Bank of America names senior executives to drive AI adoption in global markets

Bank of America just made its AI ambitions a lot more concrete. The bank announced a series of senior leadership appointments on July 17 designed to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across its Global Markets division, including a notable move to build out a dedicated global digital assets platform.

Who’s running what

Kevin Milsom has been tapped to lead platforms AI transformation. His mandate is straightforward in theory but enormous in practice: embed AI capabilities into the infrastructure that powers BofA’s global markets operations.

Amy Avery’s Analytics, Modelling & Insights team, known internally as AMI, has been folded into the global platforms group. That’s a structural signal, not just a personnel one. It means data-driven decision-making is being physically wired into the same organizational unit responsible for the platforms traders and clients actually use.

Then there’s Sonali Theisen, who picked up the most interesting portfolio of the bunch. She’s been named head of the global digital assets platform while continuing to oversee Global FICC E-trading and strategic investments.

The billions behind the buzzwords

These aren’t vanity titles. BofA’s chief technology officer has previously signaled the bank’s intention to invest billions into AI and related technologies. The goal is the same one every bank chases: boost productivity and generate more revenue without proportionally increasing headcount.

The integration of Avery’s AMI team into the platforms group suggests BofA wants its modeling and insights capabilities baked directly into execution infrastructure rather than sitting in a separate silo.

The digital assets angle

Theisen’s dual role overseeing both electronic trading and a new global digital assets platform is the detail that should catch crypto-native readers’ attention. No specific tokens or blockchain protocols were mentioned in the announcement. BofA is building infrastructure, not picking favorites.

What this means for investors

The digital assets platform buildout could eventually translate into new institutional on-ramps for crypto and tokenized assets. BofA serves millions of wealth management clients and thousands of institutional investors.

The integration of AI and digital assets under connected leadership suggests BofA sees these technologies as complementary rather than separate initiatives.

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