In-Person

Atlanta CDAO Community

Executive Summit

November 20, 2025 | Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

November 20, 2025
Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Atlanta's top CDAOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CDAOs today:

Connecting Data, Analytics and AI Initiatives to Measurable Business Outcomes

Building Organizational Agility Through Data-Driven Mindsets and Practices

Transforming Data Governance to Support and Scale Advanced Analytics

Atlanta CDAO Governing Body

The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CDAOs, For CDAOs™.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

James Bolles

Southern Company
Director, Enterprise Solutions COEs

Snorwlor “Sno” Bropleh

Habitat For Humanity International
Senior Director, Global Integrated Planning – Office of Strategy Management

Vijay Gandapodi

Reynolds American
Head of IT - Data, Reporting, Analytics

Karthikeyan Ramasamy

Guardian
Chief Analytics Officer

Kenneth Viciana

TSYS
VP, Global Data & Analytics Products

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 Atlanta 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

November 20, 2025

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

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Crafting a Data Strategy That Works for You

Krish Das headshot

Krish Das

VP Data Science & AI

Macy's

Mabby Amouie headshot

Mabby Amouie

AVP, Enterprise Data & Analytics

Norfolk Southern

Daniel Reaume headshot

Daniel Reaume

Vice President, Commercial Data and Analytics

Honeywell

Developing an effective data strategy goes beyond generic consulting frameworks—it requires a tailored, iterative approach that meets your organization’s unique needs and goals. In this panel, industry leaders will share real-world insights from their journeys to build and evolve their D&A strategies.

Join this panel to learn how to:

  • Map data assets and use practical examples to define what successful data-driven decision-making looks like
  • Develop, test, and refine your data strategy through stakeholder feedback, ensuring alignment with evolving business objectives
  • Shift focus toward robust data governance for high-quality, timely data, and invest in upskilling your workforce for long-term success

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

AI Maturity— Navigating Enterprise Innovation to Impact

Jason Bishop headshot

Jason Bishop

AI Lead, North America

Qlik

Anand Saokar headshot

Anand Saokar

Head of Omnichannel, Patient Provider Experience, Consumer Analytics & AI Data Platform

WellStar Health System

AI adoption varies—some organizations are just starting, while others are scaling enterprise-wide. True AI maturity requires more than advanced algorithms; it relies on effective data sharing and seamless integration. How can companies break down silos, enable secure collaboration, and accelerate their AI journey?

Join this roundtable to discuss:

  • Measuring AI maturity through data integration
  • Driving successful AI with data sharing
  • Trends in AI adoption and collaboration

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Future-Proofing Your Data Foundation for AI and Digital Agility

Abhi Visuvasam headshot

Abhi Visuvasam

Field CTO - Enterprise Architecture & Solutions

Reltio

As AI adoption accelerates and digital expectations rise, CDAOs face mounting pressure to deliver timely, trusted and interoperable data. Yet legacy systems, fragmented sources and governance gaps remain major hurdles.

In this roundtable, data leaders will explore:

  • Modernizing data foundation for a trusted semantic layer
  • Balancing latency, performance and trust
  • Supporting scalable innovation and transformation

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

The Agentic Edge — Transforming Data for the Future

Ramon Chen headshot

Ramon Chen

Chief Product Officer

Acceldata

Vijay Gandapodi headshot

Vijay Gandapodi

Head of IT - Data, Reporting, Analytics

Reynolds American

In an era where AI is reshaping industries and redefining competitive advantage, traditional data management strategies no longer suffice. High-performing executives navigating an AI-first world need proactive, intelligent and automated management of data assets.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Harnessing the power of AI to improve data management outcomes
  • Transforming data governance, quality and observability with AI reasoning
  • Leveraging agentic data management to unlock competitive edge

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

GenAI Revolution— Redefining Data Fabric, Metadata Management, and Governance

Ramesh Shurma headshot

Ramesh Shurma

CEO

Orion Governance

As CDAOs elevate their strategic pursuits, the integration of GenAI into data ecosystems unveils a landscape rich with opportunities and challenges. How can we creatively harness the power of GenAI while ensuring the integrity, security, and governance of our data remain intact?

Join this session to learn more about:

  • Advancing Metadata Management Techniques
  • Navigating Data Fabric Challenges with GenAI
  • Improving the process of governance models

11:10am - 11:55am  Breakout Session

The CDAO Path to Success — Strengthening Your Data Core

Timothy Davis headshot

Timothy Davis

Executive Director & CTO

IBM

Organizations face exponential growth in data volume and complexity, with data in diverse locations, formats, and quality levels. Its value depends on usability, requiring real-time decisions and insights. To scale accurate, performant generative AI, organizations must unify data access, management, and preparation of high-quality unstructured and structured data.

Join this session to explore how to:

  • Face the challenges presented by unstructured data in your AI initiatives
  • Deliver superior AI accuracy and governance with your data to unlock ROI
  • Build on your hybrid and open data foundation to get to the next stage of AI

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Building a Modern Data Foundation for AI and Innovation

Chris Lawless headshot

Chris Lawless

VP, Global Services

Fivetran

Abdoul Aziz Sosseh headshot

Abdoul Aziz Sosseh

CDAO

Emory University

In today's data-driven world, organizations must maximize the potential of their data — from building predictive analytics and ML models that power deeper insights into customer behavior, to building GenAI applications. Replicating data across all sources fuels innovation and drives better business outcomes, while modernizing data movement ensures secure and reliable access to centralized data. Join this boardroom to delve into this core topic and learn how technology leaders are modernizing their data platforms and automating processes to get the most value from their data.

During this boardroom, you will discuss:

  • Establishing a framework to manage structured and unstructured data
  • Improving data readiness for predictive analytics, GenAI applications and ML models
  • Building an approach to data management that gives rise to reliable, accessible data

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Accelerating AI Value — Transforming Data Debt into Strategic Assets

Today, maximizing the strategic impact of AI hinges on how effectively we leverage our data, converting existing data challenges into powerful enablers for AI-driven outcomes. We'll explore collective experiences and share actionable insights on building a data foundation that truly fuels enterprise AI initiatives.

Join your peers to discuss and share perspectives on:

  • From data debt to AI dividend
  • Architecting for intelligence
  • Bridging the AI-data gap

11:55am - 12:30pm  Lunch Service

12:30pm - 1:05pm  Keynote

Boosting Success Through Data Governance & Self-Service

In the AI era, data insights must reach beyond data teams to empower all business functions. As organizations strive to keep pace with rapid AI advancements, internal teams need self-service access to trusted data to drive business outcomes. Achieving true data governance and democratization requires more than access—it demands a fundamental shift in how organizations manage and share their data assets.

Join this session to explore:

  • Evolving governance for trusted, self-service data access
  • Ensuring data quality and reliability for AI success
  • Empowering all teams with timely, governed data insights

1:05pm - 1:30pm  Break

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Breakout Session

CDAO Unlocks Value for Data-Overwhelmed CFO

In this data-driven world, companies thrive with a strong partnership between their Chief Data and Analytics Officers and Chief Financial Officers. CFOs are under immense pressure to deliver accurate, timely and actionable insights and CDAOs are uniquely positioned to provide the answers.

Join this session to learn how to:

  • Streamline data governance framework to enhance accountability and trust
  • Strategize to address skill gaps and challenges with financial data management
  • Deploy data solutions and analytics for finance teams

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Executive Boardroom

Modern Data Governance — Maturity and Trust

Matt Kott headshot

Matt Kott

VP, Global Data and Analytics

Carter's

Many organizations struggle with data governance by overlooking business context, leading to wasted investment and missed opportunities. As digital transformation accelerates, CDAOs must shift governance from compliance to business enablement by assessing maturity, building trust, and scaling frameworks.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Assess governance maturity for targeted improvements
  • Strengthen trust, risk management, and ethics
  • Scale governance with adaptive, modern frameworks

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  Executive Boardroom

Overcoming Barriers to Self-Service Data Success

Kenneth Viciana headshot

Kenneth Viciana

VP, Global Data & Analytics Products

TSYS

Data insights are no longer confined to data teams but are essential across all business functions. Achieving this goal requires overcoming not only technical debt and legacy technology but also significant employee adoption challenges. By prioritizing execution and investing in upskilling, organizations can create a culture of data-driven ownership and outcomes.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Overcoming data democratization challenges
  • Fostering a culture of data-driven ownership
  • Developing talent and investing in technology for business impact

3:45pm - 4:00pm  Networking Break

4:00pm - 4:35pm  Keynote

Speaking the Language of Business — Communicating Data-Driven Outcomes

Andrew White headshot

Andrew White

Research Vice President, Distinguished Analyst

Gartner

 

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.

November 20, 2025

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

Venue & Accommodation

Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
More Information

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 888-627-8407. Please mention Gartner Atlanta Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $199 USD (plus tax) is October 27, 2025.

Your Community Sponsors

CDAO Thought Leader

Key Sponsors

Program Sponsors

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Tony Stach

Community Program Manager

3604335583

tony.stach@gartner.com