SEI has appointed Sneha Shah as Chief AI Strategist, Michael Tryniszewski as Head of AI Orchestration and William Coffey as Chief Data Officer, expanding its senior leadership team for artificial intelligence and data.
Shah will lead SEI's enterprise AI strategy and external market positioning. Tryniszewski will oversee the day-to-day use of AI across the business, while Coffey will lead the company's data strategy.
SEI, which provides financial technology, operations and asset management services to financial firms, created the three roles to connect strategy, execution and data management as it reshapes its operating model around AI. The company manages, advises or administers about $1.9 trillion in assets.
Shah will also continue to lead SEI Next, the company's innovation unit, where she helps guide decisions on when SEI develops its own products and services and when it partners, invests or acquires.
Her team works on client experience, workflow redesign, AI and data services, and relationships with financial technology partners including Avantos. Tryniszewski, who reports to Shah, will work across product, technology, operations, risk, compliance and business units.
Coffey will report to Chief Technology Officer Zach Womack. He will oversee a unified data and AI framework, assess the commercial value of SEI's data assets, shape data products and pricing, and maintain governance and security controls.
Leadership shift
The appointments come as financial services firms face growing pressure to show AI projects can move beyond pilots and deliver operational results. In regulated sectors such as wealth management, custody and banking services, that push has also increased attention on governance, accountability and data controls.
Ryan Hicke, Chief Executive Officer of SEI, linked the appointments to that broader shift.
"AI is no longer optional for financial services firms; it's a strategic accelerant that requires clarity, accountability, and long-term vision. Sneha has been instrumental in shaping SEI's AI journey, embedding it into how we operate and evolve the business while ensuring our approach is grounded in responsible use, strong governance, and real business impact. With Michael leading AI orchestration and William advancing our data strategy and enablement efforts, we are strengthening our ability to move at market speed with capital discipline while accelerating top-line growth, expanding our addressable market, and driving margin. These leadership appointments also support the expansion of our data cloud and professional services offerings, which are foundational to how we scale, modernize delivery, and create greater value for clients. By redesigning workflows end to end and connecting data and AI more seamlessly across the enterprise, we are turning innovation into measurable business outcomes," Hicke said.
That focus on execution is reflected in Tryniszewski's title. His role is centred on moving AI initiatives into production across the organisation rather than leaving them in isolated tests within product or technology teams.
He joins with more than two decades of experience in large regulated organisations. He previously held senior roles at Takeda, where he worked on data and AI programmes, as well as operating models and governance structures designed to move projects from pilot stages into wider use.
Data role
Coffey's appointment underlines the importance of data infrastructure to AI adoption. Financial firms have invested heavily in analytics and automation, but many still struggle with fragmented data estates, overlapping systems, and questions around ownership, access and controls.
Before joining SEI, Coffey was Chief Risk and Data Officer at AKUVO. He also held senior roles at WSFS Bank and Vanguard, where his work covered data strategy, risk management and cybersecurity.
Shah, meanwhile, has become one of the more visible executives in SEI's recent innovation efforts. Since joining the company in 2023, she has built SEI Next as an internal engine for innovation and venture building.
Her earlier roles included senior positions at London Stock Exchange Group, Refinitiv and Thomson Reuters. Across those businesses, her work focused on data, artificial intelligence and financial markets, experience SEI is now drawing on as it formalises AI leadership at the executive level.
Shah said the company is trying to balance speed with discipline as it decides how to apply AI across its operations and products.
"AI is evolving faster than any technology shift we have seen, and that demands both intention and adaptability. At SEI, our focus is on applying AI in ways that enhance human decision-making, strengthen trust, and deliver measurable outcomes. We are disciplined about where we build proprietary capability and where we partner, invest, or acquire for durable advantage. Reimagining our AI-native operating model means learning quickly, bringing our people and clients with us on the journey, and continuously improving outcomes for our business and the clients we serve. I am energized by the opportunity to work alongside leaders and innovators as a trusted partner to firms shaping the future of financial services," Shah said.