Clifford Richardson
Data & ML/AI Consulting

Clifford Richardson

Clifford Richardson

clifford@crdata.se

Available for consulting engagements and fractional leadership support.

I work with companies that need both technical depth and strategic leadership in data and AI.

My work combines hands-on development of data platforms, ML infrastructure, and AI tooling, alongside support around governance, operating models, and organizational scaling.

My background includes engineering and leadership roles at Anchor Loans in the US, and Klarna in Sweden, where I worked hands-on with large-scale data platforms, enterprise AI initiatives, and cross-functional modernization efforts.

Experience spanning enterprise AI initiatives, modern data platforms, and petabyte-scale analytical infrastructure.

What I help with

Data Platforms & Infrastructure

  • Modern data stack architecture
  • Streaming and batch pipelines
  • Scalable platform tooling
  • Cloud-native infrastructure

ML & AI Platforms

  • Feature stores
  • Training and inference pipelines
  • MLOps and observability
  • Production AI systems

AI Enablement

  • Agentic workflows
  • Internal AI tooling
  • Productivity and automation
  • AI adoption across teams

Strategic Leadership

  • Fractional Head of Data / AI
  • Governance and operating models
  • Vendor evaluation and procurement
  • Team and organizational scaling

Experience

Klarna

Worked in engineering leadership and AI-focused platform development across large-scale data and analytics systems.

  • Led system design and threat modeling for organization-wide AI analytics tooling
  • Coordinated and contributed to platform integration efforts with AWS and Databricks
  • Led engineering teams responsible for petabyte-scale analytical infrastructure
  • Drove initiatives that improved data efficiency and reduced infrastructure costs by approximately $4M over tenure
  • Developed internal AI and agentic tooling integrated with legacy enterprise systems

Anchor Loans

Led engineering initiatives focused on platform modernization, operational efficiency, and customer-facing systems.

  • Delivered customer-facing loan origination systems that improved conversion rates
  • Reduced time-to-insight from days to minutes through cross-team data initiatives
  • Improved platform reliability through centralized data architecture efforts
  • Supported backend platform modernization and operational tooling development

Working Style

Most engagements involve working closely with both engineering teams and leadership to improve how data and AI capabilities are built, operated, and adopted across the organization.

My preferred way of working is hands-on, with clear communication and short feedback loops to keep execution aligned with business goals.