Williams appoints Google and DeepMind veteran as chief information officer

Williams strengthens its off-track structure with a high-profile AI hire

Williams has made another significant addition to its senior leadership, appointing Dr James Smith as chief information officer — a role that team principal James Vowles considers central to the team's competitive future.

Smith brings over a decade of experience at the frontier of artificial intelligence and data engineering. He spent 10 years at Google and DeepMind, where he built Android's data platform — a system subsequently adopted by more than 3,000 engineers and used to inform performance decisions across three billion devices. He later co-founded Human Native AI, developing further expertise in shipping AI products at scale and guiding organisations through complex technological transitions.

'The latest battleground in F1'

For Vowles, the appointment is not simply an infrastructure hire — it is a statement of intent. "Success in Formula 1 has always been about combining technological innovation with the best people to deliver on track," he said. "With the technology developing at breakneck pace, the latest battleground in F1 is the ability to harness data and AI across all parts of the team."

The Williams boss, who has been steadily rebuilding the Grove-based outfit with a 2030 championship target in mind, left no doubt about why Smith was the right profile for the role. "James has spent his career at that frontier — at Google, DeepMind and building his own company from the ground up — and I am delighted to welcome him to Atlassian Williams F1 Team as we continue to put technology at the heart of our ambitions to compete at the very front."

Smith himself appears energised by the scope of the challenge. "I am excited to be joining Atlassian Williams F1 Team at a moment when data and AI are becoming increasingly important to performance both on and off the track," he said. "Williams has an exceptional history, but what appeals to me most is the ambition for the next phase: building the systems, products and culture needed to compete at the front of the grid."

He added: "I hope to bring my experience from Google, DeepMind and from founding Human Native to help the team move quickly, use AI pragmatically, and turn complex ideas into practical advantage."

The appointment of Smith is the latest in a series of strategic hires across the team, with Williams having recently confirmed four new appointments in key areas. Under Vowles, the Grove outfit is methodically assembling the technical and operational foundations it believes are required to return to the sharp end of the Formula 1 grid.