Harness the Power of AI

Matt Fornito is founder and CAIO at the AI Advisory Group. Formerly a CDO, Head of AI, and Data Scientist, Matt has spent two decades as a catalyst for transformative change, combining his fervor for the confluence of psychology, technology, and AI to empower and educate. At the heart of his work is a relentless drive to unlock the AI potential within organizations and individuals alike. As a consultant for over a decade, he not only built two firms’ AI practices from scratch – one winning NVIDIA’s Partner of the Year Award (and acted as NVIDIA Partner Chair), he has served some of the leading Fortune 500 companies helping them accelerate their AI journey through strategic roadmaps leading to tangible, business outcomes. He has been entrusted with billions in spend and produced $100s of million in revenue. Three decades on stage with the past decade as a keynote speaker, Matt combines theory, practicality, and storytelling to engage tens of thousands of people and inspire about the future potential of AI. His evangelism and thought leadership have been seen at CIO/CDO Roundtables, Evanta events, various podcasts, and news outlets including CIO and CDO Magazine.

Wendy is a distinguished Advisory CDO/CDAO, renowned for spearheading transformative data and analytics strategies across the finance, healthcare, commercial, and biotech sectors. With a track record spanning over 15 years, she excels in facilitating enterprise-level transformations, leveraging deep regulatory insights to drive growth and innovation in both regulated and commercial markets. Her strategic partnerships with industry giants such as the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Wells Fargo, and CSL Behring highlight her exceptional ability to deliver impactful outcomes by adeptly navigating complex compliance landscapes.Possessing a solid academic foundation with a Bachelor's in Economics, and dual Master's degrees in Accounting and Business Analytics, Wendy's strategic acumen and analytical prowess have established her as a thought leader in the field. Her success in leveraging analytics to enhance regulatory compliance and operational efficiency has set organizations on a path of enduring strategic success. Trusted by C-suite executives and valued for her visionary approach, Wendy's leadership not only fosters organizational resilience but also ensures scalable success through the alignment of business objectives with robust technical solutions, positioning her as an invaluable asset to any forward-thinking organization.

Sham is a senior leader and experienced Chief Data and Analytics Officer with two decades of steering data and AI strategy at tech powerhouses like Meta/Facebook, Intel, Cisco as well as small and medium sized organization like VMWare, McAfee, Amplitude and DataStax.Sham has successfully led initiatives integrating AI and data to drive strategic growth customer experience and democratize data by leveraging technologies and building data communities.Sham is recognized for his adeptness in fostering data-driven cultures and adeptly managing the complexities of data governance, all while championing the ethical use of AI. His inclusive approach to leadership and commitment to nurturing talent have been instrumental in building high-performance teams. As a speaker and governing member in the AI and data community, Sham remains at the forefront of industry innovation, sharing valuable insights and trends.

Jordan Plawner is an AI Product Management Executive known for his expertise in crafting visionary strategies, recruiting and cultivating top-tier entrepreneurial AI teams, orchestrating intricate roadmaps and crafting dynamic go-to-market plans. During his tenure as Intel’s Global Executive Director of AI Product Management and Strategy, Jordan led the business and engineering team in close collaboration with leading cloud, OEM and software IT providers to conceptualize and launch six generations of full stack AI products and build a $3 billion annual business. This includes complex multi-party partnerships such as the VMware - Intel Private AI launch. His role extended beyond product development, as he actively engaged with clients to provide foundational AI education, identify pertinent use cases, and meticulously.assess AI workload and infrastructure requirements, resulting in accelerated time-to-solution. With a master's degree in international business and technology management and three decades of experience as an IT product management executive and AI evangelist, Jordan is widely acknowledged as an authority in aligning new technologies and market demands with organizational and cultural transformations.Jordan is prominently known for his role as an AI Evangelist, adept at translating complex technological concepts into easily understandable narratives. His thought leadership has garnered significant attention, including notable features in media outlets such as CNN and Time Magazine.As a leading AI Product Executive and visionary leader, Jordan is equipped to serve as Chief Product Officer or Product Advisor, leveraging a people-first approach and the ‘start with WHY’ framework to build cohesive teams and foster long-term alignment towards organizational goals.

Gary Cao is an Advisory CDAO specializing in designing and implementing of data and analytics (AI) strategies, with a focus on identifying use cases to deliver specific ROI within a timeframe.Gary has been a serial founder of internal data and analytics startups at 8 companies across industries in the past 26 years, including Cardinal Health, Chase, Equifax, Anthem, US Venture, and Akron Children’s Hospital. He has closely collaborated with business unit executives to deliver 4-8 times of return on investment from key project portfolios.With Master of Science in Engineering from University of Pennsylvania, MBA from Tulane University, MA Economics from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and BA Economics from Peking University, Gary is widely regarded as a leading expert by C-suite leaders and his peer CDAOs.His articles have been featured in CDO Magazine and India Analytics Magazine; he has been a frequent expert speaker and panelist at International Institute of Analytics (IIA) and multiple podcasts.As a leading practitioner-expert on analytics transformation, Gary can help any CEO, board member, CFO, COO, and CIO with questions on how to initiate or scale up analytics and AI capabilities, with his systemic approach focused on value delivery timeline.

Lashaw is a skilled technologist with experience across the full lifecycle of software implementation, he can guide businesses in adopting the right tools and processes to modernize operations and foster data-driven decision making. Over his 8+ year career, he has worked with financial services organizations like American Trust, Megastar Financial, Freddie Mac, and Morgan Stanley in roles spanning software engineering, business intelligence, and business analysis. With a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Goucher College. He has a proven ability leading teams to develop software solutions, integrate systems during M&A activities, automate processes, and deliver data-driven insights to leadership. He has a passion for leveraging technology to solve business challenges and optimize organizational performance.