Stealth Fintech Company
Sourcing a Head of AI Engineering to Build an AI-Driven Risk Intelligence Platform
The Challenge
Our client, a London-based stealth fintech venture, was developing an AI-driven risk intelligence platform to help digital financial institutions detect and manage real-time risks such as fraud and credit exposure. To accelerate product delivery, the company required a Head of AI Engineering to design and lead its AI function from inception.
The ideal candidate needed experience in AI and machine learning engineering, real-time decisioning systems, and cloud-native architecture, along with the ability to operate within regulated financial settings. The challenge was identifying professionals who could combine deep technical leadership with practical delivery capability.
The Solution
Xist4 executed a retained search supported by its Recruitment Insight Audit Report, giving the founding team a clear market view of AI engineering leadership in London.
Key actions included:
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Defining the Success Profile: Worked with founders to scope the role and align it with product and regulatory goals.
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Recruitment Insight Audit: Analysed 170 senior AI engineers across fintech and banking, highlighting compensation data, leadership tenure, and skill overlap.
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Market Mapping: Identified adjacent talent pools from AI, risk tech, and cloud-native companies.
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Outreach and Screening: Ran a 16-day multi-touch engagement campaign to attract passive talent interested in greenfield AI platforms.
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Weekly Reporting: Provided ongoing insight updates covering candidate availability and sentiment.
The Result
Within eight and a half weeks, Xist4 presented a diverse shortlist of AI engineering leaders from fintech, digital banking, and major financial services firms.
The appointed candidate now leads a cross-functional AI engineering team delivering explainable, production-grade models for financial risk intelligence. The engagement provided a repeatable framework for the client to scale future data and AI hiring.