Synchrony Names Nimrod Barak AI Chief, Partners With OpenAI

Synchrony is a U.S. consumer-finance company that provides credit and banking products to tens of millions of consumers and supports hundreds of thousands of small and midsize businesses. The appointment of a chief AI officer signals a broader effort to move artificial intelligence beyond internal productivity and into agentic commerce. Nimrod Barak brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data and AI organizations and most recently headed Citi’s AI Center of Excellence and Emerging Technologies.

Synchrony said on Aug. 13, 2026, that Barak’s appointment took effect June 30. He will oversee enterprise AI strategy, governance and deployment, including agentic AI and intelligent automation. The company is also working with OpenAI to bring financing, rewards and loyalty services into ChatGPT, though the partners disclosed neither financial terms nor a launch date. Synchrony said nearly 100% of its professional workforce has used AI tools, including Synchrony GPT, since 2024, while 90% of employees trust the company to use AI fairly, ethically and responsibly.