Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, but for many organizations, business outcomes continue to fall short of expectations. While enterprises continue investing in AI platforms, models, and talent, one critical challenge remains: ensuring AI systems can securely and efficiently access the data they need.

Traditional data access models were built for human users, predictable workflows, and manual approval processes—not AI agents, autonomous workflows, and continuous data consumption. As AI adoption accelerates, Chief Data Officers are increasingly balancing competing priorities: enabling innovation while maintaining governance, security, and regulatory compliance.

In this CDO Magazine webinar, Paul Myres, Field CTO at Immuta, moderates a discussion with Vivek Vijayakumar, Chief Data Officer at CRC Group, Duane Powell, Chief Information Officer for the City of Hilliard, Ohio, and Priyanka Kapoor, Chief Data Officer at Coaction Global. Together, they examine how enterprise data access must evolve to support AI at scale and why governance can no longer be treated as a downstream consideration.

The conversation explores where organizations are encountering the biggest gaps between AI ambition and execution, how AI agents are changing long-standing assumptions about data access, and what it takes to build governance models that enable innovation without compromising trust.

Key Discussion Topics

• Why data access has emerged as one of the biggest barriers to realizing enterprise AI value
• How governing access for AI agents differs from traditional analytics and business intelligence environments
• The evolving role of the Chief Data Officer in balancing AI innovation with governance, security, and compliance
• What “agent-ready” data governance looks like in practice
• Practical approaches for modernizing access governance while AI initiatives continue to move forward
• Common pitfalls organizations face when scaling AI on top of legacy access models

Throughout the discussion, the panel shares practical experiences and perspectives on modernizing data access governance, aligning AI initiatives with business priorities, and preparing organizations for a future where both humans and AI agents require trusted, governed access to enterprise data.

Speakers

• Vivek Vijayakumar – Chief Data Officer, CRC Group
• Duane Powell – Chief Information Officer, City of Hilliard, Ohio
• Priyanka Kapoor – Chief Data Officer, Coaction Global
• Paul Myres – Field CTO, Immuta (Moderator)