment, ADI Managing Director Dr. David R. Hardoon said, “Since the launch of ADI last year, we have demonstrated that our work goes beyond improving bottom lines and efficiencies to impacting the everyday person. I am excited for the future as with Guy and Luis’ extensive industry knowledge in their domains, there is no doubt that they will help us move forward in our mission to deploy world-class DSAI solutions that make life easier, simpler and better for all.”
Both Sheppard and Gonzalez will be based in Singapore, powering solutions for the region.
About Aboitiz Data Innovation
Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) is the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence arm of Aboitiz Group. It is advancing an over 100-year-old company’s digital transformation journey by operationalizing AI across all business units. ADI’s frameworks and solutions cascades to power, land, infrastructure, food, and banking industries to create a data-powered future that makes life easier, simpler and better for all. Apart from consolidating the Data Science & Artificial Intelligence operating model across the Group it also aims to promote a data-driven culture across the organization. Its chief responsibility is to transform data into business outcomes, exploit information to make better decisions, reinvent business models, and develop high-value solutions to create new processes, products, and services.
About AboitizPower
AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services. It advances business and communities by providing reliable and ample power supply at a reasonable and competitive price, and with the least adverse effects on the environment and host communities.
The company is one of the largest power producers in the Philippines with a balanced portfolio of assets located across the country. It is a major producer of Cleanergy, the company’s brand for clean and renewable energy with several hydroelectric, geothermal, and solar power generation facilities. It also has thermal power plants in its generation portfolio to support the country’s baseload and peak energy demands.
The company also owns distribution utilities that operate in high-growth areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, including the country’s second and third largest private utilities.
AboitizPower, together with its partners, is the Philippines’ largest owner and operator of renewable energy based on installed capacity. In the next 10 years, the company will significantly expand its Cleanergy portfolio, in support of the government’s efforts to promote renewable energy in the country. AboitizPower will build an additional 3,700 MW of renewable energy, growing its existing Cleanergy capacity threefold by 2030.
