CDO Magazine’s inaugural Southern California Leadership Summit on December 12 drew a capacity crowd of top data leaders from various industries eager to explore the latest trends and innovations in AI. Speakers and participants engaged in insightful sessions, with a strong emphasis on AI’s evolving role in business transformation. Three keynote presentations stood out as highlights:

• Fueling AI with Consumer Voices: How Yelp’s Data Powers the Next Era of Insights with LLMs — by Zefa Hakim, Yelp Head, Products, AI & Data

• Unlocking the Power of AI: Proven Strategies for Enterprise Success — by Monica Kedzierski, Herbalife Global VP, Data, Analytics & AI

• Thriving in the Age of AI: A Framework for Successful Change — by Tiffany Perkins-Munn, JPMorgan Chase Head, Data and Analytics for JPMorgan Chase’s Connected Commerce & Digital Payments

In addition, several breakout sessions provided valuable strategies and perspectives on topics such as aligning data and analytics roadmaps with corporate goals, empowering women in data and AI, and modernizing data infrastructures to support AI initiatives. A focus group session on driving business change through real-world AI case studies rounded out the day’s discussions.

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CDO Magazine thanks the host city Co-Chairs of the Southern California Leadership Summit for their leadership: Tiffany Perkins-Munn, JPMorgan Chase Head, Data & Analytics, Connected Commerce & Digital Payments; Myra Chen, Capital Group Director, VP, Insights & Analytics; Manzoor Mohideen, Pacific Life AVP, Enterprise Data Strategy, Data Architecture, Governance, Risk & Compliance; James Lin, Experian Head of AI/ML Innovation; Das Dasgupta, Starbucks Chief Data & Analytics Officer; Greg Townsend, AltaMed Health Services SVP, Chief Data & Analytics Officer; Ghada Richani, Bank of America Managing Director, Data & Technology Strategy & PMO; and Manish Agarwal Skechers USA VP, Data, Analytics & Insights.

Keynote speaker Hakim describes the Southern California CDO community as “a vibrant network of data and AI experts. It’s not just a forum for learning—it’s a platform that inspires big thinking and innovation.”

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“Attending the CDO Magazine Southern California Leadership Summit in Long Beach was an incredible way to close out the year. The summit brought together thought leaders and pioneers in data and AI, providing invaluable insights into how we can harness the full potential of these technologies while prioritizing responsible innovation,” says keynote speaker Kedzierski.

Sharing a key takeaway, Kedzierski mentions “the importance of building alignment across the enterprise to accelerate and scale our digital transformation efforts.”

“From exploring the latest advancements in AI to discussing data governance, the event truly elevated the community’s commitment to driving business outcomes and sustainability. This was an incredible forum of brilliant minds coming together, collaborating and sharing ideas on how we can shape the future of AI and data,” Kedzierski adds.

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Reflecting on her experience, keynote speaker Perkins-Munn says, “At the CDO Magazine Summit in sunny Southern California, we’re not just talking about AI; from GenAI case studies to women empowerment to data governance … with Yelp, Herbalife, JPMorganChase and more, we’re crafting the blueprint for a thriving transformation—where innovation meets inspiration!”

Panel speaker Gregory Townsend, AltaMed Health Services SVP, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, says: “CDO Magazine SoCal Data Leadership Summit brought together data and analytic leaders from all over the country and across many industries to share ideas and approaches for aligning the work we do with the strategic direction of our organizations, to ideate on innovations, and to share real-life solutions and approaches for key challenges we all face. It created an environment to deepen and broaden networks, and build those all-important relationships that drive the successes we are working so hard to achieve. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to come together again!”

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Speaking about her experience, panel speaker Myra Chen, Capital Group Director, VP, Insights & Analytics, says: “I’m thrilled to have witnessed such an incredible gathering of Southern California’s data and AI professionals. It was inspiring to see so many brilliant minds come together to exchange learnings, best practices, and challenges, while envisioning the future of our field. Data and AI are undeniably shaping the future of our society, and we are just at the beginning of this transformative journey.

“As professionals in this space, we are presented with tremendous opportunities, but we also shoulder significant responsibilities,” Chen adds. “Building a community where we can learn from one another, share openly, and support and inspire each other’s journeys is critical to navigating this dynamic landscape. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to fostering this vibrant community. I look forward to its continued growth and to seeing the collective impact we can create together.”

Speaking about his breakout session on modernizing platforms for AI, speaker Manzoor Mohideen, Pacific Life AVP, Enterprise Data Strategy, Data Architecture, Governance, Risk & Compliance, says: “I was excited to share insights on platform modernization and AI readiness while gaining valuable perspectives from the transformation journeys of other organizations. It was great to have meaningful discussions on how aligning modernization efforts with business goals drives growth, efficiency, and innovation.”

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Steve Bangsund, CDO Magazine Sr. Director, Programs, says: “For our inaugural Southern California Leadership Summit, we had an outstanding showing of senior level executives from all industries and amazing sponsor partners to support the event. Engaging discussions and sessions around AI were prevalent throughout the day with three outstanding keynote addresses. We have a very committed and engaged community of executives in southern California, and it was an honor to serve them today.”

Focus group moderator Robbie Beyer, RSM US LLP Director, Data & AI sums up the event, saying, “The Southern California CDO Magazine Summit showcased the collaborative culture of the region’s data leaders, where innovation and execution perspectives were openly shared. I was particularly impressed by how CDOs are advancing the use of AI through strategic planning, experimentation, and thinking hard about governance to set new benchmarks in data-driven leadership.”

Special thanks to Immuta, Flexor, RSM, Incorta, ThoughtSpot, and TigerGraph for their partnership in making the event a success.

*Monica Kedzierski, Tiffany Perkins-Munn, Gregory Townsend, Myra Chen, and Manzoor Mohideen are Co-Chairs of the SoCal Executive Board. They are also members of CDO Magazine’s Global Editorial Board.

Executives speaking at the CDO Magazine Southern California Leadership Summit included:

Christi Anderson, Herbalife Director, AI Innovation & Change Management; Manish Agarwal Skechers USA VP, Data, Analytics & Insights; Renee Bradford, Disney Executive Director, Data Governance Product; Myra Chen, Capital Group Director, VP, Insights & Analytics; Noel Hacegaba, Port of Long Beach COO; Zefa Hakim, Yelp Head, Products, Generative AI, ML, Monetization, & Developer Platform; Alan Jacobson, Alteryx Chief Data & Analytic Officer; Pete Johnson,  Acorns COO/CDO;  Deepak Jose, Niagara Bottling VP & Head, Data Science, Business Intelligence; Monica Kedzierski, Herbalife Global VP, Data, Analytics & AI; Manzoor Mohideen, Pacific Life Asst. VP, Enterprise Data Strategy, Data Architecture, Governance, Risk & Compliance; Tiffany Perkins-Munn, JPMorgan Chase Head, Data & Analytics, Connected Commerce & Digital Payments; Dave Ramos, Disney Sr. Manager, Data; Greg Townsend, AltaMed Sr. VP & Chief Data & Analytics Officer; Robbie Beyer, RSM Director, Data & AI; Victor Lee, TigerGraph Director, Technical Product Management; Jason Snook, Immuta Account Manager; Ahmed Quadri, ThoughtSpot Chief Customer Officer; Ashwin Warrier, Incorta VP Product; Or Zabludowski, Flexor CEO; and Steve Bangsund, CDO Magazine Sr. Director Programs.