Pratyush Acharya has taken on the role of Head of Data Science at First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., one of Africa’s leading Tier-1 financial institutions, marking a significant step in the bank’s push to embed advanced AI and data science into core operations.
Acharya joined the Enterprise Data Analytics and Transformational Analytics group in a leadership capacity, initially working remotely from India before relocating to Lagos. In a recent LinkedIn post, he described the transition as “a fantastic experience,” thanking colleagues and leadership for seamless onboarding support across time zones and a warm welcome on the ground.
In his new role, Acharya is spearheading the Bank’s strategic AI and data infrastructure roadmap. His focus includes bridging advanced data science architectures with enterprise-wide business outcomes such as risk optimization and operational efficiency. Key priorities involve directing the enterprise AI portfolio in collaboration with the Chief Data Officer, auditing existing analytics assets, and aligning technical deployments with executive financial targets.
He is also advancing production-grade generative AI systems, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and multi-agent frameworks built with tools such as LangChain, LangGraph, and Python, tailored for high-scale banking use cases. Additional responsibilities include establishing metrics-driven KPIs, streamlining engineering workflows to accelerate model deployment, and leading a specialized data science unit with structured agile practices and technical mentorship.
Rich Experience
Acharya brings more than a decade of experience delivering high-impact machine learning and generative AI solutions, primarily in banking, financial services, and technology.
Most recently, as Lead Data Scientist at Wells Fargo (December 2024 – July 2026), he architected production-grade ML and GenAI systems for fraud, cybersecurity, and digital banking.
Notable achievements included a real-time device trust and fraud scoring framework with over $20 million in annual impact, and a GenAI-powered financial document intelligence platform that cut manual review effort by 30% while improving audit accuracy. He managed a team of more than 10 data scientists and drove enterprise adoption of MLOps, model monitoring, explainability, and governance practices.
Earlier, at Fractal (October 2022 – December 2024), Acharya served as Senior Data Scientist / Technical Lead. He built and led high-performing teams delivering AI solutions for Fortune 500 clients in banking, media, and retail, contributing to more than $15 million in cumulative business impact. His work included large-scale demand forecasting systems for thousands of retail locations and advanced media forecasting initiatives.
Other Prior Roles
Prior roles include Senior Data Scientist positions at Mitel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and OnMobile Global, as well as Senior Data Analyst at LG Soft India and Data Analyst at Zyme Solutions. Across these positions he delivered recommendation engines, credit risk models, churn prediction systems, energy usage forecasting, and predictive maintenance frameworks—consistently translating complex analytics into measurable business results.
