Lendable Appoints Niraj Khalpada as Chief Data Officer

In Short

• Lendable has appointed Niraj Khalpada as Chief Data Officer.
• He will lead the company’s data, analytics, and AI efforts.
• Lendable says the hire supports its plan to expand AI use across lending operations.

What Happened

Lendable has named Niraj Khalpada as its new Chief Data Officer, a senior role focused on how a company collects, manages, and uses data.

Khalpada has 23 years of experience across data, analytics, and AI leadership roles. Lendable highlighted previous work at companies including Thomson Reuters.

The company said the appointment is a strategic investment as it accelerates its AI ambitions. In lending, “AI” usually means models that learn from past repayment behaviour and other signals to help decide who gets credit and at what price.

Lendable’s announcement also framed data as central to its business. It said it was founded to solve an “information problem” in emerging markets, where lenders can struggle to assess risk because reliable credit data is limited.

Why It Matters

For credit providers, better data systems can improve underwriting, which is the process of measuring risk before lending. It can also improve portfolio monitoring, which means tracking repayment performance after loans are issued.

A Chief Data Officer can also help align data governance with growing regulatory and privacy expectations. Data governance is the internal rules for how data is stored, accessed, and audited, similar to financial controls but for information.

If Lendable can use data and machine learning more effectively, it could shorten decision times and reduce default risk. That can translate into more predictable returns for investors, and more consistent access to credit for borrowers in the markets it serves.