Data and AI specialist with 8+ years of proven credentials in designing, leading and delivering complex AI-driven solutions and global AI programmes. PhD in immunology and deep expertise in applied AI, from hands-on machine learning modelling, to multi-agent system development, through to governance framework design and digital transformation. Demonstrated success in senior stakeholder management, cross-functional leadership, and translating AI strategy into measurable business impact for global corporations and startups.

Sonia Ingram

Data and AI specialist with 8+ years of proven credentials in designing, leading and delivering complex AI-driven solutions and global AI programmes. PhD in immunology and deep expertise in applied AI, from hands-on machine learning modelling, to multi-agent system development, through to governance framework design and digital transformation. Demonstrated success in senior stakeholder management, cross-functional leadership, and translating AI strategy into measurable business impact for global corporations and startups.

Available to hire

Data and AI specialist with 8+ years of proven credentials in designing, leading and delivering complex AI-driven solutions and global AI programmes. PhD in immunology and deep expertise in applied AI, from hands-on machine learning modelling, to multi-agent system development, through to governance framework design and digital transformation. Demonstrated success in senior stakeholder management, cross-functional leadership, and translating AI strategy into measurable business impact for global corporations and startups.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
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Language

English
Fluent
French
Intermediate

Work Experience

Data Science/ & AI Consultant at Self-Employed
January 1, 2023 - Present
Independent Data Science & AI consultant delivering strategic AI roadmaps, governance, and architecture for multiple clients. Led enterprise-wide Generative AI experiments, defined data and AI standards, and expanded the central AI team. Built and evolved AI platforms and tooling to accelerate deployment and cost efficiency, while ensuring regulatory compliance and stakeholder alignment.
Global AI Director at Pandora A/S
March 1, 2024 - May 1, 2025
Led architectural design and data management requirements for customer service and product search AI chatbot (AgentForce); achieved 30% FTE contact center savings and ~20% uplift in sales. Redesigned internal ML Platform (Databricks-based) to accelerate model deployment. Established AI Enablement Taskforce (Data Privacy, CyberSecurity, Legal, Human Rights, Data Management); drove enterprise-wide Generative AI experiments and created PandoraGPT internal assistant to boost colleague productivity.
Lead Data Scientist/AI Strategy Consultant - Multiple Strategic Engagements at Self-Employed
January 1, 2023 - Present
Advised clients on AI strategy, architecture and governance. Directed NLP and ML PoCs, improved model accuracy in selected use cases, and delivered scalable, governable AI solutions. Built capability for rapid AI experimentation and governance across client portfolios.
Data Science Engineering Lead at Lloyds Banking Group (BJSS Consulting)
March 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022
Built Centre of Excellence for unstructured data analytics and AI. Defined strategy, led architecture, data management, ML capabilities, and MLOps infrastructure; established governance practices and risk controls; managed a 20-person cross-functional team and liaised with Cloud teams to shape enterprise data architecture.
Senior Data Scientist at Lloyds Banking Group (BJSS Consulting)
September 1, 2019 - March 31, 2022
Led Responsible AI initiatives, defined AI governance and lifecycle standards, and developed a proprietary bias/fairness evaluation library. Delivered a workforce forecasting model for call centers saving >£2M/year and contributed to cross-bank process mining using Neo4j.
Data Scientist at BJSS Consulting
June 1, 2018 - March 31, 2021
Contributed to NHS waiting times PoC, founded the BJSS Data Ethics community, and supported Microsoft Women in Data initiatives. Participated in multiple healthcare data science engagements and helped mature production-grade analytics pipelines.
Data Scientist at Astra Zeneca (Pivigo S2DS)
August 1, 2018 - September 30, 2018
Developed a knowledge graph for a disease of interest, engaged stakeholders to define problem statements, and predicted genetic markers associated with disease to identify novel therapeutic candidates.
Programme Executive at Axon Communications
January 1, 2012 - September 30, 2013
Medical communications and public relations advisor for major pharmaceutical client campaigns; delivered Head & Neck cancer awareness campaign, coordinated international White Paper to the European Parliament, and managed international event campaigns.

Education

PhD at Brighton and Sussex Medical School
January 11, 2030 - January 8, 2026
MSc in Transfusion and Transplantation Science (Merit) at University of Bristol
January 11, 2030 - January 8, 2026
BSc in Pharmacology (2:1 with Hons) at University of Bath
September 4, 2006 - June 25, 2010

Qualifications

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2030
Associate Cloud Engineer (Google)
January 11, 2030 - January 8, 2026
Connectd Board Advisor
December 1, 2025 - January 8, 2026
Natural Language Processing with Classification and Vector Spaces
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2030

Industry Experience

Software & Internet, Financial Services, Healthcare, Professional Services, Retail, Life Sciences, Other
    paper Promotion Optimization for Retail Sales

    Promotion Optimisation at Harrods

    I spearheaded a Proof of Concept project aimed to optimise promotion thresholds during Harrods’ January sales. This initiative was designed to enhance the effectiveness of their promotional strategies, resulting in a significant annual revenue increase.

    Problem

    Harrods faced challenges in maximising revenue during their January sales due to suboptimal promotion thresholds. The existing strategy did not fully leverage data-driven insights to enhance promotional effectiveness, leaving potential revenue on the table or resulting in unsold stock.

    My Contributions

    As a Senior Data Scientist, I developed a model that identified optimal promotion thresholds. This solution provided actionable insights for retail teams that informed strategic shop-floor decision-making.

    Outcomes

    The project led to an impressive £500,000 revenue uplift, demonstrating the power of data-driven strategies in retail promotions, and was taken to production the following sales period.

    paper Unstructured Data Platform

    Unstructured Data Management for Lloyds Banking Group

    I led the unstructured data agenda for analytics and machine learning at Lloyds Banking Group. This initiative aimed to enable data scientists and analysts to access unstructured data in a safe and secure way following the migration of the machine learning platform to Google Cloud.

    Problem

    Lloyds Banking Group had vast amounts of unstructured data, which was siloed, not well documented and yet crucial for informed decision-making and maintaining a competitive edge.

    My Contribution

    As Engineering Lead, I spearheaded the unstructured data initiative, working with the Cloud Migration team to define functional and non-functional requirements for unstructured data management and analytics.

    Outcomes

    By driving the unstructured data agenda early in the cloud migration process, Lloyds Banking Group were able to leverage this data in time for the ChatGPT and Generative AI boom, gaining critical insights whilst ensuring data governance and security

    paper Promotion Optimization for Retail Sales

    Promotion Optimisation at Harrods

    I spearheaded a Proof of Concept project aimed to optimise promotion thresholds during Harrods’ January sales. This initiative was designed to enhance the effectiveness of their promotional strategies, resulting in a significant annual revenue increase.

    Problem

    Harrods faced challenges in maximising revenue during their January sales due to suboptimal promotion thresholds. The existing strategy did not fully leverage data-driven insights to enhance promotional effectiveness, leaving potential revenue on the table or resulting in unsold stock.

    My Contributions

    As a Senior Data Scientist, I developed a model that identified optimal promotion thresholds. This solution provided actionable insights for retail teams that informed strategic shop-floor decision-making.

    Outcomes

    The project led to an impressive £500,000 revenue uplift, demonstrating the power of data-driven strategies in retail promotions, and was taken to production the following sales period.

    paper Global AI Director

    Background

    This project involved designing and implementing a comprehensive AI strategy for Pandora Global. The goal was to transform their AI capabilities across various domains including machine learning, infrastructure, and analytics, while enhancing team capacity, governance frameworks and company-wide AI literacy.

    Problem

    Pandora had a plethora of proprietary data, from manufacturing to marketing, but without an effective strategy to leverage this resource to optimise their operations and bottom line.

    Contributions

    As Global AI Director for a 14-month contract, I crafted and executed a strategic AI roadmap which aligned with Enterprise goals, covering products, infrastructure, governance, team and literacy. I also led the evaluation and adoption of generative AI tools and established governance frameworks.

    Outcomes

    Over $3M in increased revenue through AI-driven marketing optimisations, a 160% growth in the AI team, and development

    paper AI Transformation Assessment and Strategy Development

    AI Transformation and Strategy

    I led a comprehensive AI transformation assessment for Hey Savi, focusing on evaluating resources, architecture, solutions, and governance. The goal was to develop a robust long-term AI strategy to boost their AI capabilities and improve business outcomes.

    Problem

    Hey Savi needed to enhance their AI capabilities to stay competitive. They lacked a cohesive strategy and faced challenges in resource allocation, architecture optimisation, and solution deployment.

    My Contribution

    I conducted a thorough technical and team audit, resulting in a detailed SWOT analysis, risk assessment and 5-year AI strategy. I used skills in Agentic AI, machine learning, data architecture, team and stakeholder management.

    Outcomes

    The creation of a clear SWOT analysis, risk assessment and 5-year AI strategy refocussed and aligned the Founders and technical teams, significantly enhancing Hey Savi’s AI capabilities and positioning them for future success.