CDAO Fall Day 1 schedule

•    How is the role of data leadership evolving in today’s financial organizations?
•    What bold moves have you made to turn data into a transformation driver?
•    How do you inspire trust, speed, and innovation across business and tech teams?

•    How can possible areas for improvement in AI pipelines be identified? 
•    How can we optimize engineering, infrastructure, culture, teams and decision-making to see increased ROI (higher revenue, cost reduction, operational efficiency, value gains)?
•    Overcoming Barriers to ROI: Addressing data quality, integration, and change management 

•    Anticipating change and managing uncertainty, a look at five fast growing trends of data management in Financial Services 
•    Strategies to invest in those trends that are most relevant to your organization 
•    How data & analytics leaders need to adapt to succeed in the future

•    How to see past the hype and truly understand where AI can transform
•    Anticipate future regulations to avoid losing out
•    Developing a culture of AI acceptance and trust

•    How to build a real-time data infrastructure that supports decision-making at speed and scale
•    Practical applications of real-time analytics in risk management, fraud detection, and financial forecasting
•    Balancing real-time data flow with data governance: Ensuring accuracy, security, and compliance

 

 

•    What are the most pressing challenges data management leaders face in optimizing data strategies to drive informed decision-making in 2025?
•    How can data management leaders effectively integrate emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to enhance data governance and decision-making processes?
•    What are the best practices for balancing the need for data accessibility with the imperative of maintaining robust data security and compliance?
•    In a rapidly evolving data landscape, how can leaders ensure continuous data quality and integrity to support long-term strategic goals and real-time decision-making?

 

•    How AI Personalization is Reshaping Customer Engagement
•    Chatbots vs. Human Touch: Striking the Right Balance
•    AI Ethics in Customer Interactions

•    Break silos by creating shared visibility into data flows
•    Use lineage to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and cost
•    Align business, tech, and data roles through end-to-end traceability

•    What does "data productization" involve, and how does it transform traditional data management?
•    What key factors make a data product scalable and efficient in today’s fast-paced business environment?
•    What are the main challenges in productizing data, and what strategies can overcome them?
•    How does productizing data enhance decision-making and drive measurable business results

Panelists:
Diego De Aragao, Senior Vice President, Balance Sheet and Analytics, Citigroup

•    AI & Analytics for Sustainable Impact: Turning data into actionable ESG strategies
•    Mastering ESG Reporting: Staying ahead of evolving regulations and stakeholder expectations
•    Innovating for a Greener Tomorrow: How emerging technologies are driving sustainable transformation

Let’s talk about how you have too much data – new, old and everything in between and what to do with it

Let’s talk about models and discuss how to avoid bias and model in accuracies

Hiring, re-skilling, finding talent for your team & creating the right culture in the process

Let’s talk about how to monetize your data & AI programs.  Find new ways of looking at data

•    How are data and AI leaders in retail reshaping decision-making in a world of constant consumer flux?
•    What does true data-driven leadership look like in the age of real-time personalization and omnichannel demand?
•    Are today’s data strategies aligned with tomorrow’s retail challenges — or are we optimizing for the past?
•    How can retail leaders foster a culture where analytics and AI are not just tools, but catalysts for innovation and growth?

•    Aligning analytics goals with business objectives to maximize ROI in retail and CPG.
•    Leveraging advanced analytics and AI to drive customer insights, personalization, and operational efficiency.
•    Building a culture of data-driven decision-making across teams to ensure long-term success

•    Identifying opportunities for data-driven product Innovation and service enhancement in retail and e-commerce
•    Leading experimentation with new data sources and analytical techniques.
•    Fostering a culture of data-driven entrepreneurship within the organization

•    Understanding the evolving consumer behaviors through data-driven insights
•    Leveraging predictive analytics to anticipate future trends and drive strategic decisions
•    Building a consumer-first data strategy to enhance personalization and loyalty

 

•    Unifying customer data for real-time, cross-channel experiences
•    Reducing integration complexity with modern tools and APIs
•    Driving personalization through connected data
•    Building trust with data quality and transparency

 

Jordan Burger, Lead Researcher, AI Applications,  KEBOOLA

 

•    What are the most pressing challenges data management leaders face in optimizing data strategies to drive informed decision-making in 2025?
•    How can data management leaders effectively integrate emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to enhance data governance and decision-making processes?
•    What are the best practices for balancing the need for data accessibility with the imperative of maintaining robust data security and compliance?
•    In a rapidly evolving data landscape, how can leaders ensure continuous data quality and integrity to support long-term strategic goals and real-time decision-making?

•    How AI Personalization is Reshaping Customer Engagement
•    Chatbots vs. Human Touch: Striking the Right Balance
•    AI Ethics in Customer Interactions

•    Break silos by creating shared visibility into data flows
•    Use lineage to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and cost
•    Align business, tech, and data roles through end-to-end traceability

Panel Discussion: From Data Assets to Data Products: How Productization of Data Brings in Efficiency and Scalability that Today’s Business Require?
•    What does "data productization" involve, and how does it transform traditional data management?
•    What key factors make a data product scalable and efficient in today’s fast-paced business environment?
•    What are the main challenges in productizing data, and what strategies can overcome them?
•    How does productizing data enhance decision-making and drive measurable business results

Panelists:
Diego De Aragao, Senior Vice President, Balance Sheet and Analytics, Citigroup

 

•    AI & Analytics for Sustainable Impact: Turning data into actionable ESG strategies
•    Mastering ESG Reporting: Staying ahead of evolving regulations and stakeholder expectations
•    Innovating for a Greener Tomorrow: How emerging technologies are driving sustainable transformation

 

Let’s talk about how you have too much data – new, old and everything in between and what to do with it

 

Let’s talk about models and discuss how to avoid bias and model in accuracies

 

Hiring, re-skilling, finding talent for your team & creating the right culture in the process

 

Let’s talk about how to monetize your data & AI programs.  Find new ways of looking at data

 

•    Are we limiting the potential of data leadership by prioritizing control over creativity and experimentation?
•    What if data leadership started with trust, empowerment, and storytelling — rather than policies and compliance?
•    Can data leaders truly drive transformation if they don’t first lead cultural change within their organizations?
•    Why aren’t more data leaders borrowing bold ideas from outside their field — and what’s the cost of staying in the bubble?

•    How future-focused CDAOs are aligning data strategy with long-term business goals, customer-centric innovation, and emerging technologies like GenAI
•    Building agile data organizations that can move fast—balancing governance with experimentation, and enabling real-time, high-impact decisions
•    Translating data investments into tangible business outcomes by embedding analytics into core operations, managing risk, and demonstrating value to the C-suite

•    Leveraging AI to drive innovation in data management
•    The key leadership skills required to manage AI-powered transformations
•    Overcoming resistance to change and driving AI adoption across departments

•    Predicting the next wave of data leadership challenges and opportunities
•    How data leaders can prepare for the changing technological landscape
•    The evolving role of the CDAO in driving business growth and innovation

•    The evolving role of the CDAO in navigating disruption and embracing data-driven transformation.
•    Transitioning from a data provider to a strategic advisor within the organization.
•    Essential leadership skills to foster a culture of data empowerment across teams

 

•    What are the most pressing challenges data management leaders face in optimizing data strategies to drive informed decision-making in 2025?
•    How can data management leaders effectively integrate emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to enhance data governance and decision-making processes?
•    What are the best practices for balancing the need for data accessibility with the imperative of maintaining robust data security and compliance?
•    In a rapidly evolving data landscape, how can leaders ensure continuous data quality and integrity to support long-term strategic goals and real-time decision-making?
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•    How AI Personalization is Reshaping Customer Engagement
•    Chatbots vs. Human Touch: Striking the Right Balance
•    AI Ethics in Customer Interactions

•    Break silos by creating shared visibility into data flows
•    Use lineage to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and cost
•    Align business, tech, and data roles through end-to-end traceability

•    What does "data productization" involve, and how does it transform traditional data management?
•    What key factors make a data product scalable and efficient in today’s fast-paced business environment?
•    What are the main challenges in productizing data, and what strategies can overcome them?
•    How does productizing data enhance decision-making and drive measurable business results

Panelists:
Diego De Aragao, Senior Vice President, Balance Sheet and Analytics, Citigroup

 

•    AI & Analytics for Sustainable Impact: Turning data into actionable ESG strategies
•    Mastering ESG Reporting: Staying ahead of evolving regulations and stakeholder expectations
•    Innovating for a Greener Tomorrow: How emerging technologies are driving sustainable transformation

 

Let’s talk about how you have too much data – new, old and everything in between and what to do with it

 

Let’s talk about models and discuss how to avoid bias and model in accuracies

 

Hiring, re-skilling, finding talent for your team & creating the right culture in the process

 

Let’s talk about how to monetize your data & AI programs. Find new ways of looking at data

 

•    Highlight the importance of fostering a data-driven culture essential to deliver growth and value amid cultural barriers
•    Addressing resistance to change within a large organization, and the importance of looking to the future

Nachiket Mehta, Head of Data and Analytics, Engineering, Global Operations, WAYFAIR
Tonjia Coverdale, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer for Operations & Technology, ASSOCIATED BANK
Moderated by: Steve Boras, Head of Model Risk Management & Validation, CITIZENS BANK

•    Exploring the importance of accountability in driving data-driven initiatives and achieving business outcomes.
•    Strategies for defining clear goals, establishing performance metrics, and holding individuals and teams accountable for results

Justin Yu, Senior Director, Infrastructure & Insights, AUDIBLE, INC. (former)

Strategies for overcoming resistance and driving cultural change towards a data-centric organization, ensuring widespread adoption and engagement
Ian James, Head of Data Strategy, RIGHTHAND ROBOTICS, INC.

In this session, you will hear from some of the highest leaders, hear how they started in the sector and made their way up to be a Chief Data Officer.  You’ll have the opportunity to ask your burning questions, have robust discussions and gain insights into what makes a great leader and what the future of the CDO looks like. 

Chris Bennett, Chief Data Officer, VANGUARD
Jen Courant, Chief Data Officer, DWS GROUP
Alex Golbin, Managing Director, Chief Data Officer & Interim Chief Technology Officer,  HUDSON BAY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Moderated by: Jasper Cannon, Strategy Lead, Strategy & Operations, Job Seeker Platform, INDEED

•    Exploring the intersection of data strategy, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the role of organizations in addressing societal and environmental challenges.
•    Strategies for integrating sustainability and CSR principles into data strategy development, governance, and decision-making processes.

Besa Bauta, Chief Information Officer, JEWISH BOARD 

•    Insights on reporting on a company’s impact in areas like sustainability, corporate responsibility. Organizations can assess their carbon footprint, diversity initiatives, regulatory compliance, and governance practices.
•    Allowing for better decision-making and enhances trust with stakeholders who are increasingly concerned with a company's ESG performance
Arun Venuturupalli, Data Architect Environmental Solutions and Services, VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA

•    Acknowledging the inevitability of resistance to change and what strategies are there for addressing resistance
•    The importance of defining a clear and compelling vision for the transformation, and how the benefits of a data-driven culture is aligned with the organizational goals 

Tonjia Coverdale, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer for Operations & Technology, ASSOCIATED BANK
Robin Patra, Head of innovation, Director Data & Analytics, ACRO CONSTRUCTION 
Jasper Cannon, Strategy Lead, Strategy & Operations, Job Seeker Platform, INDEED
Moderator: Xu Cheng, Head of Business Intelligence & Insights, ASCOT GROUP 

•    A roadmap for cultural transformation towards becoming a data-driven organization, from vision-setting to implementation and measurement
•    Practical guidance and real-world examples to navigate the complexities of cultural change and drive successful data initiatives
Ryan Simone, Vice President, Data Strategy, BETCHES MEDIA

•    Discussing the role of data analytics in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within organizations through data-driven hiring, promotion, and retention practices
•    Strategies for leveraging data insights to identify and address bias, promote representation, and foster inclusive cultures

Maggie Ward, Manager, Talent Ops Data & Reporting, NETFLIX
Jennifer Mezzio, Global HR Data Officer, FIRST CITIZENS BANK
Cecilia Dones, Professor, COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL
Moderated by: Debika Sarkar, WOMEN IN AI

•    What are privacy implications of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT)
•    Insights into assessing privacy risks, implementing privacy-by-design principles, and leveraging emerging technologies to enhance data privacy and protection

Corey M. Dennis, Senior Director, Global Counsel, Information Security & Privacy, ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
Christopher Hart, Partner, Co-Chair, Privacy & Data Security Group, FOLEY HOAG LLP

Moderated by: Karina Klever, Governance & Compliance Expert

So many of us are overwhelmed with this topic and have no idea how to approach, decipher, or execute governance principles. 
The "checkbox exercise" approach to the endless irrelevant controls hadn't left us any more secure! We spin within each audit cycle and dedicate hundreds of thousands of hours *and dollars* on activities within our organizations that may not even be necessary. 
Join us to understand how to mature your GRC posture without sacrificing your people or budget!

Karina Klever, Governance & Compliance Expert

Effectively managing the risks associated with deploying data and analytics strategies that utilize new AI functions, including generative AI, large language models, and predictive AI.

Curtis O’Dell, Business Performance Director, Data Integrity, TRICENTIS 

•    Balancing Innovation with Privacy: How to innovate and leverage data-driven technologies while maintaining compliance with privacy regulations
•    Mitigating Risks: Identifying potential risks and challenges in data management and how to implement effective safeguards to prevent breaches and penalties

Rose Lally, Chief Information Security Officer, Vice President, Governance & Controls, ALTISOURCE
Alan Halfenger, Chief Compliance Officer, ARCTARIS IMPACT INVESTORS
Moderated by: Karina Klever, Governance & Compliance Expert

•    The use of predictive modeling techniques, such as machine learning algorithms, to assess and quantify risks
•    The integration of risk analytics with strategic decision-making processes, where data-driven insights are used to inform strategic initiatives, investments, and resource allocations

Thomas Shola, Chief Risk & Privacy Officer, NORTHERN BANK

•    Ensuring Compliance in a Rapidly Evolving Regulatory Landscape
•    Ethical Data Use and innovation
Vivek Goel, Chief AI Strategist, WELLNESS CONNECTION

Rahil Parikh will review the vulnerabilities of AI models. He will discuss two privacy attacks aimed at extracting instances of the training data from a trained model. Subsequently, the session will explore measures to safeguard language models against these threats, ensuring a responsible and secure integration of large language models

Rahil Parikh, Applied Scientist, AMAZON

•    The importance of privacy training and awareness programs in educating employees about privacy risks, obligations, and best practices
•    Developing comprehensive privacy training programs, raising awareness of privacy issues, and fostering a culture of privacy compliance within organizations
Christopher Hart, Partner, Co-Chair, Privacy & Data Security Group, FOLEY HOAG LLP

•    The concept of privacy by design and its importance in proactively addressing privacy concerns throughout the data lifecycle.
•    Strategies for integrating privacy principles into data architecture, system design, and product development processes to minimize privacy risks

Karina Klever, Governance & Compliance Expert

Alan Halfenger, Chief Compliance Officer, ARCTARIS IMPACT INVESTORS

Thomas Shola, Chief Risk & Privacy Officer, NORTHERN BANK