CDO Magazine’s Executive Boardroom Dinner united Milwaukee’s leading data, analytics, and AI leaders at Ward’s House of Prime for an engaging exchange on how emerging AI capabilities are reshaping enterprise resilience and redefining approaches to risk and innovation. The October 23 event featured a panel exploring “AI at the Crossroads: Redefining Risk, Reinventing the Customer Experience, and Reinforcing Cyber Resilience.”

Panelists examined how AI is transforming organizational strategy—from predicting and mitigating risk to personalizing customer experiences and strengthening cyber defenses. They also explored the ethical and operational implications of AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of trust, governance, and cross-functional collaboration in driving responsible innovation.

The panel of experts were:

• Michael Grimes, Northwestern Mutual VP, Data Engineering & Governance
• Vignesh Shetty, Medtronic VP, AI & Software Engineering
• Elaine Stephens, Google Head, Customer Engineering, Wisconsin

The discussion was moderated by Thomas Mazzaferro, Cyera Chief Data Officer.

Sharing her experience, speaker Stephens, says, “The panel discussion was an invaluable deep-dive into how innovative AI solutions are delivering capabilities that were previously unimaginable, alongside the shared strategies and real-world approaches companies are employing to mitigate the associated risks.”

Adding his perspective, speaker Shetty says, “The Milwaukee CDO Magazine Dinner was a reminder that the hardest part of AI isn’t teaching machines to learn — it’s teaching us to unlearn. True innovation starts when we stop automating yesterday’s habits.”

Speaker Grimes points out that AI is no longer just a technology conversation—it’s a leadership imperative. Sharing his key takeaway, he says, “Trust, governance, and cross-functional collaboration are now central to successful AI adoption. Innovation without accountability is no longer an option.”

According to Grant Ecker, Ecolab VP, Enterprise Architecture, CDO Magazine events always provide an incredible opportunity to meet and share learnings with peers. He says, “The Milwaukee event was no exception! This event provided a deep dive into some of the data quality management and governance challenges while giving me a chance to share stories with several peers I’ve known over the years and meeting new colleagues, with plans to deepen those connections and conversations in the weeks ahead.”

Calling the discussion “invaluable,” Lexy Smith, CDO Magazine Program Director, says, “Speakers underscored how technology continues to outpace legislation — shaping the rules only once its impact demands it.”

She highlights, “What stood out most was the balance between innovation and responsibility: the need to secure and not just obscure data, to personalize experiences through AI while maintaining transparency and trust. Seeing how leaders across industries — from tech to healthcare — are leveraging AI’s creativity to drive both precision and personalization was truly inspiring.”

Summing up the evening, moderator Mazzaferro says, “Bringing together CIOs, CDAOs, and CTOs in Milwaukee created a powerful forum for exchanging real-world strategies on AI adoption, data modernization, and cross-industry innovation. This wasn’t just a dinner, but a session on how leaders are operationalizing AI at scale, shaping future-ready enterprises, and building networks that drive tangible outcomes.”

*Grant Ecker, Michael Grimes and Vignesh Shetty are members of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board.

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

Executives attending the CDO Magazine Milwaukee Executive Boardroom Dinner included: 

Yusuf Abbasi, Whirlpool Global Sr. Director Data & Analytics, Center of Excellence; Kristen Benbazza, Molson Coors Beverage Company VP, Data, Analytics & AI; Maulik Bhatt, Cache Creek Casino Resort Director, IT Service Delivery; Antony D’Cruz, HSA Bank Chief Information Officer; Karan Dhawal, ZS Enterprise Data Strategy & Transformation Leader; Grant Ecker, Ecolab VP, Enterprise Architecture; Phil Finucane, Carecentrix Chief Technology Officer; Michael Grimes, Northwestern Mutual VP, Data Engineering & Governance; Michelle Hobbins, Carthage College Associate VP, Information Technology; Mike Jennings, Walgreens Sr. Director, Enterprise Data Architecture; Chris Lambrou, Metro MLS Chief Information Officer; Ramesh Paramasivam, Eaton Data & AI Manager; Walter Schilling, Milwaukee School of Engineering Program Director, Cybersecurity Systems; Muktak Sharma, Pon.Bike Sr. Director, ERP Applications; Vignesh Shetty, Medtronic VP, AI & Software; Elaine Stephens, Google Head, Customer Engineering Wisconsin; Jason Tyree, American Family Insurance Distinguished Engineer, Enterprise Digital Risk; Nickolo Villanueva, Crisis Prevention Institute Chief Information Officer; Daniel Emanuele, Cyera Sales; Andrew Malcore, Cyera Account Executive, Wisconsin; Thomas Mazzaferro, Cyera Chief Data Officer; Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales; and Lexy Smith, CDO Magazine Program Director.