CDO Magazine welcomed San Francisco’s leading senior data, analytics, and AI executives at the Omni Hotel on September 17 for a Leadership Breakfast centered on “‘Navigating the AI Revolution: Strategies for CDOs to Lead, Innovate, and Manage Risk.”

Leaders shared insights on how CDOs are identifying and retaining AI talent, fostering a culture of continuous learning, aligning AI vision with actionable strategies, and balancing risk with innovation to prioritize high-impact initiatives while ensuring long-term organizational success and measurable outcomes.

Sharing her key takeaways, Harnalli DeepaSwamy, Fintech Executive (CDO/CTO/SVP) and Co-chair of the San Francisco community, says, “The AI operating model rests on three pillars:

1. Build talent, don’t just buy it:

• How: Institutionalize AI academies, rotations, and responsible-AI enablement.
• What: Showcase flagship programs that attract and retain senior builders.
• Why: Sustains long-term capability instead of competing endlessly in a scarce talent market.

2. Standardize the risk backbone:

• How: Adopt frameworks like NIST RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and EU AI Act guidelines.
• What: In financial services, map critical models to SR 11-7, OCC MRM, and third-party risk guidance.
• Why: Makes innovation auditable and builds investor, regulator, and customer trust.

3. Treat value + safety as inseparable:

• How: Create a Firmwide AI Council (Tech, Risk/Legal, Product, Finance).
• What: Own quarterly reprioritization; publish a one-page AI Value Scorecard (value delivered, pipeline, risk posture).
• Why: Ensures the board and CFO see both the upside and the safeguards in one view.

According to Prasad Suravarapu, BMO Vice President, Enterprise Data Management, it was a pleasure connecting and exchanging ideas with fellow data leaders at the event. He says,“We engaged in insightful discussions around AI adoption within organizations, strategies for talent development, and the nuanced challenge of balancing risk management with the drive for innovation.”

Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales, highlights, “San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities, and it was great to see some of the data and AI community come out for a spirited discussion around navigating AI adoption, governance, and risk.”

Summing it up, Stephen Harris, ThoughtSpot N.A. Field Chief Data & AI Officer, says, “In partnership with CDO Magazine, we had the opportunity to bring together what I call the ‘Bay Area Early Risers’ for the very first CDO Magazine Breakfast.” 

Harris adds that the event unveiled a new approach to connecting with fellow Data and AI Leaders in the region. ”The timing also coincided with our ThoughtSpot product launch on ‘Boundaryless Intelligence,’ which is all about breaking the boundaries of legacy analytics, reimagining your journey to Agentic-AI, unlocking the freedom to interact with your data, customers, and teams—whenever, wherever. This conceptually mirrors the experience provided by the recent Bay Area CDO Magazine breakfast for all those able to attend,” he concludes.

Special thanks to ThoughtSpot and CodeSignal for their partnership in making the event a success.

*Harnalli DeepaSwamy is a member of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board. 

Executives attending the CDO Magazine San Francisco Leadership Breakfast included: 

Ayush Agarawal, Intuit Director, Product Management; Mark Clare, Quest Diagnostics Chief Data Officer; Brian Dempsey, Robert Half VP, Managed Technology Solutions; Taiwo Egunjobi, TKSPD Data Analytics & AI Consultant; Kehinde Egunjobi, School of MBA Course Creator & Instructor; Harnalli DeepaSwamy, Fintech Executive (CDO/CTO/SVP); Ercan Kamber, Agoroma.ai Chief AI Officer & Founder; Murali Nanduri, Aviation Head, Data; Bharath Narayan, Data Roadmaps Founder and Strategic Advisor and Data Strategy AI Roadmaps and Program Leadership; Anirudh Reddy Pathe, Glassdoor Sr. Director and Head of Decision Science and ML Science; Jake Petersen, Vanta Head, Data & Analytics; Rachna Shah, Asana VP, Data & Analytics; John Shields, ETR Director, Data Strategies & Insights; Tigran Sloyan, Codesignal Co-founder & CEO; Prasad Suravarapu, BMO VP, Enterprise Data Management; Lilly Zoltak, JPMorgan Wealth Management Private Client Advisor & VP, Investments; Stephen Harris, ThoughtSpot N.A. Field Chief Data & AI Officer; Nathaniel Hamby, ThoughtSpot Enterprise Account Executive; Mike Lassalle, ThoughtSpot Enterprise Sales; Marco Magnano, ThoughtSpot VP, Enterprise Sales; Mark Scharrenberg, ThoughtSpot Enterprise Sales; Anthony Losanno CDO Magazine SVP, Sales; Corey Maxner, CDO Magazine Director, Client Success & Digital Operations.