CDO Magazine proudly presents the inaugural Top 25 Boston Data & AI Leaders 2026, recognizing executives driving enterprise impact through data, analytics and AI across some of the world’s most influential organizations.

Long recognized as a global center for innovation, scientific discovery and business leadership, Greater Boston has deep strengths in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, technology and research. Today, that legacy is being accelerated by data and AI as organizations embed these capabilities into how they innovate, operate, make decisions and create value.

Across the region, leaders are moving AI beyond experimentation, building the data foundations required to scale it, and translating rapidly advancing technology into meaningful enterprise outcomes.

Leadership at Enterprise Scale

The honorees reflect both the scale and breadth of that leadership. Together, their organizations represent nearly $1.1 trillion in annual revenue, including 15 Fortune 500 or Global 500 companies, spanning financial services and insurance, healthcare and life sciences, consumer and retail businesses, industrial enterprises and critical infrastructure.

But scale tells only part of the story.

Their roles illustrate how rapidly enterprise data and AI leadership is evolving. The inaugural list brings together Chief Data Officers, Chief Data & AI Officers, Chief Data & Analytics Officers, CIOs, AI executives and senior leaders responsible for enterprise data strategy, data science and analytics, AI innovation, governance, platforms, engineering and digital transformation.

Across these roles, the honorees are scaling AI and GenAI, modernizing data foundations, operationalizing machine learning, strengthening governance and responsible AI, and translating data and AI capabilities into measurable business outcomes.

“The Top 25 Boston Data & AI Leaders demonstrate the breadth of leadership required to turn data and AI into meaningful enterprise impact,” says Corey Maxner, Sr. Director of Community & Operations at CDO Magazine. “These executives are building the strategies, foundations and capabilities needed to scale AI responsibly, while translating innovation into measurable value for their organizations, customers and communities.”

Celebrating Boston’s Data & AI Leaders

The Top 25 Boston Data & AI Leaders 2026 will be honored during an exclusive awards presentation at the CDO Magazine Boston Leadership Summit on December 10 at The Westin Boston Seaport District, where senior data, analytics and AI executives will gather for peer connection and forward-looking conversations on the future of enterprise data and AI leadership.