John Roese

John Roese is Global Chief Technology Officer at Dell Technologies. In this role, John is responsible for establishing the company’s future-looking technology strategy and fostering innovation to make sure Dell Technologies is at the forefront of the industry with ground-breaking technologies that anticipate customers’ long-term needs today, tomorrow and beyond.

John joined Dell EMC in  2012 and was instrumental in shaping Dell EMC’s technology strategy as the company embarked on new growth and leadership across three of the most transformative trends in the history of IT – Cloud, Big Data and Trusted IT.

Prior to joining Dell EMC, John was the CTO, GM, and leader of several technology companies including Nortel, Broadcom, Futurewei, Enterasys, and Cabletron systems.  In addition to his roles as CTO, John has been a Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Information Officer in publicly traded companies.

John is a published author and holds more than 20 pending and granted patents in areas such as policy-based networking, location-based services, and security.  John has been active in numerous boards, including ATIS, OLPC, Blade Networks, Pingtel, Bering Media, and the Cloud Foundry Foundation. He currently serves as a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council, NYU Wireless Industry Advisory Board, and the Purdue Research Foundation / Purdue University Lab to Life Technology Leaders Advisory Board.

Cheryl Ainoa

An accomplished and results driven technology executive, Cheryl has built high performing, global product and technology teams that have created some of the web’s most innovative, popular and award-winning consumer experiences, and has spearheaded transformational change within organizations to drive business results at-scale.

As SVP New Businesses & Emerging Tech for Walmart Global Tech, Cheryl leads a team of technologists with a mission to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts by delivering value, speed, efficiencies and operational excellence for retail and emerging tech capabilities.

Prior to Walmart, Cheryl was COO of D2L, a software-as-a-service organization that works with schools and businesses to help transform the way the world learns. There, she was responsible for all product management, development, delivery and support functions for the company’s industry leading Brightspace cloud-based learning management system.

Previously, Cheryl was SVP of Product Development at Intuit, where she led the development of the company’s platforms and core services for four years. Before joining Intuit, Cheryl spent eight years at Yahoo! where she was SVP for global service engineering, leading the teams that managed the company’s applications in production worldwide. In addition, she led the teams that developed and managed the media products reaching more than 70 million people worldwide. She also spent 15 years in technical leadership positions at companies including Broderbund Software, Genealogy.com, Healtheon/WebMD, Informix Software and Impac Medical Systems.

Cheryl is a recipient of the YMCA Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award, which recognizes women who have excelled in their fields and made significant contributions to industry in executive, managerial and professional roles. Cheryl was also a recipient of the 2013 Intuit CEO Leadership Award. She has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University – Leavey School of Business.

Kavitha Prasad

Kavitha Prasad is the Vice President and General Manager of the Datacenter AI, Cloud Execution and Strategy group at Intel Corporation. As an experienced Business and Technology leader across a wide range of system applications, system architecture, business development, and go-to-market strategies, she has delivered competitive solutions to Cloud, Enterprise and Embedded markets.

Kavitha has a masterful track record of building high performance teams that consistently deliver high quality products at an aggressive cadence. As an established leader in the semiconductor industry, Kavitha’s broad hardware and software proficiency enables her to deliver multiple successful products in ASICs, SOCs, FPGAs and servers across multiple process nodes.

Best known for leveraging her passion for building authentic customer relationships and coupling it with her technical engineering expertise, Kavitha brings best-in-class AI and Machine Learning solutions in training and inference across edge to cloud.

Scott Hallworth

Scott Hallworth is HP’s Chief Data & Analytics Officer. In this role as part of the Digital & Transformation Organization, he is focused on delivering world-class data, analytics, AI/ML solutions, and IT operations, as well as leading cloud migration. Scott is a highly accomplished digital transformation leader with more than 30 years of experience transforming businesses through data, modelling, and advanced analytic skills.
Most recently, Scott served as Chief Digital Officer at Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for leading the development and execution of Fannie Mae’s data, analytics, and digital strategy. Prior to Fannie Mae, Scott was the Chief Data Officer and Chief Model Risk Officer at Capital One. He also has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. Scott is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Applied Actuarial Mathematics from Bryant University.

Brian Tilzer

Brian Tilzer is the chief digital, analytics and technology officer for Best Buy Co. Inc. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of information technology and digital at Best Buy to create a seamless and superior multichannel customer experience in support of the company’s Best Buy 2020 growth strategy. He also leads Best Buy’s enterprise data and analytics capability.

With more than 25 years of experience in strategic business development, operations and information technology, Brian has deep expertise in understanding, defining and delivering the technology necessary to provide a superior customer experience in a multichannel environment.

Prior to joining Best Buy in 2018, Brian served as chief digital officer at CVS Health, the largest pharmacy health care provider in the U.S. He also has served as senior vice president of e-commerce for Staples and senior vice president of strategy and business development for Linens ’n Things. Before that, he held leadership roles with Accenture, including helping Best Buy with several growth and performance-improvement programs.

Brian holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on the board of directors for Signet Jewelers, the largest retail jewelry chain in the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom.

Brett Craig

Brett Craig is executive vice president and chief information officer for Target and a member of its leadership team. He leads the strategic direction and management of the enterprise technology systems that elevate Target’s guest and team member experience. In this role, Brett is responsible for the company’s technology roadmap and oversees Target’s global product engineering, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data sciences, and architecture teams.

Brett joined Target in 2008 and has held a variety of leadership roles across the company. Prior to his promotion to chief information officer in 2022, Brett was senior vice president of Target’s digital team. He oversaw the site merchandising, digital solutions, product and user experience functions, and led the teams responsible for Target’s differentiated digital shopping experience. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of merchandising capabilities and spent ten years on Target’s technology team. Before joining Target, Brett worked at The Hartford Financial Services Group.

Brett earned his B.S. in Management from Cardinal Stritch University. He currently serves on the board of directors for Baxter Credit Union.

Julie Durham

Julie Durham is a Chief Technology Officer at UnitedHealthCare, where she is responsible for the strategy and execution of $3.5B of technology investments that drive the company’s revenue globally.

Prior to her current role, Julie was the CIO for Optum Payment Integrity and Optum Connect, serving on the senior pursuit team that led the M&A integration of Equian for $3.2B. She also worked as a Senior Director, IT Geek Squad and Services at BestBuy, accountable for all aspects of technology for 20,000 members of different teams.

Julie is also a Board Member of the Minnesota Technology Association, which is serving as a unifying voice and trusted convener for technology-driven companies in Minnesota.

Cari Benn

Cari Benn is Microsoft’s Assistant Chief Privacy Officer and is a leader in global privacy and data protection strategy. She is passionate about building a strong privacy culture that drives responsible innovation and respectful data use. Cari focuses on Microsoft’s strategy for advancing privacy in artificial intelligence, enterprise cloud and consumer services, and emerging technologies that underpin the world’s digital transformation.

Cari joined Microsoft in 2007 and is experienced in advising organizations of all sizes on privacy and data protection, including developing compliance approaches for the EU General Data Protection Regulation and other global data protection laws, leading mergers and acquisitions with complex data assets, and building world class privacy teams.

Cari lives with her family in Seattle, WA. She received her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and her B.A. from University of Denver.

Arun Bhaskara-Baba

Arun Kumar Bhaskara-Baba serves as the Chief Digital & Information Officer at Honeywell Aerospace, leading the company’s digital transformation to promote profitable growth and accelerate business value through innovative technology. His primary focus lies in enhancing the digital customer experience, streamlining new product introduction, and implementing an intelligent supply chain with AI-enabled decision-making. Arun joined Honeywell Aerospace in April 2022.

Before joining Honeywell, Arun held the position of Global Head of Manufacturing Product Information Technology at Johnson & Johnson (J&J). He oversaw the technological infrastructure at over 80 manufacturing sites across various segments, including Consumer, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Vision. Arun played a crucial role in implementing Industry 4.0 technologies, such as closed-loop manufacturing, SmartFactory capabilities, and IoT. He spearheaded the adoption of innovative solutions like social distancing wearables, remote monitoring and maintenance, smart glass technologies, and simulation tools for comprehensive risk management. Moreover, Arun led J&J’s Technology Global COVID-19 Crisis Management Team, where he established cross-functional teams to ensure technology readiness across the organization.

With a wealth of experience from life sciences, automotive, computer, and CPG industries, Arun has a proven track record of enhancing organizational performance and delivering exceptional business results on a global scale. His previous roles include positions at Dell, Ford Motor Company, Tata Consultancy Services, and teaching Digital Supply Chain Engineering for master’s students at Rutgers University.

A staunch advocate for talent development, inclusion, and diversity, Arun has actively contributed to employee resource groups throughout his career, such as Honeywell Asian Employee Network, J&J’s South Asian Professional Network and Association (SAPNA), and Dell Asians in Motion. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a bachelor’s degree in Electronics (Communication Engineering), and a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta, India. Additionally, Arun has earned CSCP, PMP, Executive Black Belt, Lean, and Six Sigma certifications.

Arun and his physician wife reside in Phoenix and are proud parents of two sons—an entrepreneur running a startup company and a student physician.

Karl Weiss

Karl Weiss is a senior vice president of Caterpillar Inc. with responsibility for the Integrated Components and Solutions Division and Chief Technology Officer.

Since joining Caterpillar in 1988, he has had various assignments within product development at Caterpillar’s Decatur, Joliet, and Aurora facilities, primarily focused on large machine structural design. Weiss subsequently transferred to Geneva, Switzerland, with Caterpillar Global Mining as an Equipment Management Consultant serving mining customers and dealers in Europe and Africa. He then became the Large Wheel Loader New Product Introduction Manager in Aurora, Ill. He and his family then moved to Beijing, China, for four years where Weiss served as the Wheel Loader Product Manager for the Asia Pacific Region. In that role he managed the integration of Shandong Engineering Machinery (SEM) as Caterpillar’s entry into the China Wheel Loader market. Weiss served as the worldwide product manager for Medium Wheel Loaders in Aurora. In 2013, the Caterpillar Board of Directors named Weiss vice president of the Earthmoving Division. He was then named vice president of Material Handling & Underground in August of 2017 and vice president of the Innovation & Technology Development Division and Chief Technology Officer in May of 2019.

Weiss, a native of Hagerstown, Indiana, graduated from Purdue University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural engineering. He received a MBA from Northern Illinois University in 1999.

Kent Helfrich

Kent Helfrich was appointed Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Global Research and Development for General Motors and President, GM Ventures on August 1, 2021. In these roles, Helfrich is responsible for innovation and technology solutions in the development of GM vehicles.

Helfrich previously was GM’s executive director of Global Electrification and Battery Systems, responsible for GM electrified vehicle hardware development and the overall electric vehicle propulsion calibration and driving performance.

Prior to re-joining GM in November 2016, Helfrich was vice president and CTO at Flex Automotive, splitting his time between Detroit and Silicon Valley.

In earlier GM positions, Helfrich was executive director and global functional leader for Vehicle Electrical Systems and executive director of Electronic Controls and Software for Powertrain and Vehicle systems. Between these two roles, Helfrich was globally responsible for all unstyled electrical systems in the vehicle, as well as defining electrical architecture and software architecture strategies.

Helfrich earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Dalia Powers

Dalia Powers is a technology executive focused on transforming organizations in Digital, Analytics, Data and core technology. Sets strategy, and drives results across industries including creating innovative digital products powered by AI/ML that reimagine customer experiences. She is experienced in leading global organizations of ~1,800 resources and ~$307M annual budget. An authentic and trusted leader who is passionate about developing and empowering the next generation of executives, Dalia is recognized for accelerating Agile Transformation, Cloud adoption, encouraging innovation, improving delivery and enhancing quality. Energetic leader with a broad perspective and deep technical roots.

Specialties:

• Sets strategic vision
• Drives Execution Excellence
• Boosts innovation and champions a fail fast mentality
• Lead large globally distributed organizations in different industries, including Technology, Financial Services, Commercial Real Estate, Healthcare and Insurance
• Lead Agile Transformation
• Trusted partner and advisor
• Exceptional ability to build long-term relations with customers and partners
• Technology experience spanning areas such as Cloud, DevSecOps, Augmented Reality(AR/VR), NLP, AI & Machine Learning, Fast and Big Data, data lakehouses, APIs, Micro-services, Containers, Streaming platforms, Web & Mobile technologies, Storage, Networks, and Converged Infrastructure.

Andrew Stanley

Andrew Stanley is a seasoned technology executive who has spent 25 years across multiple industries building strong teams, driving transformation programs, and delivering novel solutions to difficult technology problems. He is continuously recognized by his teams as a strong, engaged leader who empowers his teams to decide and succeed.

Since early 2022, Andrew Stanley has served as the Chief Information Security Officer & Global Digital Operations VP for Mars, Incorporated, a $45B global consumer goods, Petcare, veterinary health, and personal health device company headquartered in McLean, VA.

Mr. Stanley initially joined Mars, Incorporated in 2017 as the Chief Information Security Officer brining a deep background in cybersecurity, which started in his pre-university years designing cryptographic algorithms and conducting independent security research. More recently he has expanded his role to integrate the pre-existing IT Core Services organization with Cybersecurity under his leadership. This new organization, entitled Global Digital Operations, is responsible for the development, deployment, and operation of all digital services across Infrastructure, Applications, and Cybersecurity for Mars, Incorporated. In addition, it houses the digital Compliance and Assurance function.

His current work spans technology leadership, corporate strategy, and government/diplomatic affairs. During his time at Mars, Incorporated he has created and lead a transformation of cybersecurity at the company, integrating security from across the enterprise into one security function. By integrating manufacturing, corporate, product, and healthcare operations he has given all stakeholders a holistic view of the challenges the firm faces.

Previously, Andrew worked with the World Economic Forum, the Coalition for Responsible Cybersecurity, and as a CISO Ambassador for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Stanley is also a research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business, focused on new ways of driving change within large enterprises. Mr. Stanley and his teams led cybersecurity regulatory reform efforts at the local, national, and diplomatic levels; influencing policy in Washington, Brussels, and the United Nations.

Before his current role, Mr. Stanley served as the Chief Information Security Officer for Philips, a $25B, 130,000 employee global healthcare and lighting company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. During his time at Philips, he led a complete transformation of cybersecurity, initiating and delivering a two year improvement program that created an enterprise wide information security function. His novel approach created a business and product focused organization underpinned by the fusion of product hardware and software security research, digital and human intelligence, operations, government affairs, and risk management.

Mr. Stanley holds an MBA from the University of Virginia. He was previously a board member for Cloud Nine Rescue, a now closed non-profit emergency air transport service. Additionally, he supports the fundraising efforts of Angel Flight East, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, and the Epilepsy Foundation. He resides in the Boston area and spends his spare time sailing with his family in the Gulf of Maine.

Ron Kim

Ron Kim is a technology leader who has achieved executive success in all arenas from Corporate Fortune 100 to Silicon Valley private equity to global “Big 5” consulting. Ron is currently the Chief Technology Officer of Merck, a $45B global Pharmaceutical leader. Ron joined Merck in August 2020 and his role is to “SUPERCHARGE” IT efforts to drive the best business outcomes. Ron focuses on game-changing technology initiatives in the areas of data and analytics, AI/ML, automation, journey to cloud, innovation and enterprise architecture.

Prior to joining Merck, Ron was the CIO/CTO/CISO expert advisor for TPG Global, one of the nation’s leading private equity firms with a $120B portfolio of 100+ companies. In this role Ron drove technology activities for acquisitions, mergers and carve-outs in a portfolio that included J. Crew, IQVIA, Cirque du Soleil, Caesar’s Palace/Entertainment, McAfee, Rodan and Fields, Life Time Fitness and many others. Before joining TPG in 2015, Ron was the Chief Information Officer of the $18B Exelon Utilities business, the largest set of energy utilities in the U.S. Prior to joining Exelon, Ron spent the first 17 years of his career at Accenture, where he was a Partner in their Technology Consulting practice driving technology solutions and innovation for various Fortune 500 companies.

Ron attended the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate computer science degree as well as his MBA from the university’s Ross School of Business.

Catherine McCully

Catherine oversees cybersecurity and information security for P&G’s global enterprise. She leads the organization responsible for establishing and maintaining strong protection for P&G, while enabling business operations and growth with a focus on secure, resilient capabilities.

Prior to joining P&G, Catherine held several cybersecurity and information security roles in global financial services and retail Fortune 100 companies. Her experience ranges from engineering to risk management, and frontline incident response to key leadership roles.

Catherine has a proven track record of leading transformative changes across people, processes and technologies. She builds strategic partnerships with peers, partners and her teams to drive security culture amidst the dynamic digital landscape.

Andy Markus

As AT&T’s Chief Data Officer, Andy Markus leads the vision for data platforms and analytics to position AT&T for growth and serving customers in new ways. His Chief Data Office (CDO) is building enterprise-wide target architecture and solutions for the company. CDO will transform and modernize AT&T data platforms, data supply chain and the data science ecosystem. These initiatives, along with a cutting-edge AI and automation framework, will significantly enhance revenue and reduce costs, while driving a special responsibility to champion data governance creating a unified enterprise view of AT&T data assets using a federated approach to data.

Mark Papermaster

Mark Papermaster is Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering responsible for Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) technical direction and product development including microprocessor design, I/O and memory, system-on-chip (SOC) methodology, and advanced research. He led the re-design of engineering processes at AMD and the development of the award-winning “Zen” high-performance x86 CPU family, high-performance GPUs and the company’s modular design approach, Infinity Architecture. He also oversees Information Technology (IT) that delivers AMD’s compute infrastructure and services.

His 40 years of engineering experience includes significant leadership roles managing the development of a wide range of products, from microprocessors to mobile devices and high-performance servers. Before joining AMD in October 2011 as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Papermaster was the leader of Cisco’s Silicon Engineering Group, Apple Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering for iPod and iPhone and held multiple IBM roles in technology and server development.

Papermaster received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and master’s degree from the University of Vermont, both in Electrical Engineering. He is a member of the Global Semiconductor Alliance Board of Directors, IEEE Industry Advisory Board, University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering Advisory Board, and most recently the Purdue University Semiconductor Degrees Leadership Board.

Juan José Pajon

Juan Jose Pajon is the Business Technology Global Senior at Grupo Bimbo, where he has been recognized as Mexico CIO of the Year in 2021 and one to the Top Ten Influencers in Latin America for Digital Transformation. He is one of the leaders responsible for GB’s digital transformation globally, where he leads Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Apps and Cloud.

Prior to this role, he was CIO Global Operations IT Latin America for GE, where he was responsible for the digital transformation of General Electric´s Shared Service Center for Latin America and Corporate IT lead for the region. Previously, he led the Apps Globalizations team at Oracle for Latin America working directly with the ERP development’s team to ensure market competitiveness.

He has also extensive experience in relevant topics such as ERP, Applications, Blockchain, and recently, in all Web3 technologies including Metaverse. He currently gives CIO Certification classes in one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico.

Juan Jose earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of Buenos Aires, and a General Management certification degree at IPADE Business School (including a Stanford Graduate School of Business General Management certification).

He was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and resides in Mexico City with his wife Laura and his children Juan Cruz and Lara. He is also an avid Boca Juniors’ fan.

Jen Felch

As Chief Digital Officer and CIO, Jen Felch drives the strategy, direction and delivery for Dell Digital while leading the transformation and adoption of digital technologies across Dell.

Jen’s position combines the traditional roles and responsibilities of a CIO, along with the emerging role of change agent for digital transformation. She leads the organization in the Dell Digital Way – a simplified and innovative approach to quickly introducing new products and capabilities that provide Dell with an unrivaled competitive edge.

Prior to her current role, Jen was a senior vice president in the Office of the CIO, leading corporate supply chain, IT strategy and business operations. Before that, Jen dramatically improved the order experience for businesses throughout Dell and held several global business architecture, supply chain and factory operations roles. Prior to joining Dell, she held a variety of engineering and leadership roles at Boeing, Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC), and successful software startups.

Jen has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and is an alumnus of the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, where she earned her MBA and an MS in Computer Science.

Mel Crocker

Mel Crocker is Air Canada’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer, with overall responsibility for the Information Technology systems that support and enable Air Canada’s global business. In this role, Mel oversees all dimensions of planning, building, operating, and evolving the systems that allow Air Canada to remain safe, secure, reliable, and competitive.

Mel joined Air Canada in 2018, and prior to his appointment as Chief Information Officer in September 2021, he held various senior positions within the Information Technology team, driving the evolution of major enterprise systems, establishing key process improvements, and achieving transformational changes. Before joining Air Canada, he was the Vice President of Enterprise Services and Chief Information Security Officer at Enbridge. Prior to his time in IT, Mel was in the defense industry, holding a combination of technical and leadership roles in General Dynamics and the Canadian Army.

Mel has a Bachelor of Mathematics and Physics and a Master of Software Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Viral Vyas

Viral Vyas is an accomplished IT executive with a distinctive blend of knowledge in science, information technology, and management. With a deep understanding of pharmaceutical research and development, Viral is passionate about improving patients’ lives by aligning IT and business strategies. He is widely recognized as an authentic leader and trusted advisor, known for his ability to drive change and digital transformation efforts internally and externally. He excels in leadership, building, growing, and motivating professionals at all levels of the organization.

Viral currently holds the position of Director of IT for Global Clinical Development at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), where he is responsible for devising innovative strategies to enable scientists to deliver lifesaving medicines to patients faster. He achieved significant business value by leading a program/project that established a digital platform for ingesting, transforming, conforming, and reporting biomarker data from clinical trials. He also developed technology strategies that resulted in savings of $10 million during Celgene integrations with BMS.

Viral holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Florida, a Master’s in Information Systems from the Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor’s in Microbiology from the University of Florida.

Laurent Lefouet

As the Chief Customer Officer at Aera Technology, Laurent Lefouet leads the company’s high-performing customer success initiatives and operations. A strategic, outcome-focused leader, Laurent puts customers at the center of the experience to deliver satisfaction, retention, and growth. He brings more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software and technology. Prior to Aera, Laurent served as the Managing Director for EMEA at Anaplan. Before Anaplan, he was the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Large Enterprise Sales for SAP France. Laurent has also held international management roles at Business Objects Global and SAP EMEA and India.

Eddie Daghelian

Eddie Daghelian is an accomplished IT leader with over 20 years of experience in the industry working with clients and partners globally in their digital transformation. He has a strong track record of helping clients develop and execute technology strategies that drive business growth and improve operational efficiency. In his most recent roles at leading technology companies, Eddie has been instrumental in guiding clients to leverage latest capabilities in cloud-native development, modernization for cloud, and AI/machine learning to achieve greater business agility for competitive advantage. Eddie brings his deep knowledge and passion for technology to facilitate a dynamic and engaging discussion among senior IT leaders from various companies. With his expertise in IT leadership and innovation, Eddie is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and innovative community that helps shape the future of IT.

Greg Rivera

As Vice President of Product for CAST Highlight, Greg leads strategy for CAST’s SaaS product helping clients and partners govern application portfolios, accelerate application modernization, control open source risks, and make greener software. He has held technology leadership roles with Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, IDG, and Arrow Electronics for over 20 years. Greg has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Management of Technology and is passionate about applying technology to improve business and our everyday lives.

Dean Bedwell

Dean Bedwell leads the Advisory team for Directions on Microsoft. Dean has over 25 years’ experience in sales, marketing, and business solutions, he takes great pride in helping customers understand and increase the value they derive from their software. Dean is a proven business leader with demonstrated record of achievement both in senior sales leadership and general management roles. Prior to Directions on Microsoft, Dean was a business leader at Microsoft. He held many roles ranging from sales and marketing to licensing.  In his last role at Microsoft, he was directing the Canadian Business Desk focused on all Public Sector and Enterprise customers in Canada. Dean’s responsibilities included leading the Canadian Licensing team, customer licensing strategy for Canada and individual customers, product license discounts, legal contract concessions and final contract decision approvals.  His portfolio encompassed over $1B of sales annually.

Gonzalo Benedit

Gonzalo Benedit is Chief Revenue Officer at Aera Technology. Before joining Aera, Gonzalo served as President for Workday International covering both EMEA and Asia. Prior to this, he held several executive positions at SAP across the globe, including Managing Director for SAP Mexico and Chief Operating Officer for SAP EMEA. For nearly 20 years, Gonzalo has been supporting enterprises across the globe in their goals to embrace new technologies and navigate digital transformation journeys. Originally from Argentina, Gonzalo holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics and a master’s degree in finance from Torcuato Di Tella University.

Tushar Bhalla

Tushar has been guiding customers through their implementation challenges in Digital Supply Chain Strategy, Planning & Transformations for the last 15 years with expertise in SAP IBP, SAP APO, SAP Ariba and more.  He has worked with more than 25 recognized brands in the Consumer Products, Food, Automotive, Semiconductor, Hi-Tech, Oil & Gas, Chemical sectors.

Maryann Byrdak

As Chief Information Officer, Maryann serves as senior technology strategist and is responsible for guiding the organization’s vision for the emerging technologies, digital trends and infrastructure advances that will help Feeding America fulfill its mission. Her passion to serve and experience leading technology transformations influence the optimization efforts for a more connected Feeding America network.

Prior to joining Feeding America, Maryann was Senior Vice President/CIO at Potbelly Sandwich Works, Inc., where she led Potbelly’s entire technology footprint including corporate headquarters and 500+ restaurants nationwide. During her time there, she defined and executed a three-year technology refresh and digital presence roadmap by migrating their systems to a standardized, modernized and innovative environment.

Prior to Potbelly, Maryann spent nine years with the Office Depot/Office Max organization in various roles, with the last being the Senior Director, Information Technology Merger Integration, where she was responsible for system integration strategy, synergy valuation, outsourcing services implementation and end-to-end conversions.  Her passion for distributed environments was influenced by her tenure at Sears, during those 8 years she led many cross-functional technology initiatives focused on POS customer experience transformations.

Maryann earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Elmhurst College, Illinois, an M.B.A. Information Management and Marketing from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Stuart School of Business in Chicago, and executive training at Booth Chicago.

Saurav Ghosh

Saurav Ghosh is a seasoned technology leader with more than 16 years of experience in the Life Sciences Technology industry. At IQVIA, he has overseen the implementation of large-scale SaaS products and has led several business process transformation initiatives for over 30 Life Sciences organizations. Saurav is known for his ability to champion processes, lead with agility, and prioritize customer-centricity. Currently serving as the Vice President of Global Business Partnership and Applications at Genmab, he is focused on bringing innovative digital capabilities to Genmab. With a deep understanding of technological trends and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Saurav is a highly respected leader in the field of Life Sciences Technology, bringing value and insights his organization and looking to stay ahead of the curve.

David Morales

David Morales is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology at Western Governors University, where he is responsible for shaping WGU’s education technology agenda. Under his leadership, his team has been instrumental in leading WGU’s open-source initiative – the Open Skills Management Toolkit (OSMT) as an open-source project, under the Apache license – giving free access to employers, higher ed institutions, and others to develop and collaborate on skills libraries. He has more than 19 years of experience as a software engineer and technology leader.

Nathan Tate

Nathan Tate, Jr. has had an extensive 40-year career in consulting for commercial Broadcast and Telecommunications businesses. Before accepting the position of Chief Technology Officer at Mississippi Public Broadcasting, he served as Assistant Broadcast Director for Alabama Public Television.

Other notable positions include serving as Chief Engineer of Broadcast One Inc., as well as serving as a professional engineering tutor at J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College. Nathan Also Served as SR Alarms / I&R Technician for the International Communications Group (ICG). Nathan has been notably active in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for over a decade. During his tenure with CAP, he has held various positions such as Wing Transportation Officer, Assistant Wing Logistics Director, Communications Officer, and currently holds the Rank of Captain.

Nathan holds a dual degree in Industrial Electronics and Computer Applications. Nathan is a certified member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, GVF ASPC He is an avid Amateur Radio operator.

Robert Sheesley

Robert Sheesley is a senior executive leader with experience driving business and technology transformational change and growth across mid-market and global Fortune 100 organizations. He is well known for being a people-focused leader recognized for building teams of experts, cultivating critical mass, and delivering exceptional results.  A strategically focused executive who leverages a unique blend of information technology, business architecture, and mergers and acquisitions knowledge and experience to consistently align vision, mission, and strategy. His past responsibilities include leading transformations for scale to achieve measurable business value and navigating starfish and spider organizations with a consistent record of leading from various starting points and translating complex challenges into opportunities.

In his current role as Chief Information Officer of Wrench Group, Robert is responsible for the information, technology and computing platforms enabling and supporting Wrench Group’s enterprise goals and driving technology innovation and the adoption and use of technology across the enterprise to support business expansion, data and information-based decision making and digital transformation to create competitive advantage and drive organic and transactional growth.   Robert oversees all information, technology, and systems functions for Wrench Group and its twenty-six brands across twenty-five cities and fourteen states in the United States, serving two million customers.

A United States Marine and Operation Desert Storm Veteran, Robert is a three-time finalist in three separate categories for GeorgiaCIO of The Year and is an active member of the  GeorgiaCIO Advisory Board and  the Pennsylvania Region 13 Counter Terrorism Task Force.  He holds a MBA and Bachelor of Science Degree of Communications from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, a Cyber Security Leadership Certification and Enterprise Architecture Certification from Carnegie Mellon University, a TOGAF 9 Enterprise Architecture Certification from The Open Group, a Business Architecture Certification from the Business Architecture Guild, and a Merger and Acquisition Integration Advisor Certificate from Pritchett, LP.

Andrea Polatos

Andrea joined McKesson in January 2020 in the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Information officer for McKesson Canada.    McKesson Canada plays a pivotal role in the Canadian healthcare supply chain by providing solutions to manufacturers, pharmacies, hospitals and various healthcare institutions who serve the needs of Canadian patients every day. McKesson Canada is the largest pharmaceutical distributor in Canada.  It owns and operates 6 retail banners and 2,300 independent community pharmacies.  It is also Canada’s leading online destination for health, wellness, beauty and baby products through Well.ca

Prior to joining McKesson, Andrea held the position of Vice-President Information Technology at SNC Lavalin where she was responsible for the IT Application landscape including design engineering solutions.  SNC-Lavalin is a leading engineering and construction company employing over 50,000 resources in some 100 countries.  She has also held senior roles at Bombardier Aerospace where she lead global technology and business transformations.

Andrea holds a Masters of Business Administration from the John Molson School of Business, Concordia.

Jasmine Qadri

Ms. Jasmine Qadri brings twenty-five plus years in technology, infrastructure operations, and large-scale program management experience to BURNCO Rock Products Ltd. She is currently serving as the Chief Information Officer and Vice President Transformation at BURNCO Rock Products, where she oversees the company’s North American information technology organization including technology strategy, cybersecurity, data and business intelligence, ERP, network infrastructure, data center and enterprise operations, and the portfolio management office. In addition, Ms. Qadri leads the organization’s Transformation Office where she is responsible for merger and acquisition integration, business process transformation across the enterprise, and collaboration  with BURNCO’s executive team to develop, enhance and lead the organization’s strategic planning process.

Previously, Ms. Qadri held senior roles in the Rail, Power, and Oil and Gas industries, leading enterprise information and operational technology as well as  portfolio management offices. In addition, she has led and implemented multi-million-dollar programs driving digital transformation and adoption throughout organizations; including critical infrastructure protection standards for a provincial power grid.

Chad Ramsey

Chad is an accomplished technology executive with a wealth of experience in the field, dedicating the last 15 years of his career to Cardinal Health. During this time, he has emerged as a trusted leader in Commercial Technologies at Fuse, demonstrating his expertise in the industry.

Throughout his career, Chad has demonstrated his ability to establish and manage exceptional engineering teams in various sectors of the healthcare landscape. His leadership has been instrumental in Retail Pharmacy, Acute Care, Specialty Physician Office, and Community Oncology, where he has successfully tackled the unique challenges inherent in the healthcare domain.

Navigating the complexities of the healthcare space has required Chad to excel in addressing critical concerns such as HIPAA regulation and security compliance. He has consistently prioritized ensuring data privacy and security, applying his extensive knowledge to develop robust solutions in accordance with industry regulations.

In his most recent role, Chad has taken on the responsibility of spearheading an enterprise-wide initiative to achieve HITRUST CSF certification. By meticulously crafting a fully HITRUST compliant infrastructure environment, he has positioned the organization to extend this high level of security and compliance across all facets of the business. Chad’s vision and dedication are driving the company towards a comprehensive and industry-leading security posture.

Sanjay Bhutiani

Darin Riggs

Tai Phan

Claudio Laterreur