XTB Loses AI Chief Amid Global Talent Shortage

XTB loses AI chief Tomasz Gawron to a Polish research institute, highlighting finance’s struggle to retain top AI talent.

Key points:

• XTB’s head of AI, Tomasz Gawron, departs after two years to join Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology.
• His exit reflects a wider industry brain drain, with banks and tech giants competing fiercely for AI experts.

XTB has lost its head of artificial intelligence, with Tomasz Gawron departing last month to take up a research leadership role at a government-backed institute. His exit underscores the financial industry’s mounting struggle to retain scarce AI expertise, a challenge also facing global players like HSBC and Goldman Sachs.

Gawron, who joined XTB in October 2023 to build its AI division from the ground up, announced his departure in late August. He has now been appointed Head of AI Development Section at Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology, a state research organization specializing in industrial innovation.

XTB Loses AI Chief Amid Global Talent Shortage

During his tenure, Gawron led a newly formed AI R&D team tasked with driving what XTB described as the “responsible adoption” of artificial intelligence across its platforms and operations. The group developed tools ranging from automated customer support to data analysis systems aimed at improving retail trading experiences.

“After 2 years of work in a fast-paced environment with lots of challenges, I have decided to move on to new opportunities,” Gawron wrote in a LinkedIn post. “We were successful in our AI adoption and built an AI RnD team from the ground up.”

His departure leaves behind a nine-member team without a publicly announced successor.

Industry Brain Drain Accelerates

The move reflects a broader talent crunch affecting financial services firms worldwide. HSBC recently lost its head of AI for markets and securities services, while Goldman Sachs has reportedly seen a net outflow of around 60 AI professionals.

Gawron, who holds a PhD in Automation and Robotics, had no previous financial services background before joining XTB. His return to research highlights a growing trend of AI specialists cycling between academia, industry, and public research as demand for expertise outpaces supply.

XTB Faces Leadership Gap

XTB has yet to outline how it will maintain momentum in its AI strategy. The broker employs over 1,000 staff worldwide, more than 40% of them in technical roles, and has made AI central to its product development.

Chief Product & Technology Officer Adam Dubiel previously emphasized that artificial intelligence would “democratize access to data and personalize user experience” for XTB’s global client base.

In parallel, XTB has strengthened its executive ranks, appointing former regulator Bartosz Osiński to its Management Board. Osiński, who brings nearly two decades of risk management experience, is expected to reinforce governance as the broker navigates the next phase of its technology push.

The departure of Gawron, however, leaves an immediate leadership gap in XTB’s AI division at a time when competition for machine learning specialists is fiercer than ever.

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