Wrise names chief scientist for new lab

Wrise Group, an independent multi-family office, has established Wrise AI Labs and appointed Dr. Jeffrey Wu as group chief scientist to accelerate the development of its AI-native wealth management capabilities.

The group has committed an initial investment of HK$30 million ( US$3.82 million ) for the initiative.

Wrise AI Labs is a strategic innovation platform for exploring and advancing practical AI applications for the group.

It will focus on areas such as AI-powered client servicing, intelligent automation, relationship manager empowerment, advanced analytics, digital intelligence platforms and next-generation client engagement.

The platform will develop AI capabilities that can be deployed across multiple business functions.

Across the financial services industry, firms are accelerating AI investments to improve productivity, deliver more personalized client experiences and unlock new growth opportunities.

Surveys find that 83% of family offices globally have already identified AI as a top strategic focus within the next five years, and 74% are expecting to increase their AI investments over the next three years.

Performance improvement and operational efficiencies continue to encourage firms to embed AI into aspects of client management and operations.

AI is set to fundamentally reshape the financial industry – not by replacing human relationships, but by making them more intelligent, responsive and scalable, says Wrise Group executive chairman Derrick Tan.

The launch of the Wrise AI Labs initiative and the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Wu as group chief scientist mark an important milestone in their journey to build a human-led, AI-scaled and future-ready wealth management platform.

Dr. Jeffrey Wu will work closely with Wrise management to shape the group’s AI roadmap and provide strategic and technical leadership for the initiative.

Wu is an entrepreneur and innovation leader with extensive experience in enterprise AI transformation, digital transformation, data intelligence and emerging technologies.

He is chairman of XALL Technology Investment Group, and founder and chief executive officer of Guangzhou Panorama Intelligent Technology Investment Co., Ltd.

Wu previously served as technical director for Asia-Pacific at IBM Watson Analytics in Australia, where he led enterprise AI and data intelligence initiatives across the region.

He holds a PhD in computer science from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

The appointment of Dr. Wu and the launch of Wrise AI Labs demonstrate the group’s commitment to investing in AI and developing innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of its clients.