Past Speakers (Atlanta)

Tim Sevenich has been working in IT for more than 10 years in various roles in consulting, services and software development. He is currently part of Axway’s German Solution Architect team with a strong focus on API Management and AI.

Jorg Schwarze is Value Architect EMEA at SS&C Blue Prism and a recognized leader in intelligent automation with many years of experience. He is known for pioneering work implementing Blue Prism technology at Barclays Retail Bank Africa, setting new standards for enterprise automation. Jörg helps customers advance their automation journeys through deep expertise in target operating models, digital transformation, and IT modernization. His innovative approach has had a lasting impact on the automation landscape, helping organizations navigate the complexity of digital transformation.

Victor joined Google Pay’s Business Development team in 2018. Currently based in Zurich, he leads partnerships with domestic payment schemes globally as well as financial institutions across the DACH region. Previously, he was based in London and in charge of merchants across the DACH region and Google Pay’s expansion into MENA. He was also responsible for growing Passes/Valuables integrations for flight, transit, event tickets, and loyalty programs within Google Wallet for EMEA.

Prior to joining Google Pay, Victor was in key account management, working with some of Google’s top advertisers in Dublin and New York from 2012 to 2018. He holds business degrees from Imperial College London and the University of Mannheim.

Stephan Waniek is a business owner within the Group CIB Business Transformation unit at Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) in Vienna. He coordinates and prioritises the ideation, implementation and operation of end-to-end generative artificial intelligence (AI) use cases within the Corporate & Investment Banking Division of RBI Group. His professional background includes + 25 years experience in Corporate & Investment Banking. He held roles in relationship management, product sales and business development in Autria as well in the United States of America. Stephan holds a MA degree from Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.

David Prieto is a recognized leader in digital transformation and a specialist in bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world business value. As an AI Solution Engineer for EMEA and GenAI Evangelist for Google, David is currently focused on the practical application of Agentic Workflows to scale enterprise productivity.
This forward-thinking approach is grounded in deep industry experience. Previously, David served as Head of AI & Automation at Commerzbank, where he successfully spearheaded 7 data-driven Products within a highly regulated financial environment.
By combining the rigor of traditional banking with the agility of Google’s AI ecosystem, David offers a unique perspective on how organizations can move beyond the hype to build scalable, impactful AI solutions.

Antonis Gkekas is a senior leader in CRM and marketing technology at Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB), where he drives data-driven transformation and the responsible adoption of AI across customer, operational, and governance domains. His work focuses on integrating automation and AI into enterprise workflows, strengthening data quality and lineage, and preparing institutions for emerging regulatory requirements such as the EU AI Act. With a background spanning customer intelligence, digital operating models, and cross-functional transformation programs, Antonis brings a pragmatic perspective on how financial institutions can operationalize responsible AI, enhance oversight structures, and balance innovation with regulatory expectations.

Rene Pajta is Chief Architect for Cloud & AI at Microsoft, working with organizations across industries to turn AI ambition into real-world impact. He focuses on large-scale AI adoption, agentic systems, and the evolution of enterprise platforms to support the next generation of intelligent applications. Drawing on hands-on experience building AI-driven solutions with large language models, Rene helps leaders move from experimentation to execution, balancing speed with trust, security, and responsible governance. As a trusted advisor to executives and a frequent keynote speaker, he connects strategy and engineering to show how AI can reshape mission-critical workflows and unlock sustainable business value.

Krista Luijten is the Chief Data Officer for Finance & Risk at ABN AMRO Bank, where she leads the strategic transformation toward a fully data-driven Finance and Risk organisation. In this role, Krista is responsible for strengthening enterprise data architecture, governance, and analytics to enable robust decision-making, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across the bank. With more than a decade of experience at ABN AMRO, Krista has held senior leadership positions cross risk data, modelling, and innovation, driving major improvements in data quality, AI-enabled risk management, and cross-functional transformation programs. Her career also includes impactful roles as a consultant to financial institutions and leadership positions focused on change, integration and optimisation. Krista’s deep expertise spans advanced analytics, multi-disciplinary team scaling, and the pragmatic adoption of AI and automation to create measurable business value while ensuring governance excellence. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management & Consultancy and has completed executive education at globally recognised institutions including INSEAD, Oxford Saïd Business School, MIT and Erasmus University Rotterdam. A recognised leader in finance and innovation, Krista was named Finance Professional of the Year early in her career for her contributions to risk innovation and strategic performance improvement.

Mac is a Senior Solutions Architect in the Global Financial Services group at Amazon Web Services EMEA. He works closely with the top global payment providers helping them adopting cloud with specific focus on Analytics, AI, GenAI, Agentic AI, Application modernisation and Mainframe Modernisation.

Prior to AWS, Mac has spent 20+ years working for banks such as Standard Bank Group, Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC Group in Architecture Leadership roles. He has been the Chief Architect for two UK digital banks in his career, and his special areas of interests are Digital Banking, Cloud Adoption, Cloud Transformation and Financial Risk Analytics.

As a Cubs Scouts Leader in Kent county outside his day job, he is also the Technology mentor for a global Nervous System Quotient (NSQ) initiative called Nervous System Economy.

Financial Crime Prevention Manager and MLRO with 15 years of experience in the banking and financial sector, having held positions of responsibility at leading Italian banks. My background includes extensive experience in Financial Crime Prevention across Retail Banking, Investment Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Fiduciary business. I have led projects focused on process digitalization, implementation of controls, and risk assessment, leveraging the latest technologies to enhance operational efficiency and risk management.

Dr. Michael Zimmer is an accomplished leader in data and artificial intelligence, currently serving as Chief Data & AI Officer and Head of the AI Competence Center at W&W Group. In this role, he drives strategic data and AI initiatives across the organization, overseeing automation, operational processes, and the customer portal, while delivering transformative data and AI projects. 

Michael holds a Ph.D. on the agility of data architectures and brings over 13 years of consulting experience. Prior to joining W&W, he was Chief Data Officer at Zurich Group Germany. He is a recognized thought leader, editor and author of multiple books, a multi-time CDO Award winner, TDWI Fellow, and an active ally of Women Leaders in Data & Analytics (WLDA). 

Jochen is EMEA Head of Financial Technology and member of the global FSI leadership team at NVIDIA. He has spent the last 25 years in various roles on the topic of AI in financial services. He works with executives, data scientists, developers, and partners in the global NVIDIA ecosystem. Jochen is a financial data scientist and received his degree and Ph.D. from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Before NVIDIA he worked as a consultant, entrepreneur, and researcher with asset managers, banks, insurance companies, and central banks.

Experienced network leader and analyst in financial services and IT.
Focus on strategy, innovation and development with strong combination of innovation theory and practice including an industrial PhD in collaborative innovation.
Practised event moderator with large Danish and International network in the Fintech Area
Background in economics (master in economics and e-mba) and experience in financial services, digitization and IT.

A senior information security executive based in Frankfurt, currently leading the information security strategy and cyber resilience for a major international bank. With over three decades of experience in financial services—including extensive leadership in information security, advisory, third-party risk, governance, and assurance—this professional has held CIO, CTO, and CISO roles at global institutions.

Responsibilities include overseeing a multi-country ISO network, embedding security-by-design across all lines of defense, and partnering with compliance, legal, and risk stakeholders to align with global cybersecurity standards. The role involves driving operational resilience, DORA TLPT implementation, and AI-era controls, as well as contributing to industry events and panels focused on cyber posture and third-party risk. Outside of work, interests include sports, family, and community engagement.

Dr. Bernd Fritzke is AI Expert and Project Lead at DekaBank’s Open Digital Factory. He leads DekaGPT, the bank’s AI assistant with more than 8,000 users, and DekaRAG, a central Retrieval-Augmented Generation platform supporting 40+ applications. In addition to building platforms, he created and delivered key internal AI formats, including the “KI Coffee Call” series, DekaGPT license training, and executive briefings that reached thousands of employees

With a career spanning academia and industry, Dr. Fritzke combines research in neural networks and self-organizing systems with practical experience in trading, software engineering, and platform operations. As a frequent external speaker at universities, industry associations, and financial institutions, he shares insights on large language models, agentic AI, and the future of data-driven finance.

Dr Charles C. Phiri is a distinguished architect dedicated to advancing well-behaved, auditable AI/ML and data-intensive systems. With over 25 years of experience engineering transformative solutions across multiple disciplines and industries, Dr Phiri is an Executive Director with JPMorgan Chase, designated as SME AI/ML Innovation in the Global Technology Enterprise Architecture team. His work contributes to redefining enterprise-wide AI/ML reference architectures and consumption patterns, forming the baseline for firmwide risk characterization of AI/ML and agentic systems and motivating operational excellence for distributed and cloud-native AI systems.
Throughout his career, Dr Phiri has achieved high-impact successes, ranging from designing scalable R&D solutions in financial services, semiconductors, telecommunications, space and defense, digital storage infrastructure, and medical devices, to spearheading innovative projects that merge deep technical rigor with practical application. Notably, he was part of the team that developed an exoskeleton-based solution to assist post-stroke patients in regaining mobility and contributed to cutting-edge advances in robotics, commercial satellite systems, microwave and RF systems, A-GPS systems, real-time embedded technologies, MEMS, and ultra–low-energy designs, progressing from R&D to the commercialization of multi–billion devices.
A respected thought leader and active contributor in his field, Dr Phiri researches advanced AI/ML systems with a clear focus on delivering practical, real-world solutions in constrained environments. His other contributions include areas such as neuromorphic computing, deep learning, spiking neural networks, robotics, context-free grammars, formal verification, and the systems engineering of robust, characteristically auditable distributed AI systems in real-world environments (IntRob’25). His academic research interests include developing real-time collision avoidance for industrial robotic arms (ICIRA 2021) and fuzzy rule-based outlier detection (ISA Transactions, 2021); dynamical system specification and stabilization (ICIRA 2017); accelerating robot learning through context-aware middleware (ICIRA 2016); adaptive, intelligent self-calibrating systems (2011); and scaffolded life-long robot learning from human skills (2019), all of which underscore his dedication to bridging theoretical innovation with tangible, real-world applications.
Dr Phiri is also a Senior IEEE Member, a Chartered IT Professional with the British Computer Society, and designated Gartner Peer Community Ambassador. He earned his PhD in Humanoid Robotics from the University of Portsmouth, reading humanoid robot learning from human action skills (motion planning, scaffolded life-long robot learning). He holds an MSc in Internet Systems from the University of Liverpool.
Beyond his corporate credentials, Dr Phiri is passionate about leveraging technology (including remote sensing and satellite imaging systems) to address critical gaps in food systems across Sub-Saharan Africa through regenerative precision agriculture and logistics ventures. His lifelong commitment to self-calibration is exemplified by his accomplishment as a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon-Do, which is built on the tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and an indomitable spirit.

I lead product and engineering at iBusiness. I build fintech SaaS products with people I like and stick with hard problems until they ship. I help banking leaders move faster without the drama. The playbook is lot’s of small teams, clear ownership, plain plans, and relentless weekly releases. Also coffee, but mostly the first four. We point AI at the boring work so people can do the thinking part. I’m kind to people and tough on the work. No theater, just outcomes.

Kaushal Vinodchandra Sheth is the Chief Technology Officer for GFT Technologies, USA. He has over 28 years in building solutions across the U.S., E.U. and Latin America for Banks and Capital Markets. Kaushal co-founded Sophos Solutions, a leader in financial technology solutions in Latin America,  where it was recently acquired by GFT Technologies.

He is a graduate of NIIT and GMP Harvard Business School.  Kaushal co-founded many other startups such as Deepmoney.ai and Brain.studio, advises to multiple Fintechs, is a board member of Technology and Fintech companies PTM Commercial Card and ITR Machines. He is a leading expert in emerging Computational Neuroscience field and focused on a mission to build next generation of intelligent machines.

Payments and Financial Services professional with a process improvement and IT consulting background. Proven track record of delivering payments products on schedule and on budget. Identifying improvement opportunities and solving problems through a data-driven approach to deliver resilient products. Currently leading an Enterprise Payments technology team, with focus on corporate payments and Open banking.
I want to help reduce financial stress for my stakeholders which leads to “peace of mind and financial well-being” through innovative simplified solutions.

Extensive experience in:

Payments Technology
Zelle
Enterprise Payments
Product Delivery and Implementation
Business process analysis
IT Performance Management
Process improvement projects
Data Conversion
Requirement analysis
Process flows
Software Development life cycle
Data analysis

Senior Business Leader with nearly 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience, skilled in optimizing product performance, enhancing customer experiences, and creating competitive advantage through data, analytics, AI, and technology platforms. With a techno-functional approach, I balance analytical skills, industry expertise, commercial acumen, and leadership to drive a data-centric culture and foster innovation.

Throughout my career, I’ve built and led high-performing teams, managed P&L targets, and implemented AI and ML solutions to address complex business challenges, driving multi-million-dollar gains. My experience includes managing offshore COEs, collaborating with partners, and leading cross-cultural teams across regional and global roles.

Core Competencies:

Go-to-Market Strategies: Developed strategies for innovative products that drive customer acquisition and retention.

Growth Leadership: Built business units, channel partnerships, and extensive portfolios across APAC, including significant impact at PayPal.

Cross-Domain Expertise: Skilled in analytics, strategy, operations, and program management across FinTech, payments, telecom, and e-commerce.

Platform Development: Led CRM and lead arbitration platform builds to empower Relationship Managers.

AI & ML Solutions: Delivered significant margin improvements by implementing AI and ML for marketing efficiencies and digital transformation.

Analytics Roadmaps: Established analytics roadmaps to improve productivity through disciplined prioritization and strategic execution.

Thought Leadership: Recognized as a thought leader in innovation and analytics, with multiple speaking engagements.

With deep expertise in payments, credit cards, loans, wealth and digital banking, operations, marketing, and finance, I bring a hands-on management style to guide teams toward impactful outcomes.

Specialties: E-commerce, FinTech, Payments, Analytics, Strategy & Operations, Customer Acquisition, Engagement & Portfolio Optimization, P&L Management, Product Innovation, OmniChannel Strategy, Merchant Services, Risk Assessment, Digital, AI & ML

Inessa Gerber is a Director of Product Management at Denodo and works closely with clients to understand their projects and requirements in a diverse enterprise ecosystem. With over 20 years of experience in the Data Integration, Data Quality, and Master Data Management space, she is able to visualize an enterprise-level solution spanning different projects, and often different products. During her career, she was also a Solutions Architect and Project Manager, which enabled her to understand different layers and stages of the project requirements, data ownership, and organizational dynamics.

Lee Assam is a senior technology executive and AWS ecosystem leader with over 25 years in technology and more than a decade specializing in cloud transformation. With experiences as a Partner Solutions Architect and Customer Solutions Leader and Principal at Amazon Web Services for over five years, Lee guides customers, and consulting partners and ISVs through AI-driven transformations, with deep expertise in Generative AI, Agentic AI, and applied LLM patterns. He translates advanced AI capabilities into tangible business outcomes for enterprise customers, developing security-hardened GenAI offerings at scale.

With 12+ years serving Financial Services and Insurance industries, Lee understands the unique regulatory, security, and operational requirements of FSI customers. He combines technical depth with executive storytelling to help Fortune-scale organizations modernize their technology infrastructure and adopt AI responsibly. Lee holds a Master’s in Computer Science and Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is an 8x AWS Certified Professional, and has earned 10+ US Patents in emerging technologies. As an adjunct professor and LinkedIn Learning course creator, he educates audiences on GenAI, Agentic AI systems, and cloud modernization best practices.

As companies look to scale up, leaders are looking for various ways to grow quickly. However, business leaders are not always sure what they need to do to scale, how to scale and more importantly when to scale. Whether you are a seed stage startup or a Fortune 500 enterprises, it’s essential to have the right frameworks to prepare, recruit, onboard, manage and grow by leveraging the right combination of partners

As the Regional Vice President, Strategic Technology Alliances & Partnerships at SS&C Blue Prism, I lead a team of professionals who are excited about onboarding, managing and growing strategic technology alliances and ISV partnerships in conjunction with GSIs, resellers, advisory partners, while also sourcing and influencing opportunities for Blue Prism and partner teams.

When I’m not at strategic boardroom meets, I’m on my feet, clocking pretty good marathon finishing times. A seasoned long-distance runner who has completed over ten marathons, I’m proudly a member of the exclusive “7 Continent Club” – a group of long-distance runners who have run at least one marathon across each of the seven continents, including Antarctica. I’m also an investor in multiple promising startups and have served on advisory boards of several companies including ScoreData, YourTakeways, Audvisor and many more.

Grateful for the chance to visit over 40 countries for my work, I’ve learned immensely from my interactions with people and businesses of all sizes and across various cultures. My international experience has informed and solidified my areas of expertise, and made me the go-to guy for big-picture perspectives and reliable guidance on channel sales.

In leading my team, I strive to create a culture of openness and transparency, which also means being willing to take feedback from team members on my own decisions and performance. By showing up every single day wanting to do the best job I can for our clients, for my team, and for our partners, I lead with authenticity

After more than 20 years in banking and financial services, plus 5 years in law enforcement, I’ve built my career at the intersection of trust, compliance, and transformation.

Today, I help MentorMate (a Tietoevry Create company) design and deliver technology solutions that solve real problems in highly regulated industries, with a particular focus on financial services and fintech. My role blends domain expertise with strategic consulting to ensure we’re not just building tech for tech’s sake, but building intentional, thoughtful systems and processes that deliver tangible, measurable results.

What sets me apart is a deep understanding of the compliance and operational realities facing financial institutions. I’ve been in the trenches, mitigating BSA/AML/OFAC and fraud risk, removing operational bottlenecks, and weathering regulatory scrutiny. I’ve led teams through high-stakes exams and built compliance programs from the ground up. I’ve partnered with law enforcement and also donned the uniform myself. Now I use that perspective to help clients bridge the gap between product and purpose. I help untangle the complex world of banking.

John is a recovering Solaris administrator who has spent most of his 20+ career in QA adjacent roles, giving him a unique perspective on the Quality Engineering practice. An Air Force veteran who has worked in both the public and private sector, he currently serves as an Alliance Architect helping Tricentis partners design and implement solutions for their clients.

Tim McKenzie is a data integrity expert with over 25 years of experience engaging clients about transformative technology. He is part of an innovative team dedicated to helping organizations unlock the hidden value in their massive amounts of customer, infrastructure, and product data.

Tim has a proven track record of helping some of the world’s largest companies leverage their own data to achieve critical business goals—from acquiring more customers and ensuring quality of service to optimizing complex networks. He firmly believes that trusted data—accurate, consistent, and contextual—is more important than ever. It’s the essential fuel for timely, confident decision-making and the absolute foundation for successful AI, automation, and other key initiatives.

As a key leader at Precisely, Tim draws on decades of deep domain expertise in software, data, and data strategy services. He empowers businesses to solve their immediate data challenges while building a clear vision for tomorrow. His focus is simple: ensuring clients have the data integrity they need to thrive.

Keenan is currently the Head of Analytics Tools & Services at KeyBank, reporting directly to the Chief Data & Analytics Officer. His portfolio comprises of all the Enterprise Analytics tools for the bank (Tableau, Google Cloud, SAS, etc) supporting >1,000 active users for the tools. In addition, Keenan manages the Reporting & Analytics COE, Machine Learning COE, and software engineering geared towards solutions.

Keenan started working in genetics as a research scientist but quickly switched to computer science, data visualization, and artificial intelligence, He has overall 12+ years under his belt in the field of Data, Reporting, Analytics, and AI. He is passionate about making data and its application bring actual value and revenue to a company vs being something we just do. Tying engineering work to outcomes, and close partnership with business, is key for an organization to keep its Analytics organization thriving.

EXECUTIVE LEADER IN AI ENABLEMENT, GOVERNANCE & ETHICS: Driving AI Innovation with Legal Precision, Technical Depth, and Cross-Functional Leadership

Pati Partelow is a forward-thinking strategist, continuously analyzing emerging trends in human behavior, disruptive technologies, and industry events. With a focus on driving transformation and growth, she partners with companies of all sizes, specializing in enhancing financial services’ innovation, accessibility, and security. Pati’s expertise includes business strategy and transformation, P&L management, business development, product innovation, and talent development. She leverages a global perspective to drive success in local markets, excelling in consulting sales and delivery, digital commerce, customer experience, and digital payments. With a comprehensive skill set spanning disruptive technologies and industry expertise, Pati is a dynamic leader poised to navigate the evolving landscape of modern business.

Philippe serves as Managing Director of NAventures, National Bank’s corporate venture capital arm. In this role, he partners with high-growth companies and founders to expand the bank’s investment footprint in fintech and adjacent sectors. His work focuses on identifying emerging opportunities, scaling impactful technologies, and building long-term strategic partnerships.
Philippe Daoust is a senior leader in innovation and venture investing at the National Bank of Canada, where he has spent more than nine years driving strategic transformation and entrepreneurial growth. As Vice President of Innovation, he oversees initiatives that accelerate the bank’s digital evolution, foster experimentation, and support the development of new value-creating capabilities across the organization.
In addition to his investment mandate, Philippe a senior leader in innovation at National Bank of Canada, where he has spent more than nine years driving strategic transformation and entrepreneurial growth. As Vice President of Innovation, he oversees initiatives that accelerate the bank’s digital evolution, foster experimentation, and support the development of new value-creating capabilities across the organization.
Philippe also contributes his expertise as a Board Observer for several companies, including nesto, Synctera, and d1g1t, where he supports teams shaping the future of financial services.

Alfredo Castillo is a Senior AI/ML Solutions Architect at AWS, where he works with Financial Services customers on all aspects of internet-scale distributed systems, and specializes in Machine learning, Natural Language Processing, Intelligent Document Processing, and GenAI. Alfredo has a background in both electrical engineering and computer science. He is passionate about family, technology, and endurance sports.

Transforming Financial Services (FS) with Unified Emerging Technology approach is essential today leveraging AI & Data Strategy. Developing Trusted AI, Safe AI frameworks, Guarding data and Information security is essential.

We’re at a technological inflection point where enterprise success hinges on forces of Emerging Technology: artificial intelligence & data. For FSI, this isn’t about adopting new tools—it’s about fundamentally reimagining how we transform Digital experiences for our customers, compete, manage risk, create Strategic value in an AI-native economy.

With over 20 years driving multi-billion-dollar digital transformations—including a decade at AWS architecting solutions leading software engineering, multi matrix teams for F-500 enterprises—I bridge the gap between AI ambition & operational agility. The mandate is clear: organizations that unify AI & data strategy will dominate the next decade.

Strategic Leadership: I work daily in Breaking Legacy Silos, Building AI-Ready and AI Safe Foundations.
Traditional FSI face a critical challenge: decades of investment in mainframes, batch processing, data centers that fundamentally conflict with AI requirements. Success demands more than technical integration—it requires deconstructing how data flows through organizations.

Awarded 2024 Champions of Data in the Midwest by CDO Magazine, I bring over 20 years of success in developing cutting-edge architectures, driving digital transformation, and delivering cost-saving technology solutions for global organizations. My expertise spans managing complex projects, building high-performing onshore-offshore teams, and implementing innovative strategies that drive measurable business outcomes in competitive industries.
With a proven track record of working with Fortune 500 companies, I specialize in AI solutions, system optimization, and enterprise-wide governance. My leadership style combines technical acumen with strategic vision to deliver scalable, efficient solutions aligned with business objectives.

Key Accomplishments:
♦ Led architectural planning for M&A activities at JP Morgan, overseeing MSA contract negotiations and license management—positively impacting millions of customers.
♦ Achieved $4M in cost savings through product modernization, improving process efficiency by 210% and establishing robust frameworks.
♦ Increased annual revenue by $18M by designing and executing pricing/marketing strategies for three Holland LP products.
♦ Founded the Architecture Review Board at Holland LP to implement enterprise-wide software monitoring and design governance.
♦ Captured $67K YOY savings for McDonald’s by optimizing loss-prevention architecture, reducing material theft by 43%, and enhancing security systems.

Micheal Binns is Head of Patents & Trade Secrets and a Director and Associate General Counsel on the Patent, Licensing and Open Source team at Meta, formerly Facebook. As a registered patent attorney, Mike’s helped protect global copyrights and trademarks in addition to patent rights for a wide range of industries. At present, he advises on global IP portfolio strategy and risk mitigation related the future of AI, social networking, AR/VR/MR, FinTech, and the metaverse. Micheal has and continues to protect the knowledge, systems, and inventions that are business-critical drivers of revenue.

Micheal is also actively involved in his community and sits on the board of three non-profits. He co-chairs the board of Access Georgia Foundation, which provides funding to diverse startups. He is on the board of Page Turners Make Great Learners in Atlanta, which is focused on providing books to low-income students in order to foster a love of reading and a board member with the Georgia Wildlife Federation, focusing on the intelligent management of the life sustaining resources of the earth. He is also an advisor for Spruill Center for the Arts; The Mom Project; and TiE Access Atlanta.

Before joining Meta, Micheal was the Atlanta Office Development Partner at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, where his experience included the litigation, counseling, and prosecution of all forms of intellectual property related to a variety of industries and technologies. He was also the chair of the Pro Bono Committee and a co-chair and founder of the Racial Justice Task Force of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Chase Smith is the Director of Commercial Underwriting, Analytics, and Automation at AssuranceAmerica, where he leads underwriting strategy and intelligent automation initiatives for non-standard auto programs. He brings more than 20 years of commercial P&C experience with deep specialization in transportation risk, E&S underwriting, MGA operations, and high-volume risk decisioning.
Chase focuses on applying agent-enabled automation to underwriting and operational workflows, with an emphasis on governance, auditability, and human-in-the-loop controls. His work includes designing scalable underwriting SOPs, integrating AI-driven loss analysis, and modernizing decision frameworks to improve speed while protecting profitability and compliance. He holds IRMI designations including Transportation Risk Insurance Professional (TRIP), Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and Energy Risk Insurance Specialist (ERIS).

Rekha Pata is a Vice President of Procurement Technology Strategy with over two decades of experience delivering digital transformation across highly regulated Financial Services and Global Manufacturing/Energy sectors.

Currently, she leads the strategic integration of AI and Generative AI across all Source-to-Pay (S2P) applications at Synchrony, with a focus on translating AI theory into practical, measurable business impact. Her work emphasizes responsible AI implementation—balancing innovation with governance and compliance in enterprise environments.

A recognized industry voice on AI-driven procurement transformation, Ms. Pata has presented at Coupa Inspire for three consecutive years and recently served as a featured expert on the webinar, “The New Power Couple: Why IT & Procurement Must Align in the Age of AI.” She brings hands-on experience driving significant operational efficiencies through advanced process automation and analytics across complex, global organizations, and is passionate about helping procurement and IT teams navigate the practical challenges of AI adoption.

Tina Zhao is a Director of Applied AI and Engineering at BlackRock, the head of advanced AI solution team. Her team leverages generative AI and machine learning technologies to generate trading alpha, optimize investment processes, and enhance efficiency across trading and investment management operations, scaling through BlackRock proprietary AI platform. With over 13 years of experience in quantitative modeling and analytics, Tina has held key roles at leading financial institutions, including Freddie Mac, Bank of America, Truist, and Capital One. She is a seasoned leader of AI in finance, with deep expertise in trading, investment management, banking, consumer finance, and risk management.

Timothy Cebulski is the SVP of Data Operations at Pinnacle Financial Partners, where he overseas data operations for a 125+ Billion in assets bank, leading all areas of data.  His background includes leading the AI program for Wells Fargo as well as evangelizing the importance of AI and data governance.  He will provide information to drive measurable business outcomes for AI Governance, Trust, and Risk.  He is a member of the Greater Nashville Technology Council for CDO’s and enjoys traveling and watching his children continue their journey as they are becoming young adults with a bright future.

Nathan Lang is a senior banking Leader with nearly two decades of experience leading multi-state operations, enterprise automation, and large-scale organizational transformation. As Senior Director of Operations & Intelligent Automation at First Bank, Nathan’s work centers on operational excellence, AI-driven automation, and strategic growth, contributing to industry-leading efficiency and successful M&A across both traditional and emerging markets. With leadership experience spanning institutions from $6B to $600B in assets, Nathan has built a reputation for scaling teams, modernizing processes, and integrating advanced automation throughout the bank ecosystem. A servant leader at heart, he is passionate about developing future Leaders and shaping the next era of banking innovation.

Pramod Misra is the Director of Data Analytics & AI Automation at Snellings Walters Insurance Agency, leading enterprise-wide data and AI transformation initiatives. Previously serving as Chief AI Officer at an Atlanta-based health tech startup, he brings expertise spanning insurance, technology, and advanced analytics leadership. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning model development, Pramod excels in strategy, execution, and team building. Throughout his career, he has delivered impactful data and AI solutions for global organizations including Vodafone, Novartis, Takeda, P&G, Tune Protect Insurance, and the Nuclear Power Corporation. Recognized for transforming complex data and AI capabilities into practical, business-focused outcomes across regulated, high-stakes industries, Pramod combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision.

Ash Kaduskar is currently a Head of AI at First Citizens Bank where he is responsible for implementing end to end AI capabilities responsibly across the bank. Ash is responsible for implementing AI platform and standing up following functions: data science and advanced analytics, AI portfolio management, Responsible AI, and Enterprise AI engagement.

Ash brings 20 years of experience in building and scaling Data & AI solutions across Financial Services, Government, Consumer, and Industrial sectors. Most recently, he served as a Managing Director at Ernst & Young (EY) US Consulting, where he led the firm’s AI go-to-market strategy and advised clients on AI strategy, solutions, and governance to deliver measurable business value.

Ash lives in Charlotte with his wife Sanika and their 13-year-old daughter, Iya. Outside of work, he enjoys playing table tennis competitively and experimenting with new AI tools.

Rajiv Matta is the Chief Innovation Officer at MSI, the third largest independent managing general agency (MGA) in the country. He leads new program development and innovation, driving growth for MSI by creating forward-thinking solutions that address evolving needs and emerging risks.

With over 17 years of broad property and casualty experience across insurance carriers, reinsurance carriers, and MGAs, Rajiv thrives on the challenge of developing comprehensive risk management solutions to meet the unique needs of customers, agents, and brokers.

Rajiv holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Mumbai University, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Clemson University, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the inventor of a machine learning patent related to insurance purchase optimization.

Experienced and bilingual fixed income professional with deep expertise in global fixed income sectors including: Government bonds, Agency MBS, Corporate bonds (IG and HY), Securitized Assets, Emerging Markets, FX, and derivatives. Other areas of expertise include: portfolio management automation using Python, market research and analytics using machine learning (Python: numpy, pandas, scipy, Scikit-Learn, matplotlib and other data science libraries) + Tableau, Bloomberg, and Aladdin

Technology executive with 25+ years of experience leading global technology, product, and data organizations at top-tier financial institutions and fintechs. I have built enterprise platforms that modernize financial services operations, customer onboarding, and financial crime controls while driving growth, efficiency, and compliance in regulated environments. I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution; aligning technology with business outcomes and customer impact.
I have built and led global teams of 500+, managed $100M+ budgets, and delivered large-scale transformations across cloud, AI/ML, and data. Passionate about building high-performing teams and cultures where innovation and execution thrive, I also contribute as a frequent speaker on AI, digital transformation, and the future of financial services.

Eve Psalti is a global technology leader with 20+ years of experience at the intersection of AI, cloud, and enterprise transformation. She is a Senior Director in Microsoft’s AI applied engineering organization, where she leads the development and scaling of advanced AI capabilities. Previously, she served as Head of Strategic Platforms at Google Cloud, partnering with Fortune 500 companies to drive digital transformation. Her career spans product, business development, and go-to-market leadership roles across startups and multinational organizations in the U.S. and Europe, managing teams of over 200 and portfolios exceeding $600M. Originally from Greece, Eve holds a Master’s degree and executive certifications from the London School of Economics and the University of Washington. She is committed to advancing women in technology, serving on the board of WE Global Studios and advising VSN Hub, which blends leadership development with principles from ancient Greek philosophy.

Chase Larson, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, DaLand CUSO board member, and board member of the TriUnity Foundation, is a dynamic leader with nearly two decades of strategic experience in finance, credit unions, and community banking. His expertise spans risk management, member business lending, strategic portfolio growth, and emerging areas such as digital finance, crypto, and tokenized assets.

As the executive driving SCFCU’s digital asset strategy, Chase leads the development and execution of innovative financial solutions, including the CU-Digital Asset Vault, ensuring the credit union remains at the forefront of this evolving space. His leadership extends across a l facets of lending, fostering a culture of growth and innovation. This is evident in the successful launch of the Business Services Strategy, the SBA initiative, and the insured “Extra Mile Loan Program.” He
is deeply committed to people development, coaching, and creating an environment where every team member can thrive.

Chase also plays a crucial role in SCFCU’s long-term strategy, particularly in integrating lending products with fintech infrastructure like DaLand’s R Path. His deep understanding of lending, risk management, and strategic growth ensures that SCFCU remains adaptable and competitive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.