Speakers

Venus Williams

Tennis Legend & 7-time Grand Slam Champion

With 7 Grand Slam titles, 5 Wimbledon championships, and 4 Olympic gold medals, tennis champion Venus Williams is arguably one of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports. Beginning her rise to the top at the age of 14, Venus quickly took the world of tennis by storm, rising to the top-ranked position, breaking countless records, and winning numerous championships.

Beyond the court, Venus Williams is cultural icon, crusader of equal rights, fashion and beauty trendsetter, and a leading woman in business across various industries. In 2002, after obtaining and Interior Decorator certification, Venus founded V Starr, an award-winning full-service commercial and residential design firm. Since then, V Starr has completed an impressive list of hospitality, multi-family residential and luxury projects including renovations and new building properties throughout North America and the Caribbeans. Most recently, Venus teamed up Raffi Holzer and Edward Lando to launch Palazzo, an innovative interior design platform powered by the latest cutting-edge AI technology. Co-founding Palazzo, their primary goals were to make design accessible to everyone and to create an innovative tool that enhances efficiency and collaboration among designers.

Venus’ extensive passion, appreciation, and knowledge of art and design are integrated in each of her projects. In 2023, alongside Pace Gallery and artist Adam Pendleton, Venus co-curated an auction exhibition for the Nina Simone Preservation & Restoration Project to preserve the musical icon’s childhood home. Now this summer she has partnered with the Carnegie Museum of Art for a 6-episode podcast series titled Widening the Lens, launching June 26th. This deeply meaningful project will integrate art, the environment, and intentional storytelling. The podcast will feature artists, writers, poets, philosophers, and environmental in dialogue alongside archival audio, historical anecdotes, sonic experiences, and curatorial interviews.

Her entrepreneurship also extends in the health and wellness space, having launched her plant-based protein company Happy Viking in December 2020. Impacted by an autoimmune disease, Venus became passionate about protein-based nutrition and founded Happy Viking to create new daily superfood protein shake recipes that improve the body and mind. Up next, Venus will be releasing her new wellness book called STRIVE with Amistad and Harper Collins on September 10th, 2024. An inspiring and innovative guide towards living your best life, “STRIVE” aims to help readers achieve the lifestyle they want by implementing a set of essential principles in their lives.

Venus’ achievements throughout her legendary career have merited her a plethora of accolades, including being honored as Variety’s “Power of Women”, Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year,” CARE Impact Award for Gender Equality, ESPN’s “WTA Player of the Year,” Forbes’ “Celebrity 100”, Cultured Magazine’s “CULT 100: 100 Women Shaping Culture Today” among others.

Venus holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University East and an Associate of Science in Fashion Design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

Andy Roddick

Tennis Legend, US Open Champion & Sports Commentator

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1982, Andy Roddick has spent most of his life living in Austin, TX. His junior tennis career took him to Boca Raton before he turned professional in 2000. He won the US Open and became World No.1 in 2003, remaining in the top 10 for 10 years. Andy played in the Men’s Wimbledon Final three times in 2004, 2005 and 2009. He represented the USA in the Davis Cup Finals, winning in 2007, as well as the Olympics twice.

In 2000, Andy founded the Andy Roddick Foundation, situated in Austin, TX. The mission of ARF is to serve underprivileged children and the community in Austin, TX by expanding opportunities for young people to learn, thrive and succeed. ARF does this by partnering with Austin Independent School District (AISD) and external organizations to provide afterschool programming at our partner elementary schools. ARF has served more than 115,000 youth since 2012, and in the past 20 years, has invested more than $30 million across Central Texas to transform the lives of children, their families and their communities. ARF was awarded the National Summer Learning Association’s New York Life Foundation Excellence in Summer Learning Award in 2019 and the 2017 E3 Alliance Architect of Change Award Winner. Andy was recognized in 2005 for his community involvement with the prestigious Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, and again in 2007 with the Arthur Ashe Leadership Award by the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.

In addition to his work with ARF, Andy is an avid investor. He has invested in several private enterprises such as Tiffs Treats, Travis Mathew Apparel (exited), Sourced Craft Cocktails, Intown Golf, Wheels Up (exited and Austin Baby Company to name a few. Andy is also the co-founder of the Sweetens Cove Spirits Company, View-Fi and additionally, is the CEO of Roddimeyer III which holds a commercial real estate portfolio currently valued at in excess of $100m. In early 2024 Andy founded Served Media and hosts what is currently the no.1 tennis podcast in the world.

Nandita Bakhshi

Board Member, BMO, Beyond Meat & Quaker Houghton

Nandita Bakhshi is Special Advisor on Integration, BMO Bank N.A. Ms. Bakhshi was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the West and co-Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas USA, Inc.

Professor Amy C. Edmondson

Novartis Professor of Leadership & Management, Harvard Business School

Professor Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.

Prof. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017.  She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Her 2019 book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley), has been translated into 15 languages. Her prior books – Teaming: How organizations learn, innovate and compete in the knowledge economy (Jossey-Bass, 2012), Teaming to Innovate (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Extreme Teaming (Emerald, 2017) – explore teamwork in dynamic organizational environments. In Building the future: Big teaming for audacious innovation (Berrett-Koehler, 2016), she examines the challenges and opportunities of teaming across industries to build smart cities. 

Prof. Edmondson’s latest book, Right Kind of Wrong (Atria), builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing, and practicing the science of failing well. First published in the US and the UK in September, 2023, the book is due to be translated into 15 additional languages, and was selected for the Financial Times and Schroders Best Business Book of the Year award.

Before her academic career, she was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked on transformational change in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and her book A Fuller Explanation: The Synergetic Geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller (Birkauser Boston, 1987) clarifies Fuller's mathematical contributions for a non-technical audience. Prof. Edmondson received her PhD in organizational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design from Harvard University.

Dr. Erik Brynjolfsson

Jerry Yang & Akiko Yamazaki Professor & Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) & Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab

Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson is a Professor at Stanford and the Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab at the Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI). He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and holds appointments at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Department of Economics. Prof. Brynjolfsson is one of most widely-cited researchers studying the digital economy and co-author of five books including The Second Machine Age.

Chadi Habib

CTO & Head of Business Solutions, WSP

Chadi Habib was appointed as WSP’s Chief Technology Officer and Head of Business Solutions in July 2022. He has garnered over 25 years of international experience as a senior technology and business transformation executive through his previous roles at CGI, Desjardins Group, and Rio Tinto Engineered Products. Mr. Habib holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. In addition to serving on several boards, Mr. Habib shares his expertise in technology as a public speaker and advisor. He is also involved in several initiatives focused on women and diversity in technology.

Andy Nallappan

Chief Operations Officer & Chief Information Security Officer, Cloud Software Group

Andy Nallappan is the EVP of Operations and the Chief

Information Security Officer of Cloud Software Group. He is

responsible for tools, processes and security across all

corporate functions and software assets for the company.

Previously, Andy served as the CIO, Chief Technology Officer,

Chief Security Officer, and Head of Software Engineering and

Operations for Broadcom. He has more than 30 years of

experience in IT, software development, security and program

management across the Fortune 500, public sectors and

privately-owned companies.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from

the University of Madras, and a master’s degree in

manufacturing engineering from the University of Texas at El

Paso.

Amir R. Ghavi

Partner, Intellectual Property and Technology, Fried Frank

Amir R. Ghavi is a NYC-based partner at Fried Frank, a global law firm. Leading the firm’s tech practice, Amir serves as outside counsel for leading foundation model developers (including defending in copyright/AI litigations); advises Fortune 500s on AI use and governance; and shapes governmental AI policies and frameworks. Bolstered by a background in neuroscience and philosophy, Amir frequently speaks on AI's vast landscape, educates peers, and collaborates with academia and industry. He’s been a resource on AI for major publications like the Wall St. Journal, New York Times and Scientific American and lectures at institutions like Cornell Tech and MIT Sloan on AI and the law. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the open source social networking company Mastodon.

Amy Nordrum

Executive Editor, MIT Technology Review

Amy Nordrum is an executive editor at MIT Technology Review. Amy oversees the publication’s annual lists of 10 Breakthrough Technologies, 35 Innovators Under 35, and 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch. She joined the staff as a commissioning editor in July 2020. Amy previously worked as news manager for IEEE Spectrum. For six years, she was a regular contributor to the popular radio show Science Friday. Amy has a master’s degree in Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting from New York University and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Beth Johnson

Vice Chair, Chief Experience Officer, Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Beth Johnson is Vice Chair, Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Johnson leads an organization focused on building the capabilities to deliver excellent experiences for our customers in a rapidly changing banking environment including working to enact sustainable and systemic change leading the company’s ESG efforts. Specific areas of responsibility include digital design, data &analytics, marketing & communications, enterprise payments strategy & infrastructure, and the company’s firm-wide Agile transformation effort. In addition, Johnson is responsible for ESG and the company’s overall commitment to the communities it serves. This includes over $5 billion in loans for home purchases and home refinances for low-to-moderate income borrowers and small businesses with sales under $1 million. She also oversees financial support from Citizens and the Citizens Charitable Foundation to support deserving programs and non-profit organizations as well as over $1 billion in equity and loan commitments to community development initiatives. Johnson previously served as chief marketing officer and head of virtual channels, responsible for corporate-wide marketing activities and for advancing Consumer Banking growth and profitability by leading and aligning the businesses’ strategy, brand, digital, and contact center teams. She joined Citizens in October 2013 as head of Corporate Strategy. Prior to joining Citizens in 2013, Johnson was a senior leader at Bain and Company. She served as a partner and leader of its customer strategy and marketing practice, specializing in financial services. She regularly co-authored Bain’s annual Customer Loyalty in Banking study. Johnson also held roles at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, where she focused on fixed income and derivatives products for commercial banking clients as well as risk management. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Daniela Proust

SVP, Head of People & Organization, Siemens USA

Daniela Proust, Head of People & Organization for Siemens in the United States, is a strategic leader responsible for driving business success through the design and execution of Siemens’ workforce strategy.

A curious learner with a passion for people, sustainability and transformation, Daniela, in her most recent role as SVP, Head of Global Learning and Growth in Munich, Germany, helped in reinventing and fostering learning and development experiences for all Siemens employees across the globe.

Throughout her career, Daniela has leveraged her experience and insights to build strong relationships with internal and external key stakeholders to drive change, lead sustainable workforce transformation and ecosystem development and contribute to creating and implementing successful organizational development strategies.

Prior to joining Siemens in 2008, Daniela worked for Deutsche Telekom and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Professor Garud Iyengar

Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute, Columbia University

Professor Garud Iyengar is the Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute (DSI) and a Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia Engineering. As the Avanessians Director of DSI, he leads education and research initiatives for Columbia’s central hub of data science scholarship with more than 400 affiliated faculty. He also co-leads the University’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative in partnership with Jeannette Wing, the Executive Vice President for Research, and Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

His research interests are broadly in the areas of control, machine learning, and optimization. His current projects focus on the areas of large-scale power systems and supply chains, causal inference, large scale game solving, and modeling of cellular processes. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, and the Department of Energy, among others. He is the author of over 90 publications and chapters, holds two patents, was an Amazon Scholar from 2019-2024, and was elected an INFORMS Fellow in 2018.

Prof. Iyengar, who has been on the faculty since 1998, has held a range of academic leadership roles. He was Columbia Engineering’s Senior Vice for Dean of Research and Academic Programs from 2021-2024, and Chair of the Industrial Engineering and Operations Research department from 2013-2019. At DSI, where he has been deeply involved since the institute’s 2012 founding, he was Associate Director for Research from 2017-19 and also played a critical role in shaping important programs like the DSI Seed Funds Initiative and the Postdoctoral Scholars Program.

Prof. Iyengar received a BTech in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1993 and a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1998.

Gayatri Narayan

SVP, Digital Products & Applications, PepsiCo

Gayatri Narayan is the Senior Vice President of Digital Products and Applications at PepsiCo leading Global Digital Transformation across PepsiCo’s value chain driving profitable growth and operational efficiencies through digitalization of PepsiCo’s supply chain, logistics, revenue and sales strategy. Gayatri leads a cross functional organization across Software Engineering, Product Management and Business Development to develop, launch and operate digital solutions empowering PepsiCo’s digitalization. Gayatri professional experience covers Enterprise Software as a Service, eCommerce, Supply Chain Logistics, Media and Entertainment, and FinTech leading Product, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Marketing and Business Development. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Gayatri was a General Manager at Microsoft leading SaaS and PaaS products across Office and Business Application Groups. Gayatri has held General Manager positions at Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Sears Holdings, and Thomson Reuters. Originally from India, Gayatri has a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Outside of work she enjoys cooking, traveling, the outdoors and supporting community efforts focused on education and sustainability.

Jamie Mitcheson

CIO, Citizens Financial Group

Jamie Mitcheson is the CIO for Citizens Financial Group.

Citizens is one of the nation's oldest and largest financial institutions and offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions.

Prior to joining Citizens, Jamie held technology leadership roles at CVS Health and State Street Corporation. Jamie has Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Babson College.

JoAnn Stonier

Mastercard Fellow, Data and AI, Mastercard

JoAnn C. Stonier is a Mastercard Fellow for her expertise in data and AI, focusing on driving thought leadership and external engagement across academia and government and with regulators and other stakeholders, and acting as a trusted advisor across Mastercard in her subject matter expertise.

JoAnn formerly served as Mastercard’s first chief data officer, leading enterprise-wide data strategy and management to ensure Mastercard maximizes the value of its information assets. Previously, JoAnn was the chief information governance & privacy officer for the organization. In that role she was responsible for worldwide privacy and information governance, leading those teams as well as leading regulatory engagement in this area. Prior to joining Mastercard in 2008, JoAnn was the chief privacy officer for American Express Company. She also held various roles of increasing responsibility at American Express, including chief operating officer, American Express Tax & Business Services; vice president, Acquisition Integration; and vice president and assistant to the chairman. JoAnn has worked at Waldenbooks, Inc., and PepsiCo and started her career as an auditor for PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

In addition to her work at Mastercard, JoAnn is an adjunct professor at Pratt Institute, where she teaches business strategy and international business in the Design Management master’s program.

JoAnn received her Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University in Queens, and her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis College. She holds memberships in the Bar of the State of New York and the Bar of the State of New Jersey. JoAnn has been recognized as a leader in data and privacy by several organizations, including the Aspen Institute, the United Nations, and the Information Governance Initiative, and has served on the board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, the Center for Information Policy Leadership, and the Information Accountability Foundation. She is a well-regarded speaker at industry events and often addresses the need for balancing data innovation and privacy. JoAnn is based in Purchase, N.Y.

John F. Schultz

Chief Operating & Legal Officer, Operations, Legal and Administrative Affairs, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

John Schultz serves as Chief Operating and Legal Officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). He heads the Operations, Legal and Administrative Affairs (OLAA) organization, overseeing several critical business functions, including Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Global Information Technology, Global Workplace, Corporate Affairs, eCommerce, Cybersecurity & Digital Risk Management and the Integration Office supporting HPE’s planned acquisition of Juniper Networks.

John is the most tenured leader of HPE’s executive team, having served in multiple leadership roles at HPE and Hewlett Packard Co. (HP) over the last 15 years. Under his guidance, HPE has bolstered its dedication to upholding human rights and adopting industry-leading policies for tackling modern slavery throughout the supply chain. HPE recently ranked first among all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies assessed by the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. John also founded the company’s global pro-bono program, which has inspired HP and HPE attorneys in 35+ countries to dedicate thousands of hours annually to assisting those with limited access to justice. Before joining HP in 2008, Schultz was a partner in the litigation practice of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. He currently serves on the boards of Columbia Banking System, the Anti-Slavery Collective, the Children’s Beach House and chairs the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Corporate Advisory Council.

John holds a bachelor’s degree from Albright College and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Mitchell Gunnels

AVP Technology, AT&T

Mitch oversees the technology transformation, automation, and tooling for AT&T’s mobility and fiber networks (intelligent forecasting, planning, design, engineering, and construction). He is passionate and committed to driving business growth while delivering significant value for our customers. Under his leadership, his teams focus on delivering consistent world-class service, reliability, and value for AT&T’s wireless and fiber customers across the country.

Prior to leading the planning, engineering, and construction technology organization, Mitch has a long history as a software engineer and architect. He is a highly articulate, confident, and persuasive leader with the ability to motivate teams to achieve exceptional business outcomes. He possesses 20+ years of leadership experience with a proven track record in delivering next-generation applications and system architectures.

He is passionate about youth development and programs that take innovative approaches to growing emerging leaders. He serves his community as a wrestling coach and Junior Achievement volunteer.

A proud resident of Atlanta, Mitch spends his time outside the office with his wife and two children.

Rima Olinger

Director, Consulting Partners, AWS

As United States Director for AWS Consulting Partners, Rima Olinger oversees a broad portfolio including System Integrators, Global System Integrators, and Business Consulting Application Providers. In this critical leadership role, she heads an organization responsible for developing and expanding AWS' consulting partner ecosystem.

Rima brings a wealth of experience to AWS. Most recently, she served as North Americas Lead for Amazon Web Services Partner Development where she was instrumental in growing AWS partnerships. Prior to joining AWS, Rima held the role of Global Vice President of Distribution and Mid-Market for Avaya. There, she successfully optimized Avaya's global distribution strategy and laid the groundwork to transform the company into a software vendor.

Recognized as one of the most influential women in the IT channel, Rima has made significant contributions and impact throughout her career. She previously led VMware's entire US solution provider organization for 8 years. During her tenure, she received accolades such as the prestigious EPIC2 award for excellence in Execution, Passion, Integrity, Customer service, and Community engagement.

Earlier in her career, Rima gained valuable global experience holding various leadership and international positions with Sun Microsystems and Ingram Micro. She holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Management from the University of La Verne and a BA in Political Science and Public Administration from the American University of Beirut. An engaging speaker, Rima is regularly invited to present on technology leadership. She also remains an active contributor to community initiatives.

Rita Patel

VP, IT Customer Experience Technologies, Prologis, Inc

Rita Patel is a dynamic and visionary leader serving as the Vice President of Customer Experience Technologies at Prologis, Inc. With a keen focus on defining and advancing the digital technology vision, Rita plays a crucial role in fostering meaningful relationships with customers, brokers, and investors, ensuring an optimal and seamless experience. Her strategic direction has been instrumental in enhancing digital interactions and experiences.

Rita's career trajectory is marked by significant achievements, with over 20 years of global experience, she is a highly regarded thought leader in delivering impactful business solutions. Her extensive expertise covers diverse areas, including Digital, eCommerce, Loyalty, Marketing, Enterprise Data Warehouse/BI, Human Capital Management, Corporate Services, and Pharmacy.

Known for her exceptional leadership skills, Rita excels in building and managing motivated, geographically dispersed teams. She is dedicated to growing talent, improving processes, and implementing competitive technologies. Rita has successfully delivered high-profile, company-wide initiatives that have significantly enhanced revenue and earnings.

Respected both within her organization and across the industry, Rita has led Prologis through its digital transformation journey, making a significant impact through the creative use of digital solutions. Her ability to lead major transformations and drive innovation has set her apart as a leader who not only envisions the future but also executes strategies that bring substantial value and advancement.

Trey Keisler

CIO, Power, GE Vernova

Trey Keisler began his current role as CIO for Power in 2022 to lead the overall digital and IT operations across the Gas Business unit within GE Vernova. He is responsible for transforming IT to be the best run Industrial IT organization to free up capital and enable capacity to work on the most impactful business initiatives: Safety, Quality, On-time Delivery, Inventory, and business productivity.

In 2001 he joined GE Power Systems in Greenville, SC where he had roles supporting engineering and supply chain functions. Keisler moved to Salem, VA in 2005 as the overall IT Leader for the Controls COE in GE Energy and was responsible for IT leadership across Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance.

In 2007 Trey moved to Cincinnati, OH to take the IT leadership position for the Planning, Scheduling, and Logistics where he was responsible for all systems supporting material planning and fulfillment across GE Aviation’s supply chain. At the end of 2008 he returned to GE Energy in Greenville, SC to lead the effort to replace the core MRP system that supports OTR processes in Power & Water for the Wind product lines in North America.

Trey transitioned to Atlanta, GA in 2011 to take the Field Services CIO role within Power Generation Services (PGS) to lead IT programs and contemporary technology to drive fulfillment and integration efforts across Power Services Global Operations. He took additional responsibility to initiate the Field Force Automation strategy across GE.

In 2018 Trey was promoted to the CIO, Supply Chain & Enterprise Systems, in 2018 within GE Power to lead the digital efforts supporting the business-wide supply chain, ERP, and Data Science transformation. He was responsible for working to consolidate, optimize and digitize our Supply Chain footprint in the areas of Lean Manufacturing, Sales & Operations Planning, Materials Management, Procurement, Logistics, Quality, and EHS.

Trey grew up in Columbia, SC and went on to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. He graduated with a BS degree in Computer Science in 1998. Following college he went to work for PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a Management Consultant.

In his spare time, Trey enjoys playing golf, tennis, following his kid’s sports, and traveling. He is actively involved in the community serving on the Executive Advisory Board for Atlanta Technology Professionals, Board of Ambassadors for the American Cancer Society, and Executive Ambassador for TechBridge.

Vijay Alagarasan

VP of Digital & Customer Facing Engineering, Tractor Supply

Vijay Alagarasan is the Vice President of Digital and Customer Facing Engineering at Tractor Supply Company. With a strong background in digital engineering and technology management, Vijay leads initiatives to enhance customer experiences through innovative technology solutions. Prior to joining Tractor Supply, he held key positions at Williams-Sonoma, Asurion, Wells Fargo, Cognizant, and the Airports Authority of India. Based in the Nashville Metropolitan Area, Vijay is dedicated to driving digital transformation and customer engagement.

Salil Parekh

CEO & MD, Infosys

Salil Parekh, as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, sets and evolves the strategic direction for the company and its portfolio of offerings, while nurturing a strong leadership team to drive its execution. Salil has nearly three decades of global experience in the IT services industry with a strong track record of driving digital transformation for enterprises, executing business turnarounds and managing successful acquisitions. He is a member of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Salil topped the IT services ranking in Brand Finance's Brand Guardianship Index (BGI) 2024 for the role of CEO as brand custodian and steward of long-term shareholder value.

Anand Swaminathan

EVP & Global Industry Leader, CMT, Infosys

Anand Swaminathan is the Executive Vice President and the Global Industry leader of Infosys Communications, Media and Technology business group that serves clients in Communications, OEMs, Semiconductors, and Cloud and Enterprise software. Anand’s additional responsibilities include leading the partner eco system and alliance’s function and supporting the Infosys foundation USA as a Trustee. Anand is responsible for the global P & L and leads the strategy and execution of these industries across global markets. He leads the development of many of Infosys’ strategic and large clients and partners. Since joining Infosys in 1999, Anand has been responsible for incubating and building the Infosys data science and analytics practice, as well as both launching and expanding the partner and alliance eco system, while also leading some of the firm’s most complex and large-scale systems integration work for global clients. Having seen the world with a global role, but having equally spent much time in the USA in his career, Anand is keen to see the impact of the Infosys Foundation USA deepen as we work to bring digital skills to the wider community so that industry benefits from a wide talent pool of tech-savvy future leaders. Anand has a MS in Information Systems from BITS Pilani in India, is a member of the Institute of Cost and a Management Accountants of India, and Institute of Company Secretary of India. In addition to serving as a Trustee to the Foundation, he is a board member of WONGDOODY, the digital experience company owned 100 percent by Infosys. Anand is a golfer, and resides in Seattle, WA with his family.

Anant Adya

EVP, Service Offering Head, CIS & Head - Americas Delivery, Infosys

Anant Adya is the Executive Vice President and Service Offering Head - Cloud, Infrastructure, and Security Services and Head – Americas Delivery. With a strong commitment to advancing cloud solutions, Anant leads a dynamic team dedicated to empowering customer journeys. Anant also oversees Infosys Cobalt, an innovative suite of solutions, platforms, and services to guide enterprises through AI-powered digital transformation. He focuses on revolutionizing industry-specific cloud solutions and pioneering cutting-edge applications for pivotal technologies, including cloud computing, AI, data analytics, edge computing, IoT, and 5G. Anant collaborates closely with enterprises to help them achieve their desired business outcomes.

Ashiss Dash

EVP, Global Head, SURE, Infosys

Ashiss Kumar Dash is the Global Head of Services, Utilities, Resources, and Energy industries at Infosys. Dash, as he is popularly called, leads a highly driven team of client services professionals and technologists focused on creating leading-edge capabilities to help clients navigate their digital journey. In his role, Dash is responsible for the growth of this amalgamation of verticals, from setting strategic direction, driving financial and operational excellence, to accelerating revenue momentum. Dash has over two decades of industry experience and the last decade has enabled him to build deep expertise, lead business strategy and consolidate client services for the Resources (Chemicals, Metals, Mining, and Agribusiness) and Utilities (Electric, Gas, Water) sectors.

Balakrishna D.R

EVP, Global Services Head, AI and Industry Verticals, Infosys

Balakrishna D.R., popularly known as Bali, is an Executive Vice President at Infosys and leads the Industry Verticals and AI and Automation practice globally. Bali has a P&L accountability for a $3 Billion portfolio and is responsible for new service offerings, solutions, platforms, and partnerships. He also drives the adoption of AI and automation in all service offerings and internal functions within Infosys to improve efficiency and drive differentiation.

Bali has worked with Infosys for nearly 30 years in sales, program management, and delivery roles across different geographies and industry verticals. In previous roles, he led ADM, SAP, and Testing service lines and was the head of the Bangalore development center. He was based out of North America for eight years in the US and Canada and set up Infosys' first Global Development Center in Canada. He has managed several large programs for Infosys for different Fortune 500 clients.

He is a member and speaks at multiple industry forums and panels, such as NASSCOM, CII, SPE, TM Forum, British High Commission-UK-India Tech Team, and AI Governance in India. He works with multiple universities and startups and has written several thought leadership papers and articles on AI.

Dennis Gada

EVP, Global Head, FS, Infosys

Dennis Gada is the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking & Financial Services at Infosys. He leads the largest business unit within Infosys along with his Global Financial Services Executive Leadership team. He is a Board Member of EdgeVerve Systems Limited, a Products and Platform subsidiary of Infosys and Infosys Compaz Pte. Ltd (iCompaz) a Joint Venture between Infosys Limited and Temasek Holdings. In his current role, Dennis is responsible for strategic direction, growth, operational excellence, and all commercial and fiscal management of the Global Banking & Financial Services business. With more than two decades of professional experience living and working across APAC, Europe, and the US, Dennis currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his family.

Dinesh Rao

EVP, Co-Head, Delivery, Infosys

Dinesh Rao has over three decades of experience in the IT services industry where he has played diverse roles heading Global Delivery across several IT services offerings and industry verticals at Infosys with a strong track record of driving digital transformation for enterprises.

Dinesh Rao as Co-Head of Delivery, sets and evolves the strategic direction for the portfolio of offerings, while nurturing a strong leadership team to drive its execution.

He currently heads Infosys’ service offerings - Enterprise Application Services, Infosys Quality Engineering, Consulting Services, Engineering Services and Strategic Technology Group for IT services delivery across global clients. Additionally, Dinesh holds the geography responsibility of Global Delivery for EMEA, APAC and AnZ

Under Dinesh’s leadership Infosys won many awards demonstrating great customer success and business growth with clients, analysts, and partners. He has successfully led M&A effort for Infosys cutting across geographies to strengthen the offerings and global expertise.

Dinesh Rao is on the board of Fluido, Simplus, Panaya, Base life science, Kaleidoscope, Infosys Consulting and InSemi, wholly owned subsidiaries of Infosys.

Dinesh Rao is also an active member of several non-profit organisations. He is the founder and managing trustee of “UDAYA”, the social support organisation which is actively involved in the field of education for under privileged & orphan children.

Dinesh is also a member of the representative council of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and member of the Confederation of Indian Industries’ (CII) National Committee.

Inderpreet Sawhney

Group General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Infosys

Inderpreet is the Group General Counsel and the Chief Compliance Officer of Infosys. In this role she leads the legal and compliance function for the Company. She is a strategic business partner ensuring success for Infosys in legal and regulatory matters, while spearheading its compliance and ethics program. Inderpreet also has additional responsibility for Privacy and Data Protection at Infosys

Jasmeet Singh

EVP, Global Head, MFG, Infosys

Jasmeet is Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing at Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Jasmeet is responsible for overseeing and growing client relationships in the Automotive, Aerospace, Defense and Industrial Manufacturing sectors. Jasmeet is also on the Board of Fluido, a Finland based digital transformation leader and Salesforce platinum consulting partner that became part of the Infosys family in October 2018.

Mayank Ranjan

SVP & Regional Head, Americas, Consumer, Retail and Logistics, Infosys

Mayank Ranjan is the US Midwest regional head responsible for consumer-packaged goods and retail at Infosys. He has been in the industry for over 28 years, of which 24 years have been with Infosys. He is a founding member of the Infosys CPG and Retail business and has been part of the entire software value chain.

Mayank leads our relationship with key global CPG and retail clients, supporting them in their transformation journeys. Mayank has partnered closely with CPG and Retail clients in their digital commerce and digital marketing initiatives.

Rafee Tarafdar

EVP & CTO, Infosys

Rafee is Infosys’s Chief Technology Officer. He is responsible for the technology vision and strategy, sensing & scaling emerging technologies, advising and partnering with clients to help them succeed in their transformation journey and building high technology talent density. He also leads the technology strategy for all the platforms.

At Infosys, he founded and scaled from zero, a new business capability unit - Strategic Technology Group. It’s a 3000+ global team of passionate technology leaders, full stack architects and power programmers working on the most complex and advanced digital, cloud and AI programs for G2000 enterprise clients of Infosys and Infosys platforms.

Under the visionary leadership of Nandan Nilekani (co-founder and chairman of Infosys), he led Infosys’s own transformation to be a digital native and become a Live Enterprise. He is now helping Infosys leapfrog to be an AI First company with a goal of amplifying human potential, unlocking value and creating exponential impact.

Rafee has led and rolled out complex, population scale (100M+ users), resilient digital platforms and has led several large scale & complex transformation programs.

He is the co-author of “The Live Enterprise” book, co-author of a HBR paper on “Micro changes for Large Scale Transformation” and presented and published several technology papers. He is recognized as a top 50 technology leader in Forbes CIO Next List 2023 and Top 25 Tech Wavemaker by Entrepreneur India magazine in 2024.

Satish HC

EVP, Co-Head, Delivery, Infosys

Satish H.C. is Executive vice president and Co-head of Delivery at Infosys. He has been a pivotal part of the organization for three decades; during which he has played diverse and global leadership roles for Data & AI, Digital Business units; delivery for manufacturing, healthcare & life sciences, financial services; leading Internal Board of key Infosys acquisitions and several councils running day-to-day operations at Infosys. He has been part of the IT industry since its early days and is one of the pioneers who turned the vision of a global delivery model into a success story and staying relevant & adapting over decades. In his relentless pursuit of Infosys staying ahead of the curve, Satish has been instrumental in carving out a differentiated positioning for Infosys through service innovations and partnering with CXOs of Global 2000 Enterprises.

Satish has championed many firsts at Infosys like Winning large deals; Building Industry first & largest Financial services relationship, Top 5 Infosys relationships; Scaling China for global delivery; LATAM for nearshore delivery; innovative GIC partnership models. Satish has spearheaded several thought leadership and innovative pivots like Data economy in Digital Era ; Digital Services model for Digital Era to unlock new opportunities for Infosys. He is deeply involved in several organizational transformation initiatives and core business operations.

Satish has received multiple awards for his contributions to the organization’s leadership, service delivery excellence, and nurturing strategic relationships for Infosys. Outside Infosys, Satish is also a member of the NASSCOM Executive council which oversees the strategies and priorities for the tech services industry in India.

Satish has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the prestigious University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore. He also holds the executive education certification on Infosys Global Leadership Program in collaboration with Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Sumit Virmani

EVP & CMO, Infosys

Sumit heads marketing at Infosys and is responsible for realizing Infosys’ brand ambitions globally. A transformative marketing leader, Sumit has significant experience shaping the brand narrative and experience across geographies. He joined Infosys in 2004 and has since held multiple strategic positions including head of Infosys products & platforms marketing as well as the global head of corporate marketing. He champions marketing effectiveness and enjoys the challenge of building strong connects between marketing metrics and business outcomes. Sumit comes with over 20 years of experience in international marketing. Prior to joining Infosys, he has worked with Polaris Software and the Tata Group where he acquired his specialist skills in brand development, marketing communications and demand generation. Forbes has ranked Sumit among the top 50 most influential CMOs in 2023. He is on the steering committees of The Drum, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and the Association of National Advertisers. Sumit is also Trustee, Infosys Foundation and serves on the Board of WongDoody – Infosys’ experience design company.

Sunil Senan

SVP & Business Head, Data & Analytics, Infosys

Sunil Senan is Senior Vice President responsible for the Data & Analytics service line at Infosys. In this role, he works closely with Infosys’s strategic clients on their data & analytics led digital transformation initiatives. He is passionate about how data & analytics is creating economic impact in the society and how enterprises and governments can engage in driving this transformation. He has written the “Data economy in Digital times” paper articulating how the new data economy presents a set of new possibilities for enterprises, governments to serve their citizens and consumers.

In his 25+ years of professional experience, he has worked with many CXOs/CDOs/CAOs in fortune-500 companies in their Enterprise Solutions, Data/Insights and Digital transformation journeys.

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree with a specialization in Computer Science and has completed his Master’s in Business Administration (Executive-MBA) from prestigious Indian Institute of Management, (IIM) Bangalore. Sunil has authored several thought leadership articles that have been published in Industry journals like CIO.com, Forbes online, Changeboard.com, DataQuest etc.

Amy McWhirter

Master Of Ceremonies

With poise, polish and passion, Amy McWhirter’s knowledge and experience in data and IT runs deep. With a technological background including a B.S. in Biopsychology, Amy has hosted IT conferences and trade shows held by many of the world’s most innovative and prestigious companies including Microsoft, ServiceNow and IFS.

Combining an insider’s understanding and passion for technology with extensive experience in broadcasting, Amy helps audiences get to the heart of every product and service, making sure messages are loud, clear and compelling.

Amy’s warmly energetic, engaging and natural approach connects with audiences and encourages everyone to make the most of their event experience.