Press release

9 Sep 2024

EY Hungary Launches Cutting-Edge AI Business Line, Appoints World-Renowned Leaders to Drive AI Confidence

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Ágnes Pellion

EY Hungary Head of Brand, Marketing and Communications

Brand strategist. Integrated marketing professional. Positive thinker. Cool mom.

EY AI Confidence ensures that clients receive seamless support throughout the entire AI adoption journey

EY Hungary has announced the launch of EY AI Confidence, its groundbreaking artificial intelligence consulting service center at the AI Summit 2024 BUDAPEST event. Operating out of Budapest, this strategic expansion is set to redefine the AI consulting landscape not just in Hungary but in the region as well. It will offer enterprises and the public sector a comprehensive, end-to-end suite of AI solutions, strategy development, and technology delivery. The new division will be spearheaded by two of the AI industry's most distinguished figures: Erik Slooten, who joins as a lead Partner, and Dr. George Tilesch, who will serve as Chief AI Expert.

EY AI Confidence stands out by offering a fully integrated approach to AI consulting and delivery, ensuring that clients receive seamless support across the entire AI adoption journey from strategy development to the deployment of advanced technology solutions. This business line is structured around three core pillars: AI Enterprise Strategy consulting, Responsible AI, and AI Tech Delivery.

"We are at the cusp of a new era in business transformation, where artificial intelligence is not just an enabler but a core component of innovation and growth. As the CEO of EY Hungary, my personal mission is to ensure that we have the best professionals and provide one-of-a-kind services to our clients, enabling them not only to keep pace with the evolving digital landscape but also to excel within it. We are thrilled to welcome Erik Slooten and George Tilesch to our team. Together, we are dedicated to unleashing the full potential of AI, building trust and confidence in its applications, and leading a new wave of intelligent enterprise," said Tamás Vékási, CEO of EY Hungary. “I’m especially proud that today we are launching a world-class service based in Budapest, offering full range of AI consultancy and delivery for our clients in Hungary and for multinational companies with cross-country projects” - added Tamás Vékási.

Local Leadership with a Global Perspective

The new AI division will be led by Erik Slooten, a seasoned global executive with extensive experience in guiding enterprise-level digital transformations, co-driven by Dr. George Tilesch, a leading global expert on enterprise & government AI Strategy and Responsible AI. EY Hungary has also formed a strategic partnership with the USA based PHI Institute, an organization that known for its pioneering research and development in the field of AI and its application. This co-operation will ensure that EY’s clients benefit from first-hand global knowledge.

Erik Slooten brings over 25 years of experience in international technology leadership, specializing in digital transformation and cloud services. Formerly serving as the Global Leader for Delivery Excellence at T-Systems International. Erik has been recognized as a pioneering force in responsible AI and technology innovation. He worked in regional positions for several global market-leading mobile and ICT companies, including Slovak Telecom in Slovakia, GTS and T-Mobile in the Czech Republic, Eir in Ireland and Vivacom in Bulgaria. His leadership is expected to drive EY Hungary’s AI initiatives to new heights, ensuring that the company’s offerings remain at the forefront of the industry.

"At EY AI Confidence, we are dedicated to enabling organizations among EY's clients to embrace the transformative power of AI," stated Erik Slooten. "AI solutions present boundless opportunities for companies to not only enhance efficiency but also to reshape their operations and achieve unprecedented levels of success. Our comprehensive services ensure that our clients develop state-of-the-art AI solutions that are ethical, responsible, and in line with their strategic goals, thereby significantly increasing their value."

Dr. George Tilesch, a globally renowned expert in AI strategy, policy, and governance, joins EY AI Confidence as Chief AI Expert. With a career spanning over 25 years, Dr. Tilesch is a former senior executive and trusted advisor to world leaders, governments, and Fortune 50 companies on AI and innovation strategies on all continents. Bringing the Silicon Valley experience to EY AI Confidence, he is the President of PHI Institute for Augmented Intelligence and the co-author of the influential book BetweenBrains: Taking Back our AI Future. Dr. Tilesch is also a thought leader in Responsible AI, bringing a wealth of knowledge that will be instrumental in shaping the ethical and strategic direction of the company’s AI offerings.

AI is the new paradigm: the Nr. 1 transformational force of our times. Businesses and governments must quickly but wisely adapt to this new, exponential reality or risk being left behind. The most important role we can fill as senior experts is to ensure that leaders are well-equipped and well-supported to walk the AI path with confidence. Getting to sustained results and robust rewards needs the full spectrum of AI Solutions - from the first steps of crafting an AI strategy to full AI tech deployment - key capabilities, that we now put under the same hood. At EY AI Confidence, we ensure that our clients can trust our advice, and the solutions we deliver, knowing that they are built on Responsible AI foundations, always in line with the global cutting edge, but delivered locally.Dr. George Tilesch added.

The launch of this new AI business line marks a significant milestone for EY Hungary, reinforcing its position as a leader in the AI consulting space combined with technology delivery and setting a new standard for excellence in the industry.

Last year EY launched an artificial intelligence platform EY.ai to help organizations confidently adopt artificial intelligence (AI). These investments have supported the embedding of AI into proprietary EY technologies, as well as helping secure a series of EY technology acquisitions with supporting cloud and automation technologies.

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