Legal & General Group has appointed Jamie Ovenden as group chief technology, data and innovation officer, the company announced on 3 September 2026. He joins the group management committee, and the appointment is subject to regulatory approval.
The role is new. It brings technology, data, artificial intelligence and platforms together under a single leader, and the company has framed it as a structural change in support of its strategy to become a simpler, more focused and more competitive business. Consolidating those four functions under one executive is a deliberate move away from treating data and AI as adjacent to the technology estate rather than part of it.
Ovenden joins from Schroders, where he was group chief technology officer and led global digital transformation and innovation. He brings experience across digital, data, cloud and artificial intelligence, with a record of using technology to drive business change at scale.
Antonio Simoes, group chief executive of Legal & General, said: "Technology, data and AI are central to the next phase of growth. Jamie is a highly experienced technology leader, with a strong track record of driving digital transformation, innovation and value at scale. He will be a fantastic partner to me, my wider management team and the Board as we deliver the next phase of our strategy."
Ovenden said: "I am delighted to be joining at such an important time for the business. There is a clear strategy, strong foundations, and real ambition for the future. I am looking forward to working with Antonio and the team to help shape how technology, data and AI support the next phase of growth and deliver for customers, clients and shareholders."
The appointment sits alongside an orderly transition at the top of the operations function. Katie Worgan, group chief operating officer, will step down from her role at the end of the year, and Simoes thanked her for her leadership and contribution to the group.
The scale of the estate involved is substantial. The group reported 1.2 trillion pounds in total assets under management as at the first half of 2026, of which roughly 44 per cent, or about 0.5 trillion pounds, is international. It is a leading player in institutional retirement, in retail retirement and protection, and in asset management across public and private markets, and it has been operating since 1836.
For a business of that spread, the practical test of the new role will be whether a single owner for technology, data and AI shortens the distance between the group strategy and what the platforms can actually deliver. That is the case the appointment is making.
