200+ Leaders Craft a Blueprint for Responsible, Scalable AI at CDO Magazine Global Summit

CDO Magazine Global AI Leadership Summit: Executive Highlights and Actions

Over 200 senior data, analytics, and AI leaders gathered at The Westin Cincinnati on October 8 for a full day focused on enterprise-scale AI. With 40+ speakers and a theme centered on strategy, responsibility, and innovation, the summit prioritized real outcomes: scaling AI, governing it well, and tying it to business value.

The event was part of a three-day leadership series: Data (Oct 7), AI (Oct 8), and Cybersecurity (Oct 9). Attendees spanned industries including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, retail, logistics, aerospace, and government. The common thread: move beyond pilots, build strong data foundations, and make AI literacy a baseline.

Why it matters for executives

• AI progress is real, but ROI depends on data readiness, governance, and change management.
• AI literacy across functions is now a requirement, not a perk.
• Convergence of AI, data, risk, and cybersecurity is reshaping leadership and operating models.

Key session themes

• Emerging Trends in AI
• Operationalizing & Scaling AI
• Data Foundations for AI
• Use Case Presentations
• Responsible AI
• Practical Strategies for AI

Notable keynotes

• Unleashing Innovation: Robotics as a Catalyst for Digital Transformation - Chad Wright, CIO, Boston Dynamics, featuring Spot, the agile mobile robot
• Unlocking Enterprise Value: Turning AI Experiments into Trusted Outcomes - Jignesh Patel (Cencora), Derek Waldron (JPMorganChase), Priyanka Karan (AHEAD)
• Redefining Enterprise Leadership - Thomas Mazzaferro, Chief Data Officer, Cyera

Standout sessions

• Building Robust Data Foundations for Scalable AI - Insights on resilient data frameworks from leaders at MeridianLink, City of Westerville, Lithko Contracting, and City of Cincinnati
• Bridging the AI Gap: Why 95% of Pilots Fail - and How to Make Them Succeed - A direct look at failure patterns and the practices that push pilots to production

Executive playbook from the summit

• Start with the business problem. Tech is an enabler, not the goal.
• Data first. Invest so teams spend less time finding data and more time delivering outcomes.
• Co-create with the business. Shared ownership drives adoption and clear accountability.
• Measure what matters. Prioritize AI work that reduces risk, improves efficiency, or drives revenue.
• Advance pilots with intent. Define success, de-risk early, and plan the transition to production.
• Governance with speed. Protect IP and privacy while enabling experimentation.
• AI literacy is non-negotiable. Upskill leaders and teams to make better decisions and avoid blind spots.
• Change management is a core feature. Communicate impacts on roles, workflows, and controls.
• Integrate security. Data, AI, risk, and cyber are increasingly inseparable.

Direct quotes from leaders

• "Data is the backbone, AI literacy is non-negotiable, and we need to think about how AI is reshaping, not replacing work." - Jignesh Patel
• "I was encouraged to see a real focus on all the building blocks needed to turn data and AI into business value." - Derek Waldron
• "These gatherings are where trust is built, ideas are sparked, and leadership is shared." - Della Shea
• "Panels focused on practical knowledge and innovative approaches to advance AI initiatives." - Christopher Eldredge
• "While the pace of change in GenAI is exponential, the success mantra remains the same." - Yogesh Bhardwaj
• "Executives shared not just wins, but the hard lessons that move this field forward." - Michelle Ziegler
• "Bringing AI, data, and cybersecurity leaders together turns insight into action." - Thomas Mazzaferro

Industry reach

Leaders from manufacturing, technology, financial services, insurance, healthcare, pharma, retail, logistics, supply chain, aerospace, and government shared concrete approaches to scaling AI responsibly and efficiently.

Meet the summit co-chairs

• Mike Baca, Cencora - Sr. Director, AI Platforms & Solutions
• Christopher Eldredge, MeridianLink - VP, Data
• John Georgesen, Concentrix - VP, AI & Advanced Analytics
• Ravi Katyal, Cintas - Manager, IT Emerging Technology
• Gokula Mishra - former VP, Data Science & AI/ML, Direct Supply
• Leo Rajapakse, Bimbo Bakeries USA - Global Head, Platform Infrastructure, Digital & Advanced Technology
• Sanjay Saxena, Bread Financial - VP, Data Management, Privacy & AI Governance
• Sandy Steiger, Lithko Contracting - Director, Data & Development

What executives highlighted

• Advance GenAI pilots with a clear path to production
• Prioritize data visibility, privacy, and security
• Build and evolve AI governance frameworks
• Treat responsible and ethical AI as non-negotiable
• Focus on end-to-end solutions, not isolated models
• Adopt "learn fast, improve fast" operating habits

Governance resources

For leaders designing practical guardrails, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework is a useful reference. Review the framework.

Upskilling your organization

If your strategy includes raising AI literacy across functions, explore curated training mapped to roles and skills. See role-based AI courses.

Sponsors

Thanks to AHEAD, Cyera, Deloitte, Flexor, Kognitos, Presidio, Pure Storage, Dataiku, Vast, Burtch Works, Centric Consulting, Coretek, Enlivened Tech, Denodo, The Data Lodge, and Data Society.

Spotlight moments

Boston Dynamics CIO Chad Wright and Spot, the robotic quadruped, showed how robotics and AI tie directly to digital transformation strategies. Sessions on resilient data foundations and pilot-to-production strategies delivered the most immediate value for teams under pressure to ship results this year.

Final takeaway

The message was clear: Start with the problem, invest in data, make AI literacy standard, measure with business metrics, and bake in governance. That's how AI moves from slideware to sustained impact.