Tareq Dreiza appointed Chief AI Officer at KPMG Middle East

KPMG Middle East has appointed Tareq Dreiza as Chief AI Officer, effective immediately, adding him to the firm's Executive Committee as it strengthens its focus on artificial intelligence (AI), governance and trust.

Dreiza announced the appointment on LinkedIn, saying the region's pace of AI adoption, alongside growing investment and ambition, makes governance and trust central to how organisations approach the technology.

“The region is moving faster on AI than almost anywhere in the world. The ambition is there, and so is the investment. 

Moving fast only works if we get governance and trust right, and that will be central to how we approach this,” he said.

Dreiza added that he would share lessons from the firm's AI journey, including the challenges, and invited professionals working on AI across the region to connect.

Prior to the appointment, Dreiza served as Head of AI and Technology Enablement within KPMG's Advisory practice. He has been a partner at the firm since July 2023, bringing experience across technology strategy, risk and assurance, operational management and the delivery of technology solutions aligned with business requirements.

His career spans consulting and industry roles across the Middle East, the United States and Africa. Before rejoining KPMG Middle East in 2016 as Partner and Head of Technology, he worked at BP for nearly eight years, holding roles in management systems, global operations and internal audit. His responsibilities included risk management, operational systems, information management, audit and continuous improvement.

Dreiza also previously worked at EY, including as a senior manager in Technology and Security Risk Services in Houston and later as a partner serving the Middle East and North Africa region.

Earlier in his career, he held the position of IT Director at Amkor Technology in Arizona. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Toledo and a certification in Managing Complex Projects from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His appointment follows Islam Al Bayaa’s formal assumption of the role of CEO of KPMG Middle East and Khalil Al Sedais’s appointment as Country Leader for KPMG Saudi Arabia.