EPAM Systems announced the launch of its Empathy Lab, an AI‑native agency, in North America on February 17, 2026. The expansion follows a successful rollout in Europe in February 2025 and is led by Ben Hall, who will oversee growth across the United States and Canada.
The move positions EPAM to help chief marketing officers unify product, technology, data and customer experience through human‑centered AI platforms. By offering a blend of creativity, technology and data insight, the agency aims to meet the growing demand for AI‑driven marketing solutions and strengthen EPAM’s competitive moat in the AI‑native services space.
EPAM’s broader AI strategy has already driven a 14.26% revenue increase over the past twelve months, with AI and generative‑AI initiatives accounting for a growing share of the company’s top line. The company’s engineering heritage and recent AI platform developments underpin the expansion, signaling confidence in the long‑term growth of AI‑enabled consulting and platform offerings.
Elaina Shekhter, EPAM’s SVP of Marketing & Strategy, said, "CMOs are now expected to use AI to bring product, technology, data and customer experience together in ways that simply weren't part of the job before, and many marketing organizations weren't built for that challenging shift. We launched Empathy Lab to help CMOs navigate this change, reconnecting siloed functions and putting empathy at the center of every AI‑powered experience." Ben Hall added, "I'm excited to bring Empathy Lab's vision to North America at a time when marketing and technology leaders are under growing pressure to modernize how their organizations operate. CMOs recognize the shift toward AI‑driven marketing is happening, but many are overwhelmed by fragmented pilots, multiple vendors and the absence of a clear operating model. Empathy Lab brings creativity, technology and human insight together to enable marketing leaders to scale automation while building a deeper understanding of their customers."
Truist Securities has initiated coverage of EPAM with a Hold rating and a price target of $220, describing the company as an "improving, but in‑transition IT Services asset." The coverage reflects analysts’ view that EPAM’s AI initiatives are a key growth lever, while the company continues to navigate a transition phase.
The North American launch of Empathy Lab is a strategic step that aligns with EPAM’s focus on high‑margin, AI‑enabled services. By expanding its AI‑native agency footprint, EPAM aims to capture a larger share of the AI‑driven marketing market, leverage its engineering expertise, and reinforce its position as a partner capable of delivering agentic platforms that blend deep technical capability with human insight.
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