Paul Dongha

Head of Responsible AI and AI Strategy NatWest Group

Dr Paul Dongha is a deep technologist who has pioneered the development and implementation of responsible AI strategies in large financial organisations. His approach brings together the troika of technological advancement, corporate integrity and the responsible use of AI. Paul is currently Head of AI Strategy and Responsible AI at NatWest Group and has extensive hands-on experience of building service-based, high-performance systems that use Big Data. Paul Dongha is the author of Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock Its True Potential, which was named as an FT Book of the Month in 2025. He has given keynotes on both sides of the Atlantic, including speaking at the prestigious NY AI Summit. For over 30 years, Paul Dongha has been an expert on Agentic AI models. These are autonomous systems that use advanced reasoning to set goals, plan, reason and problem-solve with minimal human intervention. Paul believes AI should be used as a tool to augment human work rather than just replace it. His experience and expertise has guided business leaders looking to balance innovation with accountability and trust as they implement this fast-changing technology. He believes that the adoption and deployment of AI at scale is a leadership imperative that must be driven from the boardroom and not the IT department.