Columbus Data and Tech Execs Map AI-driven Future at CDO Magazine Dinner

Leading data and technology executives from Columbus got together to exchange learnings on the impact of AI, data, and analytics on business at CDO Magazine’s Executive Boardroom Dinner on May 14. The event spotlighted a panel discussion tackling the topic of “Future-Proofing Business: The Convergence of AI, Data, and Analytics.”

The panel of expert speakers were:

• Nan Li, Nationwide Insurance, VP - AI/ML and Statistical Practice

• Kishore Ravilla, OhioHealth VP, CTO

• Orlando Sprockel, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Director, Information Technology

CoStrategix CEO Nandagopal Jayaram moderated the session.

“It is great to connect with industry peers and learn from each other,” says panelist Li, sharing her take on the event. Her key takeaways from the discussion were:

• Data is still the core foundation and key driver for AI success.

• Getting data right is still hard.

• Different organizations may be at different maturity levels, and data/AI literacy is essential in this journey.

Panel speaker Ravilla shares that he had a “great time” especially with the excitement around data and AI. Two things that stood out for him were compliance readiness and data quality. “AI is everywhere, and its impact depends on how we define, manage and utilize it. The quality of AI is directly proportional to the quality of data it’s trained on,” he adds.

Based on the interaction with the audience, and questions posed by an attendee, the thing that stood out for speaker Sprockel is the “culture mindset of the leaders of the company to adopt AI.” He mentions a divide based on a generation gap. “The cultural mindset around AI and data adoption reveals a generational divide: While senior leaders often prefer maintaining the status quo, younger leaders are eager to leverage innovative technologies to drive the company forward.”

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Reflecting on the significance of the gathering, Steve Wanamaker, CDO Magazine Founder and Publisher, remarks, "Bringing together these visionary executives underscores our commitment to fostering dialogue and collaboration within the data and technology community. This event serves as a platform for driving innovation and shaping the future of business in Columbus and beyond."

Summing up, Moderator Jayaram shares: "The CDO Magazine’s Executive Boardroom Dinner created an atmosphere of genuine exchange, filled with insightful dialogue that proved immensely valuable. It was fantastic to gauge the direction of the industry through our conversations—truly an enjoyable and enlightening experience!"

Special thanks goes to CoStrategix for their partnership in making the event a success.

Executives attending the CDO Magazine Columbus Executive Boardroom Dinner included:

Matt Armstead, Horizon Two Labs Partner; Ben Blanquera, Rackspace Technology VP, Technology & Sustainability; David Blum, United Wheels Chief Information Officer; Tracie Cleveland Thomas, KeyBank SVP, Digital Transformation Executive; Tim Cunningham, Grange Insurance Chief Information Officer; Diane Dagefoerde, Smart Columbus Executive Advisor; Jasmine De Gaia, Wells Fargo SVP, Head, Customer Data Strategy; Jason Drake, TerraStrat Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer; Michael Farrar, City of Westerville Chief Information Officer; Mark Harris, GEICO Sr. Director of Engineering; Muni Kumar Jinka, Ohio Health Senior Data Architect; Nan Li, Nationwide Insurance VP, AI/ML and Statistical Practice; Mark Marshalek, Farmers Insurance Head, Data Governance; Barton Murphy, OCLC Chief Technology & Information Officer; Venki Rao, CAS VP & Chief Technology Officer; Kishore Ravilla, Ohio Health VP & Chief Technology Officer; Salema Rice, CDO Today Chief Executive officer & Founder; Ervan Rodgers, former Designer Brands SVP, Chief information Officer; Sanjay Saxena, Bread Financial Head, Data Management, Protection & Governance; Molly Schmied, The Ohio State University Chief Analytics Officer, Office of Advancement; Russ Scoville, Caresource VP, Enterprise Data Services; Praba Siva, Target Engineering Leader; Orlando Sprockel, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Director, Information Technology; Pankaj Teli, Abercrombie & Fitch Sr. Manager/Sr. Leader Data Engineering; Payal Thakur, JobsOhio Sr. Director, Enterprise Analytics; David Vasquez, Nationwide Insurance VP, Enterprise Data Strategy & Activation; Jeff Voorhees, Bread Financial VP, AI & VP, Enterprise Analytics & Data Science; Hope Yin, US Bank SVP, Head, Engineering Engagement; Mike Grosser, CoStrategix VP, Business Development; Nandagopal Jayaram, CoStrategix CEO; Jaydev Karande, CoStrategix Entrepreneur in Residence; John Kitson, CoStrategix Director, Product Management; Jeremy Henry, CoStrategix VP, Engineering; Andy Losekamp, CoStrategix VP, Sales; Michelle Ziegler, CDO Magazine Global VP, Partner Development & Events; Lisa Runkle, CDO Magazine Global Community Director.