Ram Kumar is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer of Cigna’s International Markets where he is responsible for driving data and analytics strategy and its execution for 30+ countries covering The Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. Prior to Cigna, Ram was the CEO of Quantium India where he was responsible for the overall management and operations of the organization that serves as a Centre of Excellence for Data Science and AI consulting, Data Product development, Technology Operations and Innovation, serving the Quantium Group, a global Australian company, that is No.1 in Data Science.

Ram commenced his career in Australia and has over 30 years of solid background in Information Technology coupled with over 22 years’ experience in data strategy and execution. He has held many executive roles in his career including as Group CTO, CIO of Asia and as Group Head of Data and Privacy for Insurance Australia Group and as Chief Data and Analytics Officer of QBE Insurance. He implemented his first data governance and monetization program in 1992. He has a strong basic and applied R&D background in AI and Machine learning and was actively involved in this field between 1986 and 2005, and has worked closely with some of the pioneers in this field.  His first big data based advanced analytics project was in 1992.  Ram has served as a member of the Data Research Advisory Board of MIT Sloan School from 2016-2019. He spent over 16 years building open data standards under OASIS, a Global Standards Body and his standards have been implemented globally and notably by Google Maps.

Ram has published over 150 articles and is a regularly invited keynote speaker in conferences globally and has spoken extensively. Ram is recipient of several IT and Data related awards globally. His work has been published as chapters in books as global best practices. Ram holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering with Artificial Intelligence as the major in both.

Adam Rosenbaum is a dynamic and accomplished professional with a rich experience spanning decades in data governance, analytics, and information systems. He is currently a Data Governance Analyst at Sands Capital.

Before this, Adam had a rewarding stint as the Manager, Analytics at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Here, he led a vibrant cross-organizational data governance team, creating innovative processes and procedures that significantly boosted member engagement, revenue, and advocacy campaigns. His leadership in developing a data glossary and a workshops for Excel and PowerBI reporting was highly appreciated.

Adam’s journey also includes a successful tenure as an Engagement Manager at Akamai Technologies. In this capacity, he led large multi-organizational business and technical teams. His initiative in developing templates for uniform business metrics reporting was a game-changer, saving countless hours and streamlining processes.

His career also saw a fulfilling period with the Council for Advancement & Support of Education, where he served in various roles including Director, Information Architecture, Director of Information Systems, and Database Administrator. His contributions in these roles, from leading the development of the organization’s analytics program to managing the migration to a new CRM/AMS platform, were instrumental in driving the organization’s success.

Earlier in his career, Adam served as the Assistant Director for Educational Technology at the Council for Opportunity in Education, where he successfully ran U.S. Department of Education TRIO staff training grants. His work at Democracy Data & Communications LLC as a Technical Services Manager & Operations Specialist, and his time as a Teacher at Montgomery County Public Schools, were marked by his dedication and commitment to life long learning and education.

Adam’s career is a testament to his ability to lead teams, develop efficient processes, and utilize data to drive decision-making. His infectious enthusiasm, combined with his expertise in data governance, analytics, and information systems, are what drive his passion for working with people and data.

A seasoned Data & Analytics Executive with 15+ years of experience driving business value through strategic data initiatives, data-driven decision-making, and advanced technology implementation. Proven ability to architect and implement robust data infrastructure, leverage cutting-edge analytics techniques, and build high-performing teams. Recognized for delivering significant cost savings, revenue growth, and operational improvements.

Career Highlights:

• Led a $300M digital transformation at MPI, achieving annual savings exceeding $7M and streamlining processes.
• Architected a data and analytics ecosystem at The Weather Network, driving a 20% reduction in operational expenses and a 40% increase in customer engagement.
• Delivered cost savings exceeding $9M and EBITDA impact of $250M at VEON B.V., building data competency in 10 countries.
• Supported IBM UK in developing Big Data Architecture for HSBC Bank UK, enhancing data analytics capabilities.

Daniel Pullen is currently the Chief Data Architect and Data Scientist for SAIC’s corporate data operation. SAIC is a fortune 500 Information Technology Services company based in Reston, Virginia. Currently, Daniel is leading the implementation of SAIC’s Cloud Native Data Platform that puts Data Management, Data Governance, Master Data Management and Cloud Native concepts at the forefront. Daniel Pullen started his journey in the realm of data through his education. He has three degrees in Information and Information Quality spanning from his B.S. of Information Science through his PhD in Integrated Computing: Information Quality Track. During his career in data, Daniel has participated in research and publications in both an academic and industrial capacities. He is passionate about data and how effective analytics can provide substantial value for organizations. Daniel always likes to highlight that modern Data Analytics through the application of comprehensive statistical models, machine learning and artificial intelligent are only successful through effective Data Management, Data Governance and Master Data Management. He has a rich background and experience in core data competencies including but not limited to Data Management, Data Governance, Master Data Management, Entity Resolution, Data Warehousing and Data Science. Entity Resolution was the topic of Daniel’s Doctoral Research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and his first exposure to the concepts of Information Quality. It will always be his first love when it comes to data!

Dean C. Pickett is a seasoned private and public sector leader with a remarkable track record of driving enterprise data and predictive analytics divisions to new heights. With a wealth of expertise in Fortune 100 enterprise data strategies, IT and data operations, data management processes, and the oversight of large-scale analytics projects, Dean has consistently developed strategic vision and realized results. With his recent roles as leaders in Fortune 10 healthcare supply chain corporation and public sector, Dean has cemented his position as a true visionary and effective strategist in the corporate world. 

He currently serves as the Assistant State Chief Data Officer and Chief Data Officer at Department of Administrative Services for the State of Ohio. In this role, he is driving the effective use of data and maturing the analytics within the State of Ohio. Previously, he was an Executive Advisor and Program Lead for the InnovateOhio Platform – Data Analytics program at the State of Ohio, Dean helped drive the data and analytic maturity in Ohio. This is evident by the numerous national awards which the program has been awarded over the past 5 years. While in this role, Dean has helped to drive cost efficiencies, improve state revenue, improved the effectiveness of state programs, as well as helped in leading the efforts to reduce fraud across the state. 

Previously he served as the Managing Partner and Executive Advisor at Edge Analytics. In this role, he is accountable for strategic planning, business relationship cultivation, and revenue growth, which has demonstrated a remarkable increase of over 55% in the last two years. Dean is renowned for his effective leadership and ability to support enterprise operations. This is evidenced by his role as the Director of Data Analytics Platforms and Services for a Fortune 20 healthcare supply chain corporation. In that position, he successfully managed a $4 million project that involved transitioning information from Teradata to Hadoop, enabling greater insights and more accurate forecasting. Notably, he developed a dental management performance application and led initiatives to improve the analytic maturity across the State of Ohio, identifying areas for revenue improvement and program effectiveness. Additionally, he developed a cutting-edge dental management performance application, further solidifying his reputation as an innovator in the field. 

Dean’s career is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, a passion for analytics, and an unwavering dedication to driving innovation in the corporate world. Dean is also actively engaged as an advisory board member for several organizations, including Spring Labs, Plumlogix, Gramener, and Faith Life Church. 

Ashish is senior Data & Analytics Leader with more than 20 years of experience in Data Management, Analytics & Digital applications areas. He has orchestrated data strategy to envision and deliver data-as product for Deere, a Fortune 100 manufacturer and its Financial Services business; driven Data Governance and Management, fueled insight-driven decision-making cultures; and built high-flying data and data engineering platform teams from the ground up. He has worked and lived in 4 Continents (Asia, Europe, South America & North America) with experiences of developing and building Data and Digital Organizations across the globe.

Notable accomplishments during Ashish’s prolific tenure at John Deere Enterprise (Deere) / John Deere Financial (JDF) include:
• Most recently as JD’s global Data Leader at Enterprise level, Ashish drove Enterprise Data Strategy, and launched and led data platform teams to deliver key data platforms in months (previously done in years) and led multiple major enterprise initiatives successfully (Unified data Platform, Enterprise Data Marketplace, Data Quality, and Enterprise Data Protection/Security) with a focus on active data/Metadata Management, data products and Data Governance
• Previously as Data leader for data and analytics products at divisional level, Ashish led multiple Data initiatives to transform John Deere Financial’s data into strategic products and established data teams (based on data mesh principles and aligned to business capabilities) across U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America, embedding agile scrum methodologies as key priorities.
Ashish has been awarded with 2 of the most esteemed company accolades at John Deere Enterprise—the 2020 Deere & Company’s Chairman Award and JDF President’s Award of Excellence.
• Transforming data into strategic assets during his 5 years as Data & Technology Head for John Deere Financial (JDF) in both South America and Asia, Ashish won Deere & Company’s Chairman Award and 2 JDF “President’s Awards” in 2016 and 2018 for driving strategic projects, including launching JDF India’s first global, mobile-based digital application that slashed credit approval time from 20+ days to less than 7.
• Assembling and steering a 100+ person data and technology team in India, Ashish launched the company’s first data and
analytics center of excellence (CoE).