CDO Magazine Leadership Dinner on September 17 united Atlanta’s data, analytics and AI executives at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar to exchange ideas and experience on “Real-World Lessons in Deploying Agentic AI at Scale.”

Participants shared insights on how Agentic AI is delivering measurable value, the leadership challenges they are navigating, and the ways they are balancing autonomy with oversight to minimize risks while enabling responsible, scalable adoption.

According to Co-chair Mabby Amouie, Norfolk Southern Corporation AVP, Enterprise Data & Analytics, “At our recent CDO Magazine Atlanta dinner, data and AI leaders came together to discuss the emerging role of Agentic AI, practical use cases, and the cultural challenges large organizations face in implementation.”

Amouie adds that the conversation underscored the need for balance—whether in life, data, or outcomes—while navigating the rapid pace of technological change. 

He highlights, “A recurring theme was the need for clarity and purpose, with one reminder standing out—we should not chase a solution for a problem we don’t fully understand. We emphasized the importance of starting with the business problem, and not the solution. The evening reinforced both the promise of AI and the responsibility to approach it thoughtfully.”

Sharing her key takeaway, Olga Sudvarg, former Invesco Strategy & Execution Leader / COO Data, says, “AI shouldn’t be a shiny toy—it must be an enabler of business value. As leaders, it’s on us to guide our organizations through the change journey to make that real.”

Steve Bangsund, Sr. Program Director, describes the event, “The Atlanta Leadership Dinner was another great example of the community coming together to discuss top of mind issues around AI and Data. The hot topic was AI agents and how they are being implemented into your organization. The Atlanta CDO Magazine community is strong, vibrant and always willing to engage in meaningful conversations to help each other.”

Summing it up, Sarah Thwaite, ThoughtSpot Sr. Manager, Global Field & Partner Marketing, says, “Agentic AI is unlocking new possibilities, but the real breakthrough comes when leadership and culture evolve alongside technology. I was inspired by the leaders’ candor and alignment on one key point: governance must be tied directly to business value to succeed.”

CDO Magazine thanks the Co-chairs of the Atlanta community who attended for their outstanding leadership and commitment: Mabby Amouie, Norfolk Southern Corporation AVP, Enterprise Data & Analytics, and Emeka Igwilo, Southern Company Gas Chief Data Officer & VP, Operations Support.

Special thanks to ThoughtSpot, Informatica, Coretek, and Alation for their partnership in making the event a success.

*Mabby Amouie and Emeka Igwilo are members of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board.

Executives attending the CDO Magazine Atlanta Leadership Dinner included: 

Bob Amos, Imerys Chief Data Officer; Mabby Amouie, Norfolk Southern Corporation AVP, Enterprise Data & Analytics; Jaymil Brooks, T. Dallas Smith & Company Sr. Associate; Anthony Canitano, former IHG Head, Performance Analytics; Shashi Chilukuri, Veritiv Head, Data Science; Bill Franks, Kennesaw State University Director, Center for Data Science & Analytics; Grzegorz Hinc, Rhenus Logistics Americas CEO; Emeka Igwilo, Southern Company Gas Chief Data Officer & VP, Operations Support; Ramesh Jandhyala, GFS Principal Enterprise Architect; Manish Limaye, Revinate Chief Data Officer; Satish Padiyar, HCSC DVP & Head, Data Analytics, Digital Data Officer; Russell Pierce, former IHG, Fractional Analytics Executive; Vadim Radinsky, Media News Group Director, Product, Analytics, Data Science; Joseph Robertson, UCB Head, Data Management Operations; Brian Strom, EY Global Data Rules Enforcement Leader; Olga Sudvarg, former Invesco Strategy & Execution Leader, COO Data; Kenneth Viciana, TSYS/Global Payments Vice President; Keith Werle, Georgia Tech Managing Director, Business Analytics Center; Catherine Willis, former IHG Head, Guest Insights; Robert Crews, ThoughtSpot Enterprise Account Executive; David Hurd, Alation Director, Sales; Fred Knops, Data Society SVP; Wesley Matthews, ThoughtSpot Data Governance Specialist; Ioana Mazare, The Data Lodge SVP & GM; Christina Prudent, ThoughtSpot Marketing Manager; John Quintana, Synergistic-Coretek Sales Development Representative; Jim Redmond, Alation Strategic Solutions Executive; Sarah Thwaite, ThoughtSpot Sr. Manager, Global Field & Partner Marketing; Preston Wade, Synergistic-Coretek Digital Sales Executive; Jacob Walker, ThoughtSpot Head, Customer Success, Americas; Andy Witten, ThoughtSpot GVP, Technical Sales North America; Steve Bangsund, CDO Magazine, Sr. Program Director; Garrett Mehr, CDO Magazine Marketing Manager; John Vulopas, CDO Magazine Account Director.