Avanade appoints Ben Beath as Chief AI Officer to lead AI strategy

Avanade, founded by Accenture and Microsoft has appointed Ben Beath as Chief AI Officer to lead its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and accelerate AI adoption across its business and client organisations.

Beath will focus on helping businesses integrate AI into their operations, improve decision-making and deliver measurable business value. 

He will also drive AI capabilities across Avanade, including the adoption of intelligent tools and agentic systems across teams and service delivery.

Commenting on his appointment, Ben Beath, Chief AI Officer at Avanade said, “The AI conversation continues to shift incredibly quickly and has moved past debate of whether or not to invest.

He added, “Today’s topic centers around how organizations can realize the full value of that investment. Key differentiation is being delivered by those that are moving past tools and rethinking how work gets done, how decisions are made, and how they serve their customers.”

“At Avanade, we need to lead through our own use of AI. My focus is on learning what delivers results in our business and bringing that experience to clients as they navigate their own transformation. That’s how we can help turn AI investment into measurable business value,” he pointed out.

Chris Howarth, Chief Executive Officer, Avanade said, “Ben has spent his career helping organizations embrace new technologies and translate innovation into business outcomes. 

Haworth added, “His combination of entrepreneurial experience, deep understanding of AI and track record of leading transformation will be invaluable as we accelerate our own use of AI and help clients navigate this next phase of change.”

“AI presents an enormous opportunity for organizations, but realizing that potential requires more than technology alone. Ben will play an important role in helping Avanade and our clients adopt AI at scale, responsibly and with confidence,” he also said.

Beath has been with Avanade since 2018, most recently serving as AI Acceleration Lead and co-lead of its AI Transformation Office. 

In these roles, he worked with enterprise clients to identify how AI could reshape their operations and business models.

He joined Avanade following its acquisition of Loud&Clear, the digital agency he co-founded in 2009 and grew into Australia's largest independent digital agency. 

The acquisition led to the establishment of Avanade's first Digital Innovation Studio in Asia Pacific, which Beath later expanded across Singapore, Japan and Brazil.

In 2022, he relocated to New York to lead Avanade's Digital Experiences business across the Northeast before moving into AI-focused leadership roles.

Alongside Loud&Clear, Beath has co-founded five start-ups, including PlayHQ, a major community sports platform in Australia, and FanHub, which was acquired by Genius Sports in 2021.

Beath's appointment comes as Avanade continues to expand its role within the Microsoft ecosystem and support organisations in adopting AI at scale.