Company
Our first COO Lila Ibrahim takes DeepMind to the next level
One of the greatest pleasures of coming to work every day at DeepMind is the chance to collaborate with brilliant researchers and engineers from so many different fields and perspectives - with machine learning experts alongside neuroscientists, physicists, mathematicians, roboticists, ethicists and more.
This level of interdisciplinary collaboration is both challenging and unusual, and it requires a unique type of organisation. We built DeepMind to combine the rigour and long-term thinking of the world’s best scientific institutions, along with the focus, pace and energy common to the best tech startups. I believe this is essential if we’re to fulfil the scientific and social promise of AI, and I’m proud of all that we’ve achieved so far. But there’s still a very long way to go!
So I’m really pleased to welcome Lila Ibrahim to DeepMind as our first ever Chief Operating Officer, partnering with me to design, build and manage our next phase of growth. Having started out as a microprocessor designer and assembler programmer at Intel, Lila went on to lead the company’s emerging markets product group, as well as working with Intel CEO Craig Barrett and then the legendary investor John Doerr at Kleiner Perkins as Chief of Staff. Most recently, Lila led the growth of the brilliant startup Coursera as their COO, helping to bring new educational opportunities to millions of people around the world.
Alongside her organisational and technical experience, Lila is a passionate advocate for social impact in her work and her personal life, has been recognised by the Anita Borg Institute for her commitment and vision, and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. I can’t wait for Lila to get started, and I know we’ll gain a lot from her insight as we take DeepMind to the next level.
Here’s what Lila has to say:
AI is one of the most transformative technological developments of our time, and I believe we’ve only just begun to recognise its potential for positive impact around the world. The DeepMind team is exceptional not only for their track record of scientific advances, but also for their strong commitment to ethics and values, and for the care and thought put into building all aspects of the organisation. I look forward to partnering with Demis to lead DeepMind’s growth in the years to come!
Lila Ibrahim
It’s a privilege to be working on this mission with so many world-class people, and Lila, Shane, Mustafa and I can’t wait to see what we achieve together in the years ahead. And if you’d like to be part of our amazing adventure then please get in touch!