At CDO Magazine’s first Executive Boardroom Dinner in San Francisco on December 5, the Bay Area’s top data professionals redefined organizational approaches to data and AI. While networking, the execs exchanged insights on managing unstructured data, crafting governance models for AI pipelines, and accelerating adoption of AI copilots in enterprise tools. 

At the heart of the event was an insightful panel discussion titled “Safe Use of Data+AI to Unleash the Power of Enterprise AI.” A key topic also was empowering data teams to translate their work into actionable insights for the C-suite.

The panel of experts were:

• Mark Clare, Quest Diagnostics Chief Data Officer

• Harnalli DeepaSwamy, Forge SVP, Global Head of Data, AIML & Analytics Platforms, standing Chief Data Officer

• Keyur Desai, former TD Ameritrade Chief Data Officer

The session was moderated by Rehan Jalil, Securiti President & CEO.

Sharing his experience, speaker Clare says, “Last night’s CDO Magazine dinner highlighted the rapid pace of data and AI innovation and change in our CDO function. This repositions the CDO role from a supporting into a business enabling capability.”

Speaker DeepaSwamy says that enterprise AI thrives when it’s transparent, explainable, and aligned with business objectives. “The better the data, the more effective the AI—think of it as fuel for driving impactful insights. By fostering collaboration, starting small with pilots, and ensuring continuous feedback and monitoring, we can unlock AI’s potential to empower decision-making and improve operational efficiency,” she adds.

DeepaSwamy outlines key takeaways:

• Develop a clear AI strategy with objectives and measurable outcomes/metrics.

• By investing in data quality, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and prioritizing transparency and explainability, we can unlock the full potential of AI and drive significant business value across the enterprise.

• To enable enterprise AI, we must strike a balance between innovation and control. This involves establishing robust governance frameworks, monitoring performance metrics, and continuously adapting to evolving technologies.

• The future of enterprise AI lies in its ability to augment human capabilities, not replace them. By focusing on human-centered design and ethical considerations, we can ensure that AI is used for the benefit of all.

DeepaSwamy also shares “example metrics” to enable confidence:

•  Transparency: % of explainable decisions, reduction in AI-related disputes.

•  Trustworthiness: Frequency of bias audits, stakeholder trust scores.

•  Adaptability: Time to integrate AI, reduced operational overhead.

•  Collaboration Impact: Employee training completion rates, number of feedback loops implemented.

•  Decision-Making Empowerment: Time saved, customer retention, and improved satisfaction scores.

Reflecting on the evening, speaker Desai says: “The CDO Magazine dinner event provided an intimate and engaging evening, highlighted by a thought-provoking panel discussion on cutting-edge trends in data and analytics. The combination of insightful dialogue, a warm atmosphere, and exceptional dining created a perfect setting for meaningful connections and idea sharing.”

Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales, highlights the experience: “CDO Magazine and Securiti hosted the first of many planned executive dinners in the Bay Area. A spirited panel discussion around AI investment, protocols, and organizational buy-in brought insights and advice from some top leaders. CDO Magazine looks forward to returning the City by the Bay in 2025 with more opportunities for CDOs and data leaders to network and learn.”

Summing up the event, Rehan Jalil, Securiti President & CEO, shares his takeaways:

• Enterprises have dozens to hundreds of enterprise use cases. The most baseline use case is knowledge systems for various functions. Use cases need to align with top line growth or efficiency or both. 

• Some have sprinted to adopt enterprise AI and others are gating it to align with business strategy. Ones who are able to sprint for adoption have put framework for data security and governance in place.

• Very few organizations have adopted Microsoft Copilot because of data security and data access concerns.  Organizations are putting data security frameworks in place to turn on Microsoft Copilots.

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

*Mark Clare and Harnalli DeepaSwamy are members of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board.

Executives attending the CDO Magazine San Francisco Executive Boardroom Dinner included: 

Anya A’hearn, Blue Shield of California Director, Data Visualization & Democratization; Debarag Banerjee, L&T Finance Chief AI & Data Officer; Mark Clare, Quest Diagnostics Chief Data Officer; Keyur Desai, former TD Ameritrade Chief Data Officer; Harnalli DeepaSwamy, Forge SVP, Global Head of Data, AIML & Analytics Platforms, standing Chief Data Officer, Subramanian Iyer, Albertsons Group VP, Data Science; Patrick McQuillan, Visa Sr. Director, Global Head, Data Governance & Data Lifecycle Management; Vishnu Ram Venkatraman, Credit Karma VP, Data Science & Engineering; Srujana Kaddevarmuth, Walmart Sr. Director, Artificial Intelligence Technology; Subha Parthasarathy, Kaiser Permanente Sr. Director of Engineering; Lauren Stoller, Brigit Sr. Director, Data & Analytics; Eric Andrews, Securiti VP, Marketing; Marina Cavallo, Securiti Director, Global Events; Ankur Gupta, Securiti Director, Product Marketing; Rehan Jalil, Securiti President & CEO; Steven Seadler, Securiti Regional Sales Manager; Geraldine Caveness, CDO Magazine Global Events Manager; Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine SVP, Sales; Michael Parks, CDO Magazine Global Community Director.