Senior data, analytics, and AI leaders gathered at Charley’s Steak House in Orlando for CDO Magazine’s Executive Boardroom Dinner on March 9 for an evening of networking and peer exchange, exploring the evolving role of data leadership in the AI era. Coinciding with the Gartner Summit, the evening fostered candid conversations on scaling AI responsibly, strengthening enterprise data foundations, and translating emerging technologies into measurable business value.

Across the table, leaders shared practical experiences from their organizations — from prioritizing high-impact AI initiatives to navigating the complexities of modern data ecosystems. The setting encouraged open dialogue on what it truly takes to move beyond experimentation and embed data and AI into core business decision-making.

Conversations also emphasized the importance of strong AI-ready data foundations, collective intelligence among leaders, and thoughtful change management to introduce AI in ways that align with broader organizational priorities.

According to Shiv Misra, McKesson Global Head, Artificial Intelligence & Automation, it was “a great evening with peers at the CDO Magazine dinner.” He reflects, “One theme kept coming up: the real challenge for data and AI leaders today isn’t access to new tools, but it’s the discipline to build AI-ready data and invest in a few big bold bets that truly move the business.”

Emphasizing the power of shared insight, Amyn Damania, Toyota Motor North America Sr. Executive Director/General Manager & Head, Enterprise Data Architecture & Engineering, says, “Strategy wins when intelligence is collective.” He described the gathering as “An outstanding opportunity to connect with peer data leaders and exchange candid insights on the evolving role of data, analytics, and AI across industries.”

Damania added, “CDO Magazine and its partners set the gold standard in fostering a trusted space for meaningful executive dialogue. In times of AI-driven disruption, leadership is less about platforms and more about perspective—shared openly, applied wisely, and amplified together.”

Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales, highlights, “It’s always great when you get a room filled with smart people talking about what really matters to their businesses and careers. AI is driving change, but that change can be seen as disruption if not properly introduced to an organization. It’s up to the data and AI leaders to shepherd these changes while aligning with the rest of the company.”

Special thanks to Informatica from Salesforce for their partnership in making the event a success.

*Shiv Misra is a member of the CDO Magazine Global Board.

Executives attending the CDO Magazine Orlando Executive Boardroom Dinner included: 

Teddy Benson, Universal Destinations & Experiences Director, Data Architecture & Platforms; Adelson Bredy, BNY VP, Data Management & Quantitative Analysis Strategic Sourcing; Amyn Damania, Toyota North America Sr. Executive Director/General Manager & Head, Enterprise Data Architecture & Engineering; Ken Elliott, Friedkin Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer; Wendy Gilbert, Airlines Reporting Corporation Director, Data Services; Tom Godden, AWS Executive in Residence; Derek Izumo, Toyota North America Sr. Consultant, OneTech Data Strategy; Mayur Khare, Beazer Homes Head, AI Products & Data Analytics; Krystin Kim, Post Holdings VP, Data & Analytics; Erika McBride, Paylocity Director, Operations Data Science; Jessamine Merrill, Toyota North America General Manager, Media & Digital; Shivanku (Shiv) Misra, McKesson Global Head, Artificial Intelligence & Automation; Larry Smith, Toyota North America Production Control Supervisor; Naveena Spitz, AF Group Head, Data Analytics & AI; Wei Tan, Toyota North America Chief Data Scientist & General Manager; Palash Thakur, Interac VP & Head, Data Analytics & Fraud; Brandon Thomas, Zions Bancorporation Chief Data Officer; Gupta Wijeratine, Toyota North America Sr. Director, Office of Data Analytics & Insights; Jason Du Preez, Informatica Vice President; Ryan Glasunow, Informatica Sr. Director, Data Governance Solutions Sales Leader; Amy Horowitz, Informatica Group VP,  Solution Specialist Sales-North America; Stuti Sureka, Informatica Sr. Director, Strategic Ecosystems; Bill Voyiatzis, Informatica Sales Director, North America Cloud Integration; Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales; Corey Maxner, CDO Magazine Sr. Director, Community & Operations; and John Volupas, CDO Magazine Account Director.