IN-PERSON

Boston CDAO Executive Summit

June 25, 2025 | Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge

June 25, 2025
Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge

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Governing Body Agenda Location Sponsors Contact

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Douglas Clark

Biogen
Executive Director, Technology, Analytics and Data Insights

Genevy Dimitrion

Utica National Insurance Group
Head of Enterprise Data

Matt Griffiths

Stanley Black & Decker
Vice President, CDO

Shahidul Mannan

Orlando Health
Chief Data, Analytics, and AI Officer

What to Expect

Interactive Sessions

Hear from CDAO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.

Community Networking

Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Boston CDAO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda

June 25, 2025

morning afternoon

8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am Keynote

Governing Agentic AI — Building Scalable Data Architectures for the Future

Leo Barella

SVP, Chief Technology Officer

Takeda

Governing generative and agentic AI and building a scalable data architecture are crucial for CDAOs to drive innovation while ensuring data integrity, compliance and security. Strong governance mitigates risks, while a scalable data architecture enables efficient AI-driven decision-making.

Join this session as Leo Barella, SVP, Chief Technology Officer, Takeda shares how to:

Prevent bias, security threats and regulatory issues
Ensure seamless data integration and accessibility
Support trustworthy and responsible AI adoption

9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom

Turning Compliance into Business Enablement

Compliance is often treated as a cost center or a constraint, yet it has the potential to be a driver of business innovation and differentiation. As regulations around data privacy, AI ethics, governance intensify, organizations with strong data foundations and clear accountability are better positioned to create long-term business value.

Join this roundtable discussion to explore:

Building resilient data foundations to reduce compliance risk and enable faster innovation
Leveraging compliance to improve internal alignment, transparency, and stakeholder trust
Turning regulatory readiness into a business advantage

9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom

Finding the Balance — Centralized vs. Decentralized Data & Analytics

Chitrang Shah

Founder & CEO

Savant Labs

Striking the right balance between decentralized agility and centralized governance is one of today’s biggest data and analytics challenges. How do you empower analysts to generate insights faster while maintaining control and accountability?

Join this boardroom to discuss:

Finding the balance between data access and accountability
Implementing appropriate access controls without excessive bureaucracy
Best practices for managing self-service analytics across distributed teams and systems

10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break

10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session

Building a Framework for Responsible Innovation with AI Governance

Matt Keane

VP, Data Analytics and Enterprise Shared Solutions

Aflac

Brian Clifford

VP and Chief Data Officer

Amica

As organizations move to deploy AI solutions, CDAOs are tasked with quickly establishing AI governance. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into workflows, ensuring ethical, regulatory-compliant and secure practices is essential.

Join this session as CDAOs discuss:

Establishing AI governance processes
Integrating AI into existing data governance frameworks
Aligning with laws and anticipating regulations

11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session

Data Storytelling — Fueling Business Success

Suresh Martha

Head of Data Driven Innovations & Analytics

EMD Serono

In digitally advanced organizations, data storytelling shapes decision making. Data & analytics leaders must translate complex insights into compelling narratives that highlight data’s role in solving business challenges. Striking the right balance between honesty and engagement ensures these stories resonate and drive meaningful action.

Join this session to explore ways to:

Use storytelling when connecting data to business outcomes
Drive true organizational culture change as it relates to data and analytics
Execute a simple storytelling approach

11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom

AI Maturity— Navigating Enterprise Innovation to Impact

Brendan Grady

EVP and GM, Analytics Business Unit

Qlik

AI adoption varies widely across organizations—some are just starting, while others are scaling enterprise-wide. But what defines true AI maturity, and how can companies accelerate their journey?

Join this roundtable to discuss:

How organizations measure progress
What drives successful AI deployments
What trends will shape AI adoption

11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom

Advancing Data Unification for Efficiency and Growth

Ansh Kanwar

Chief Product Officer

Reltio

The journey to timely, high-quality data is crucial yet seems like a long and complex endeavor. Organizations must align disparate data sources, overcome legacy system limits, and foster a data-driven culture to turn data into a strategic advantage for sustained success.

Join this session to discuss:

Boost trust and governance with frameworks
Utilize customer data with AI
Maintain quality without slowing delivery

11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service

1:05pm - 1:30pm Break

1:30pm - 2:15pm Breakout Session

Data & AI — Perfect Harmony or Discordant Chaos?

Genevy Dimitrion

Head of Enterprise Data

Utica National Insurance Group

As data and AI continue to shape our world, are they working in perfect harmony to drive innovation, or are they creating unforeseen chaos? Through real-world examples and audience engagement, we will uncover the key factors that determine whether data and AI work together effectively or if their interplay leads to unpredictable disruptions.

Join this interactive session to:

Share your stance on the current AI landscape
Hear what your peers think about today’s debated issues
Enjoy friendly debate with your peer leaders

1:30pm - 2:15pm Executive Boardroom

Ensuring Enterprise AI Success with Trustworthy Data

Kevin Holder

VP, Worldwide Field Engineering

dbt Labs

Great AI models rely on trustworthy data, but CDAOs face significant challenges ensuring quality and transparency within enterprise AI systems. Inaccurate data can erode trust and pose operational risks to your business. Fortunately, advanced tools are helping CDAOs accelerate their AI initiatives while maintaining governance.

Join this roundtable discussion to explore how to:

Maintain data integrity for AI projects
Curate and govern data to build trust and ensure transparency
Standardize clear business logic to guide AI development

1:30pm - 2:15pm Executive Boardroom

Unlocking Business Potential Through Self-Service Data

Jonathan McGee

Global Head of Investment Analytics & Delivery

Manulife

Data democratization enables employees at all levels of an organization to make data-driven decisions that improve business outcomes. However, achieving this goal requires overcoming technical debt, legacy technology, and employee adoption challenges. By prioritizing execution and investing in talent development and new technologies, organizations can build a data-driven culture that drives growth and innovation.

Join this roundtable discussion as CDAOs discuss:

Overcoming persistent data democratization challenges
Building a data-driven culture for better ownership and outcomes
Developing talent and investing in tech for unlocking business potential

2:15pm - 3:00pm Networking Break

2:25pm - 2:50pm Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:45pm Breakout Session

From Data to Action — Turning Insights into Results

Veronika Durgin

VP of Data

Saks Group

Sathishkumar Balasubramanian

VP, Enterprise Data & Analytics

Bright Horizons

In today’s landscape, collecting data is merely the beginning, the true challenge lies in transforming data into meaningful action. In this fireside chat, data leaders will share how they make data work and turn insights into real results.

Join us as we discuss:

Creating a culture where data effectively guides decisions
Practical ways to break down barriers and encourage teamwork
Leveraging advanced analytics to drive business success

3:00pm - 3:45pm Executive Boardroom

Achieving MDM Maturity — Identifying Drivers of Success

Master data management is necessary not only for organizational success, but also for agility in times of uncertainty and ambiguity. A successful MDM program hinges on data quality, the organization viewing data as an asset and leaders ensuring the workforce has the skills needed to maintain and build on core competencies of the program.

Join this roundtable discussion as CDAOs discuss:

Assessing your MDM program's current level of maturity
Identifying the skills needed to maintain MDM
Creating metrics to track quality and success of your program

3:00pm - 3:45pm Executive Boardroom

Attracting and Retaining Critical D&A Talent

Douglas Clark

Executive Director, Technology, Analytics and Data Insights

Biogen

Organizations cannot execute on business initiatives without a successful team – and D&A teams are no exception. Effective CDAOs recognize the importance of attracting the right talent and providing enticing opportunities to retain a top-notch team.

Join this session to discuss:

Offering creative opportunities and projects to lure D&A talent
Re-evaluating the skills needed to successfully execute on D&A initiatives
Building a robust pipeline in a rapidly-evolving digital ecosystem

3:45pm - 4:00pm Networking Break

4:00pm - 4:35pm Keynote

Body Language Secrets for Enhanced Executive Presence

Chris Ulrich

Body Language Expert

Guest Speaker

Uncovering the mysteries of body language — how people communicate their thoughts and feelings without saying a word — is a decisive first step toward mastering any business and social situation. Top executives know that detecting split-second signals from your team and leadership then taking immediate action is crucial to being a persuasive communicator and problem-solver especially during tricky internal matters or high-level negotiations.

During this session you will learn how to:

Move beyond the vacuum of artificial body language to a behavioral approach based on YOU
Strengthen interpersonal relationships, be a more decisive leader and manage your nerves better
Uncover the less obvious needs of others and improve your team’s confidence and competence

4:35pm - 4:45pm Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

4:45pm - 6:00pm Governing Body Reception

Governing Body Reception

Finish the day sharing lessons learned with your peers over light fare and drinks at this closing reception hosted by your governing body members.

June 25, 2025

morning afternoon

Apply to Participate

ALREADY A MEMBER? SIGN IN TO REGISTER

Apply to participate in the Boston CDAO Executive Summit.

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Community Member Criteria

To ensure peer connections and conversations at the highest level, members must meet the following criteria:

- C-level or senior most executive for respective function

- Organization revenue of $500M+

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Location

Venue & Accommodation

Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge

MORE INFORMATION

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling (617) 492-1234.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $399 USD (plus tax) is June 2, 2025.

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