Advisory Board
Chandhu Nair , Chair
Senior Vice President, Data, Analytics and Computational Intelligence, Customer & Marketing Technology
As senior vice president, data analytics and computational intelligence & marketing technology, Chandhu Nair leads the team supporting artificial intelligence-led data products and platform strategy, as well as self-serve analytics for the organization. He is also responsible for the omnichannel marketing technology and customer technology capabilities enabling digital marketing, personalization, loyalty experiences and CRM products capabilities. He joined Lowe’s in 2020.
Chandhu has over 20 years of experience in product, technology, digital and data driven transformation roles. In a prior role at Lowe’s, he was vice president, technology, omnichannel marketing and digital customer engagement, and spearheaded best-in-class technology product launches including Lowes.com customer engagement, customer-data re-platforming, MVPs Pro Rewards and Partnerships Program, and Lowe’s One Roof Media Network. Before joining the company, he served as CEO and co-founder of Cognitive Retail Inc., a retail technology company providing U.S.-based retailers with advanced data analytics. He was also a managing partner and co-founder at Merkatus Partners, a strategy consulting firm focused on emerging technology investment services. Before that, he held global e-commerce and technology leadership roles at Staples Inc and Infosys.
Chandhu earned a master’s degree in general management and operations from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering – information technology from Bharathiar University, India. He serves as an adviser to technology startups in the U.S. and globally, and work with multiple venture capital firms in SF, Boston and India. He currently serves on the advisory board for United Planet, a non-profit based in Boston where he previously served as board director and also sits on the executive council board for Retail Info Systems & Consumer Goods Technology group.
Kunal Das
Vice President of Applied AI, Data & Analytics at Lowe’s
Kunal Das is the Vice President of Applied AI, Data & Analytics at Lowe’s leading a global organization of 500 associates across United States and India. In this role, Kunal works with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, Data Analysts, Software Engineers, UX designers and Product Managers to bring AI/ML powered data products to life. He works across all retail business functions, such as, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing, Digital and Stores to deliver, data driven insights and recommendation leveraging Lowe’s Big Data Platform.
Kunal is a technology first leader with a deep understanding of business. He has played an instrumental role in successfully deploying data product strategy and has created a culture of factual data driven decision making at Lowe’s.
Vince Stuntebeck
Managing Director & Global Head, Data Product Enablement at Fitch Group, Inc.
Vince Stuntebeck brings over 20 years of experience delivering meaningful and measurable value across a wide variety of business functions. As a global AI and data leader, he focuses on pairing strong technical expertise with business understanding in order to influence and lead up, down and across organizations.
Vince’s experience as a leader in strategic data and analytic product development spans organizations from $1B to $23B, including over a decade within leading technology firms. He has a proven track record of transitioning organizations to data-centric product offerings, migrating tech stacks to modern cloud architectures, and driving positive change through powerful metrics. Vince regularly consults with C-suite executives on AI, data, and analytical transformations across businesses while establishing trusted relationships with transparency and integrity.
Ultimately, Vince is passionate about “simplifing complex issues” that create measurable business impact at scale with data and AI.
Sathya AG
Principal Architect, Google
Sathya is a tech evangelist, blogger and a practicing enterprise architect with a passion towards advocating value-driven digital transformation for enterprises. He brings over 17 years of experience across software development, consulting, sales and value advisory. In his current role as a Principal Architect at Google, he advises select enterprises on digital transformation strategies.
Prior to his current position at Google, Sathya spent more than a decade at Oracle as an enterprise architect, where he led digital transformation initiatives for strategic clients. In these roles as a trusted advisor, he counsels C-Suite and IT leaders in key decisions to advance their strategic priorities and goals. He has a proven track record of leading successful enterprise-grade digital and data transformations for enterprises across industry verticals. As a leader in technology, he also mentors college graduates and volunteers for several humanitarian causes.
Yvonne Li
VP of Enterprise Artificial Intelligence, Data Engineering, and Decision Science at Advance Auto Parts
Yvonne Li is an innovative, award-winning executive in the field of data science and AI, leveraging her social and behavioral science background to build high-performing teams and drive business results across various industries in Fortune 500 companies. With more than 15 years of experience in data science, machine learning, and AI, Li possesses a unique ability to drive impactful transformation at an enterprise level. Prior to joining Advance Auto Parts, she served as Executive Director of Data Science, AI, and Systems at IBM. She is recognized for her strategic forward-thinking vision, combining it with rigorous data analysis and AI techniques to achieve strategic goals, optimize performance, and maximize return on investment.
Brijesh Joshi
Senior Vice President, Head of Enterprise Data Governance Technology
Brijesh has over 25 years of experience in leading data and digital initiatives across the Banking, financial services, and high-tech industries. He has defined and executed various data & analytics strategies, data governance strategies, and frameworks to drive business value and has been instrumental in change.
Brijesh combines business and technical acumen to partner with cross-functional leaders and various stakeholders in a complex organization and is passionate about enabling data-driven decision-making, optimizing business performance & process, and enhancing change and impact on the organizations. His competencies include data governance for risk, regulatory & compliance, Customer experience, customer data platform, marketing technology, business process management, automation, AI, ML, predictive, Master Data Management, and business analytics.
Dan Meinwald
Principal, Analytics at Google
Dan is an analytics leader with 13 years of experience in product, marketing, customer, retail, and operations. He leverages a deep understanding of transforming data into business results to influence the strategy and roadmap of cross-functional organizations. At Google, Dan owns analytics for YouTube’s user support and contact center operations, leading a global team of data product owners, scientists, analysts, and engineers. He previously held analytics leadership roles at Wayfair, Lowe's, Kroger, and H-E-B, tackling complex initiatives like marketing personalization, data democratization, data product strategy, and building data teams and capabilities from scratch. Dan’s colleagues recognize him for his thoughtfulness, pragmatism, focus on diverse talent, and ability to create organizational change.
Peter E. Dreyer
VP, Head of Business Analytics, Research, and Strategy at Brighthouse Financial
Peter Dreyer is the head of business analytics, research, and strategy for Brighthouse Financial. Brighthouse Financial was established by MetLife in 2016 and is a major provider of annuity and life insurance solutions in the United States.
In this role, Dreyer is responsible for leveraging data, analytics, and research to guide strategy and advise the chief distribution and chief marketing officers. He partners closely with the broader sales and marketing organizations, enabling them to increase efficiency and grow Brighthouse Financial’s market share. He also contributes to strategic, enterprise-wide initiatives including the company’s corporate and flexible work environment strategies.
Dreyer serves on the leadership team of the Wharton Club of Charlotte and on the board of directors of Charlotte Jewish Preschool. Dreyer received his B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds his Series 7, Series 63 as well as his Life and Health Insurance license. He resides in Charlotte with his wife and son
Samuel Agyemang
Ph.D., Director of Data Science at Walmart Inc.
Samuel was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. He has an MSc. and BSc. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering. With several years’ experience as a data science practitioner and leader, Samuel has led teams to develop data product solutions which have enabled business to derive insights into strategic asset placements, enhanced customer experience in multiple fortune 500 retail establishments and championed effective cross-functional collaborations between organizational verticals. Samuel is currently a Director of Data Science at Walmart Inc. leading teams to improve Supply Chain via asset simulations.
Ehrar Jameel
Ehrar Jameel, with over two decades under his belt, has carved a niche in the world of Data & Analytics, particularly within Fortune 100 companies. He's adept at developing and implementing data strategies that not only boost revenue but also refine operations. Serving as the head of Data & Analytics for a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing firm, Ehrar showcases expertise in Cloud Data Strategy, Big Data, Data Analytics, and Machine Learning. Seamlessly merging academic achievements with on-ground experience, Ehrar stands as a trusted and respected figure in the sphere of data-driven decision-making.
Kashif Akhtar
Kashif is an executive who has extensive knowledge and professional experience of Analytics and BI & Reporting in the areas of Merchandising, Planning and Forecasting, Finance, Business Integration, Merchandising Sourcing, and Strategy, and Supply Chain. His recent experience includes leading Data and Analytics function and managing information systems & business intelligence in one of the Fortune 500 companies. Kashif has more than 17 years of experience in various leadership roles, and he possess strong passion and interest in technology and its modern use to excel data driven decision making. Currently he is leading the Data and Analytics team at Burlington Stores under Supply Chain organization supporting cross-functional Analytics, BI, and Reporting to focus on KPI management and operations optimization.
H. Brent Matthewson Jr.
Brent is the Chief Data Officer @ Wellstar Health System. He is a highly accomplished leader with over 20 years of Data Management & Analytics experience maximizing the impact data & insights have on business results, operational efficiency & effectiveness, and fact-based cultural change. As well as building measurable analytics programs for major organizations.
Prior to accepting his role with Wellstar, Brent worked at TeamHealth as Vice President of the Enterprise Information Technology Enterprise Data & Analytics (EDA) team. He was responsible for ensuring effective data management, data quality, descriptive and predictive analytics across the enterprise to improve day to day operational effectiveness and create measurable value. His experience is in a wide array of industries including Healthcare, Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Retail Energy.
Rathna Vuppala
Head of Data Strategy, Governance & Architecture at Overhead Door Corporation
Rathna Vuppala has a wealth of experience in the IT industry, specifically in MDM, Data Strategy, and Data Governance. With 23 years of expertise in IT and Data technologies, he is currently the Head of MDM and Data Governance at Overhead Door Corporation. In this role, Rathna is responsible for directing data domain strategy, governance, solution architecture, and digital transformation programs. His efforts contribute to achieving mission-critical objectives for a global manufacturing company.
Ranajay Nandy
VP of Data & Analytics at Citizen Watch Americas.
An analytics leader with a unique background in quantitative/statistical methodologies and software solutions. Leading diverse teams to explore complex analytical models from a cross-functional perspective to support organizational strategy-building process. Highly experienced in CPG and Retail industries. For the past 15 years, my goal has been to deploy data analytics to produce a host of incremental revenue and profit opportunities in diverse business functions.
Karl Hightower
Karl is a transformative leader in the field of Information Management, Cognitive Computing, and Analytics. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has established himself as a recognized innovator and problem solver, driving strategic initiatives in the use of Big Data, AI, and Digital Products. His adept leadership ensures remarkable service delivery, positioning his teams at the forefront of embracing next-generation technologies like Blockchain, Web 3.0, and Quantum Computing.
Throughout his diverse career, Karl has been instrumental in various sectors, including retail, finance, energy trading, telecommunications, manufacturing, and supply chain. His strategic leadership and visionary initiatives have resulted in new teams, redefined operating models, and breakthrough strategies across these industries. Each sector has served as a learning curve, expanding his knowledge, broadening his skillset, and molding him into a versatile asset capable of spearheading enterprise-wide transformations.
Karl's intellectual curiosity and ongoing education are also noteworthy. He earned a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Public Policy and Constitutional Law from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later became a Certified Enterprise Architect at Carnegie Mellon ISRI. His career and accolades, including the CIO 100 award and Becker's Top 40 CDO's award, solidify his position as an accomplished executive and thought leader. Frequently sought out as a speaker, Karl's insights on data, analytics, AI, and healthcare continue to influence the industry and the world at large.
Dr. Venkatesh (Venky) Ravirala
Sr. Director of Data Science at Walgreens Boots Alliance
Dr. Venkatesh (Venky) Ravirala leads a team of 60+ data scientists delivering a broad portfolio of projects across retail, pharmacy, marketing, digital, myWalgreens loyalty program and business insights. Prior to this, he provided business executive and data science consulting services for healthcare and retail clients. He recently was a Sr. Director of Data Science at UnitedHealth Group where he managed a large team and a portfolio of clinical, consumer, payment transactions and fraud detection data science projects. Venky also served as SVP / Chief Analytics Officer at Influence Health, a healthcare software company that helped hospitals and health systems virtually influence prospects and patients before and after clinical encounters.
Dr. Ravirala earned his doctorate in Engineering with Decision Sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, along with dual masters in Operation Research and Statistics. His contributions have been recognized by Academia and Industry with key awards, including Honorable mention for INFORMS Dantzig Dissertation Prize, RPI’s Archibald-Bedford prize, and InfoWorld Top 100 Award. His work at MGM Resorts has been recognized with Teradata EPIC 2012 Awards in two categories (Analytical Excellence and On the Edge).
Alok Chaudhary
Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Ballad Health
Alok is the Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Ballad Health. His primary objective is to develop robust analytics capabilities, foster data adoption, and lead Ballad Health on a data-driven decision-making journey by establishing a Center of Excellence. Ballad Health is an integrated community health improvement organization that serves 29 counties in the Appalachian Highlands across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina, and Southeast Kentucky. Recognizing the significance of data analytics in informed patient care decisions, the Ballad Health Board acknowledges the opportunity to develop and embrace this capability.
In his current role as CDAO, he is actively collaborating with leaders across Ballad Health to formulate an enterprise data management strategy. The strategy aims to advance data insights capabilities to support tactical, operational, and strategic initiatives. The ultimate goal is to position Ballad Health as a national model for rural health and healthcare. His team and he are committed to adopting and promoting best practices in population health, Value-Based Care, and Clinical Transformation, all bolstered by the power of data analytics.