# Raymond James Financial: AI workforce and talent

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/ai-workforce
Last updated: Oct 16, 2026

*Part of the [Raymond James Financial AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james).*

## How is Raymond James preparing its advisors and staff for AI?

Raymond James is training its whole workforce to use AI and arguing that AI is how the industry avoids running out of advisors. Its AI Academy, launched at the Elevate conference in May 2026 as part of the Tech Savvy program, offers virtual training and workshops on prompting, agent productivity and Microsoft 365 integrations; nearly 20,000 people had completed its four courses by July 2026. Chief AI Officer Stuart Feld said in January 2026 that more than 10,000 associates use conversational AI regularly and that AI generates about 3.2 million lines of code a month under developer supervision. CEO Paul Shoukry cites McKinsey's estimate of a 100,000-advisor shortfall by 2034 and says 'to solve that shortage, we need the AI solutions'; his line on jobs is that 'advisors who use AI will replace advisors who do not use AI'. The AI talent bench is led by Feld, head of AI strategy David Solganik and chief architect Seth Ford, with Carillon Labs as the in-house AI research team. The firm has not published AI headcount, training hours or AI-related job reductions. ([Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/05/04/raymond-james-tech-innovations), [InvestmentNews](https://www.investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-launches-ai-academy-extends-its-advisor-tech-push/266479), [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html), [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539), [GlobeNewswire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1330-9525266en-2G3EBTACBF0CHV70SD1J7K5BF2), [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/richmond-branch/about-us/press-releases/2026/06/08/raymond-james-appoints-chief-architect-to-bolster-enterprise-technology-and-ai-strategy), [Financial Planning](https://advise-ai.financial-planning.com/profile/stuart-feld))

## What AI training and adoption numbers has Raymond James reported?

Programs and figures as the firm and its executives have reported them.

| Item | What it is | Date | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI Academy | Part of the Tech Savvy education program; virtual training and workshops on AI prompting, agent productivity and Microsoft 365 integrations | May 2026 | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/05/04/raymond-james-tech-innovations), [InvestmentNews](https://www.investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-launches-ai-academy-extends-its-advisor-tech-push/266479) |
| AI Academy completions | Nearly 20,000 people through the four-course academy | July 22, 2026 | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |
| Regular conversational-AI users | More than 10,000 associates | January 27, 2026 | [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669), [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence) |
| AI-generated code | About 3.2 million lines a month, created by AI under developer supervision | January 27, 2026 | [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-unveils-proprietary-ai-operations-agent/265028) |
| Raimond users | 6,500 unique users after the June 15, 2026 enterprise rollout; 99.5% satisfaction | July 22, 2026 | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |
| Newer advisors | Technology budget spent 'in part to ensure the strategic application of artificial intelligence', with emphasis on encouraging newer advisors to use it; Advisor Mastery Program runs 24 months | April 30, 2025 | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/about-us/our-stories/our-business/2025/04/30/paving-the-way-in-more-ways-than-one) |
| Board education | Director education sessions have covered advances in artificial intelligence | January 7, 2026 | [Raymond James Financial (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720005/000072000526000019/rjf-20260106.htm) |

## Who are Raymond James' AI and technology leaders?

| Name | Role | Background on the record | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stuart Feld | Chief AI Officer (since February 2025); head of front-office technology; leads Carillon Labs | Joined in 2018; previously a managing director at JPMorgan and UBS and divisional CIO at Prudential Financial | [Financial Planning](https://advise-ai.financial-planning.com/profile/stuart-feld), [Raymond James via Canada NewsWire (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/raymond-james-financial-appoints-chief-212200934.html) |
| David Solganik | Head of AI Strategy (since September 2025), reporting to Feld | Joined from RBC Wealth Management, where he led U.S. wealth management AI and data work for three years; earlier at Morgan Stanley and MetLife | [GlobeNewswire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1330-9525266en-2G3EBTACBF0CHV70SD1J7K5BF2), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/career-moves/people-moves-assetmarket-hires-growth-lead-raymond-james-names-ai-strategist) |
| Seth Ford | SVP, Chief Architect (since June 2026); chairs the Technology Review Board | Formerly Chief Architect and Head of Agentic Digital Products at Vanguard | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/richmond-branch/about-us/press-releases/2026/06/08/raymond-james-appoints-chief-architect-to-bolster-enterprise-technology-and-ai-strategy), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-taps-vanguards-chief-architect-to-drive-ai-strategy/266917) |
| Carillon Labs team | In-house AI and emerging-technology research group, created in 2019 | Five of its technologists are named inventors on the firm's 2024 machine-learning-as-a-service patent application | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/about-us/our-stories/2024/08/01/prudently-approaching-ai-possibilities), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250315611A1/en) |

## What has Raymond James said about AI and jobs?

Shoukry told investors in March 2026 that McKinsey estimates a shortage of roughly 100,000 advisors by 2034 and that 'to solve that shortage, we need the AI solutions, which is why we're investing over $1 billion in technology'. ([InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539))

On the July 2026 call he said: 'AI will not replace advisors. Advisors who use AI will replace advisors who do not use AI.' Private Client Group president Tash Elwyn says the most important thing AI gives advisors is 'more capacity to engage human-to-human'. ([MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html), [Financial Advisor magazine](https://digitalmagazine.fa-mag.com/fa-magazine-march-april-2026/0819373001773149151/p28))

## What does the Raymond James profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Expanded AWS collaboration to advance AI-powered advisor insights | Building on more than a decade of AWS investment, the firm announced AWS performance optimization work intended to 'accelerate the next generation of AI-powered insights and experiences for financial advisors and their clients,' per CIO Andy Zolper, strengthening the enterprise data and analytics foundation behind advisor-facing applications, business intelligence and emerging AI capabilities. | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/09/21/raymond-james-strengthens-data-and-analytics-capabilities-to-advance-ai-powered-advisor-insights) |
| Aug 19, 2026 | AI worries reach advisor-recruiting economics | American Banker links analysts' AI-disruption concerns to rising transition deals; Raymond James' outstanding recruiting-loan balance rose 22% to $1.67 billion in 2025. | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/with-deal-costs-up-could-ai-make-recruiting-a-bad-bet) |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Q3 call: 99.5% satisfaction with Rai; AI Academy | Nearly 20,000 people completed the four-course AI Academy; the CEO says AI will not replace advisors, but advisors who use it will replace those who do not. | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |
| Jun 8, 2026 | Seth Ford hired as chief architect to lead AI-ready architecture | Formerly Chief Architect and Head of Agentic Digital Products at Vanguard; he chairs the Technology Review Board and does not report to Feld, though both sit under the CIO's organisation. | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/richmond-branch/about-us/press-releases/2026/06/08/raymond-james-appoints-chief-architect-to-bolster-enterprise-technology-and-ai-strategy), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-taps-vanguards-chief-architect-to-drive-ai-strategy/266917) |
| May 27, 2026 | Investor day: 'AI Scaling and Automation' on the roadmap | The deck presents AI as 'an enabler of the Advisor-Client relationship' across back, middle and front office, built on proprietary enterprise data platforms. | [Raymond James Financial (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720005/000072000526000060/rjf2026analystinvestorda.htm) |
| May 4, 2026 | Elevate: Client 360 and AI Academy launched; Rai renamed Raimond | Client 360 tripled engagement with the Opportunities app. Zolper said 600 advisors and 1,400 home-office staff pilot Raimond, which should move from answering questions to performing tasks over six to 12 months, and that the AWS-built platforms use Anthropic's Claude for now. | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/05/04/raymond-james-tech-innovations), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy), [InvestmentNews](https://www.investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-launches-ai-academy-extends-its-advisor-tech-push/266479) |
| Apr 22, 2026 | Q2 call: Rai piloted with a few hundred advisors; agentic AI next | Technology spend now more than $1.1 billion a year; the CEO calls margin estimates from AI 'too preliminary' and names agentic AI as the next phase. | [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-rjf-q2-2026-234354155.html) |
| Mar 4, 2026 | Investor conference: AI as the answer to the advisor shortage | Shoukry cites McKinsey's estimate of a 100,000-advisor shortfall by 2034, says Rai was built from transcripts of service calls, and plans to extend it to all businesses; the firm is building AI internally and partnering with vendors for specialist tools. | [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539) |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Rai, proprietary gen-AI operations agent, launched | Natural-language answers to operational questions across firm knowledge bases. In launch coverage Feld said more than 10,000 associates regularly use conversational AI and roughly 3.2 million lines of code a month are generated by AI under developer oversight, and called the rollout 'the first of several phases'. | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-unveils-proprietary-ai-operations-agent/265028) |
| Jan 7, 2026 | Proxy statement records board education on AI | The 2026 DEF 14A says director education sessions have covered advances in artificial intelligence alongside data privacy and cybersecurity. | [Raymond James Financial (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720005/000072000526000019/rjf-20260106.htm) |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Fiscal 2025: about $1 billion of technology including AI | The year-end release says the firm created the new positions of chief AI officer and head of AI strategy; on the call the CEO said it is budgeting for a significant increase in AI expenses. | [Raymond James Financial (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/720005/000072000525000086/rjf20250930q425earnings.htm), [GuruFocus (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/raymond-james-financial-inc-rjf-030155734.html) |
| Sep 8, 2025 | Head of AI strategy hired to report to the chief AI officer | Solganik reports to Feld; $975 million technology budget cited. | [GlobeNewswire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1330-9525266en-2G3EBTACBF0CHV70SD1J7K5BF2) |

## Common questions

### What is the Raymond James AI Academy?

A training program for advisors and associates launched in May 2026 at the firm's Elevate conference, as part of its Tech Savvy education offering. It provides virtual training and workshops on AI prompting, agent productivity and Microsoft 365 integrations. CEO Paul Shoukry said in July 2026 that nearly 20,000 people had completed its four courses.

### How many Raymond James employees use AI?

Chief AI Officer Stuart Feld said in January 2026 that more than 10,000 associates regularly use the firm's conversational AI tools. After its June 2026 enterprise rollout, the Raimond operations agent reached 6,500 unique users. AI also generates about 3.2 million lines of code a month under developer supervision.

### Will AI replace Raymond James advisors?

The firm says no. CEO Paul Shoukry said in July 2026 that AI will not replace advisors but that advisors who use AI will replace those who do not, and he argues AI is needed to address a McKinsey-estimated shortage of about 100,000 advisors by 2034. No AI-related job cuts have been announced.

### What is Carillon Labs?

Raymond James' in-house research and development team for artificial intelligence and emerging technology, created in 2019 and led by Chief AI Officer Stuart Feld. It tests machine learning for uses such as electronic-communications review, and five of its technologists are named inventors on a 2024 patent application for machine-learning models as a service.
## Deeper on Raymond James

- [What is Raymond James' AI strategy?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/ai-strategy)
- [What is Rai (Raimond), Raymond James' AI assistant?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/virtual-assistant)
- [What technology does Raymond James use to serve advisors and clients?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/client-experience-technology)


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