The AI Leadership Forum agenda has been shaped in close collaboration with a steering committee of experienced board members and executives, ensuring the program addresses the most critical and relevant topics for today’s leaders.
Senior Vice President, Enterprise IT Strategy, Salesforce
Shibani Ahuja is a seasoned executive serving as Senior Vice President,
Enterprise IT Strategy at Salesforce. With extensive experience across multiple disciplines and geographies, Shibani has held various roles globally, encompassing business and corporate functions such as digital, HR, finance, and product development.
In her current role, Shibani leverages her expertise to drive go-to-market
strategies that position Salesforce as the foremost provider of a flexible,
agentic AI platform tailored for enterprise CIOs. Her leadership is dedicated to aligning technology solutions with business objectives, ensuring both seamless integration and continuous innovation across the organization.
Shibani is recognized for her commitment to diversity and inclusion, having received international recognition as one of the top Outstanding LGBT+ Emerging leaders globally. She continues to advocate for inclusive practices in the tech industry, fostering environments that support diverse talent and
perspectives.
Prior to joining Salesforce, Shibani held significant roles at TD Bank, where she served as Vice President and Executive Product Owner, leading teams in technology and customer engagement strategies. Her experience includes expatriate assignments in Asia with Manulife, further enhancing her global perspective and leadership skills.
4:10 – 5:00 pm
Closing Keynote: Building AI at Scale: Inside a Real-World Enterprise Transformation
Board Member, Alliance Entertainment, Principal Mineral Company, StoneAge Holdings
Sheila Bangalore is a seasoned senior operator who blends her financial and legal acumen to support multinational technology (B2B/C), mining, specialty materials and healthcare businesses. Presently, Sheila serves as an independent director for Alliance Entertainment, Inc (Nasdaq: AENT), a global entertainment distribution company; Principal Mineral Company, a leading VC-backed critical minerals company; and StoneAge Holdings, Inc., an ESOP company and category leader for industrial cleaning tools servicing the mining, oil/gas and specialty materials sectors, where she chairs the Governance Committee. Sheila also serves as an active member of the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence Insights Council, a collective of global board members and executive leaders at the forefront of corporate governance, and an advisory board member of Wharton Alumni for Boards.
1:10 – 2:05 pm
Workshop: Rethinking Board Structure for the Digital Age
Partner, Head of Shareholder Engagement & Activism, New York, Freshfields
Leza focuses on activism and takeover defense preparedness and corporate governance, with deep experience advising companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence and emerging technology. She advises boards of directors and management on governance and crisis management, including stakeholder engagement; board composition, structure and leadership; director independence; securities law compliance; listing standards; shareholder proposals; ESG issues; and succession planning. As AI-driven disruption reshapes investor expectations and board responsibilities, spanning accountability, data stewardship and technology risk oversight, Leza helps boards establish effective AI oversight and stay ahead of evolving governance and disclosure obligations and shareholder scrutiny.
Leza is a recognized thought leader on governance and activism matters, including the growing investor and activist focus on AI-related governance gaps in technology companies. For the last five years, Leza co-hosted Freshfields’ annual post-proxy season event with leading institutional investors to demystify investor views and expectations with hundreds of public company clients. She also regularly chairs a panel at Corporate Board Member’s Boardroom Summit on shareholder activism and engagement trends. She is the co-editor of Freshfields’ annual proxy season recap, co-host of our webcast series on governance and disclosure updates and co-host of our governance podcast series. Leza is the only lawyer in the United States ranked as a “Rising Star” for corporate governance and is a key member of the Tier 1 corporate governance group, both as ranked by Legal 500.
12:00 PM – 1:10 PM
How Boards Can Use AI to Analyze, Question, and Prepare—Responsibly
People Strategy & Solutions Segment Leader, BDO
Cheryl’s focus throughout her career has been building high-performing organizations that deliver exceptional business outcomes by winning on the people side of business. Whether as an executive advisor or the architect of large-scale culture and business transformation, she has spent over 30 years helping clients build exemplary cultures infused with Deep Trust and High Expectations.
Prior to joining BDO, Cheryl was CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting for over 18 years. Blue Beyond was repeatedly recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of America’s Best Workplaces and as a member of Inc 5000. She has been honored as a For All Leader by the Great Place to Work® Institute and featured as an experienced workplace culture leader in a variety of media, including the BBC, CNBC, Fast Company and Forbes. A sought-after speaker and advisor, Cheryl recently led a team that won a Gold Stevie® Award for thought leadership.
Prior to her current role, she spent over 30 years in management consulting and organizational effectiveness research. Cheryl and the team of consultants at BDO have worked with companies in a wide variety of industries in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, including Memorial Hermann Health System, Ingredion, PlayStation, eBay, Twilio, Autodesk, Pinterest, Airbnb, Atlassian, Workday, UC Berkeley, Fortive, Wawa, and Juniper Networks. She lives on the central coast of California and enjoys gathering people for good food, fun, and fellowship, especially when it involves her husband, two grown children, and their partners.
12:00 – 1:10 pm
AI and the Workforce Transition: How Boards Should Oversee the Next Phase of Work
Global Head of Agentic AI, Atos
Jenn Ferrara is a global leader in AI, partnering with organizations worldwide to unlock business value through innovative AI solutions. In December 2025, Jenn joined Atos to lead the strategic launch and global expansion of the company’s Sovereign Agentic Studios.
Before joining Atos, Jenn spent over 15 years in consulting, advising clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. At Avanade—a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture—she led global AI client solutions, launched Advisory Services, and directed the Global Enterprise Strategy. She also oversaw the Automation (Power Automate) business and the Center for AI.
Jenn holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of Washington. She lives in Gig Harbor, near Seattle, with her husband and three children.
12:00 – 1:10 pm
Agentic AI as Strategy: When Augmentation Makes Sense—and When It Doesn’t
Global Editor for AI Development & Integration, Reuters
Arlyn Gajilan is Global Editor for AI Development & Integration at Reuters, driving how generative AI is woven into the agency’s global newsrooms and used by its 2,700 journalists. A 16-year Reuters veteran, she previously served as Digital News Director, where she led Reuters.com and app relaunches, introduced a paywall, ran the social team, managed the Japan edition of Reuters.com, and led digital production and packaging teams. She’s also worked as Deputy Managing Editor for Operations, overseeing bureaus across the Americas. Before Reuters, Arlyn held senior editorial roles at Newsweek, Forbes.com, Condé Nast Portfolio, Time, and Fortune.
11:50 AM – 12:00 PM
AI Interstitial: Scaling AI in the Newsroom—Without Losing Editorial Control
Co-Head of the US litigation, arbitration and global investigations group, Freshfields
Beth George leads the strategic risk and crisis management practice, and is the co-head of the US litigation, arbitration and global investigations group based in our San Francisco office focusing her diverse practice on data privacy and cybersecurity issues.
With a deep background in national security and technology, Beth regularly advises boards of both private and public companies on risk management and governance, including advising on governance related to artificial intelligence (AI), data practices and cybersecurity, content management, and geopolitical events. She regularly conducts internal investigations into company’s products, including generative AI products, and works closely with engineers to understand and mitigate legal and regulatory risks.
Beth has deep and wide-ranging expertise from her background working at senior levels across the US federal government. Beth served as Acting General Counsel of the US Department of Defense (DoD) during the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, where she advised the Secretary of Defense on high stakes matters, including issues related to Iran, China, and the drawdown in Afghanistan. From 2011 to 2016, Beth served in various roles for the National Security Division of the US Department of Justice (DOJ), including as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Counsel to the Office of Law & Policy, and as an Honors Attorney and Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Intelligence. On detail from the DOJ from 2015 to 2016, Beth served in the White House as Associate Counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel, where she provided legal and strategic advice to senior White House officials regarding high-profile oversight, investigation, and litigation matters.
Before serving as Associate Counsel at the White House, Beth was a Professional Staff Member and Counsel to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 2014 to 2015, also on detail from the DOJ. In this role, she was the sole attorney serving on the committee’s bipartisan, end-to-end review of intelligence collection activities for all components of the US intelligence community.
Beth has lectured at the UC Berkeley School of Law on surveillance law and technology, at Stanford University’s law and international policy schools on cyber law and policy, and at Stanford Business School on cybersecurity for executives. She serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow for the New York University School of Law’s Reiss Center on Law and Security and is a member of the American Law Institute, where she is advising on the ALI’s draft of Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence.
2:35 – 3:10 pm
The AI Liability Landscape: What Boards Need to Know in 2026
Partner, Global Co-head of AI New York, Freshfields
Anna Gressel is a leading legal advisor to boards and senior legal executives on artificial intelligence, known for guiding global businesses through complex, high-impact matters at the intersection of technology, regulation, and litigation.
Anna’s cross-functional practice focuses on counseling companies on AI legal, regulatory, and reputational considerations, including with respect to safety, liability, intellectual property, and consumer protection. Anna translates her technical fluency around emerging technologies into practical guidance that helps clients anticipate product-specific risks before they reach the market. She is also known among her clients for building trusted relationships with in-house legal, policy, and technical teams —aligning product design with legal defensibility and long-term strategic goals.
Anna represents companies in internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, and litigations concerning AI and other cutting-edge technologies. She also regularly helps corporations to benchmark and mature their AI governance and regulatory structures, particularly as advances in agentic AI and other technologies continue to pose novel legal challenges.
Anna’s clients span sectors and include major technology developers, online platforms, asset managers, financial services, and life sciences and pharmaceutical companies.
Anna was named one of the “Top 100+ Women Leading AI in 2023” by Re-Work—one of only three lawyers in private practice to receive this honor. She is ranked Band 3 in Chambers USA’s inaugural nationwide Artificial Intelligence 2025 ranking and is recognized by Chambers Global in the Spotlight as a “Global Market Leader” in artificial intelligence. Her clients describe her as “an absolute rockstar, she is my go-to for complex AI matters”.
Anna holds a senior prize in neuroscience from Pomona College, was a Fulbright research fellow in Morocco, and is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
12:00 PM – 1:10 PM
How Boards Can Use AI to Analyze, Question, and Prepare—Responsibly
2:35 – 3:10 pm
The AI Liability Landscape: What Boards Need to Know in 2026
Vice President, Search, Security and Observability, Amazon Web Services
Chet Kapoor is Vice President of Search, Security, and Observability at Amazon Web Services. With more than two decades in enterprise technology, he has led companies through some of the industry’s most consequential platform shifts — from APIs and open source to cloud and AI — building and scaling businesses through periods of rapid growth, transformation, acquisition, and IPO. He brings a builder’s mindset, deep operational experience, and a strong customer orientation to helping organizations adopt emerging technologies securely and at scale.
1:10 – 2:05 pm
AI & Cybersecurity: Defending the Enterprise in an AI-Accelerated Threat Landscape
Board Member, Credit Suisse Funds; Chief Data Scientist, Numerati Partners
Samantha Kappagoda is a board director and technology strategist who brings capital markets judgment, AI governance and data strategy expertise to complex, regulated environments. Her operating experience — as a data scientist, economist, investment professional and founder — gives her a unique perspective that she brings to board governance, overseeing the opportunities and risks currently at the forefront of digital transformation.
Samantha currently serves as a Board Director, Nominating Committee Chair and Audit Committee Member for the Credit Suisse Funds (now under UBS), and as a Member of the Governing Council Business Board at the University of Toronto, a C$4 billion revenue institution.
Recognized as a Future 50 Director by the Financial Times, and a Director to Watch by Directors & Boards, Samantha is an active contributor at governance forums, addressing AI and data strategy, cybersecurity and global economic trends. Her governance thought leadership includes Board Governance of AI and Emerging Technologies, and Do Boards Need “AI Expert” Directors? both in Directors & Boards, as well as contributing to NACD Director Essentials: Implementing AI Governance. Samantha also served as an Advisory Council member and contributor for KPMG/INSEAD AI Governance Principles for Boards (2026).
10:20 – 11:05 AM
Where Value Will Be Created (or Lost) Faster Than Boards Expect
Board Member, Alliance Entertainment, Founder, MyEV.com
Dmitry “DK” Kozko is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with over three dozen granted patents and a track record of leading companies from concept to the public markets. As founder, CEO, and Chairman of Motorsport Games, he led the company from idea to a Nasdaq listing via IPO in January 2021. Studies at MIT Sloan, complementing his technical and capital markets experience.
Currently serves on the Board of Directors of Alliance Entertainment (NASDAQ: AENT), where he Chairs the Technology Governance Committee, overseeing responsible AI use, enterprise technology oversight, and digital risk management at the board level.
DK is the founder of MyEV.com, an AI-driven platform disrupting the buying and selling of electric vehicles online, creating personalized digital purchasing experiences at scale through intelligent automation and data architecture.
Previously, as COO of Motorsport Network, he helped drive global expansion through more than a dozen international acquisitions and supported the implementation of customer data platforms and advanced analytics initiatives that enabled scalable personalization and monetization across global markets.
Earlier in his career, DK developed patented 360-degree video technologies that led to the successful exit of one of his ventures to IC Realtime. He subsequently served as President of IC Realtime and joined its Board of Directors, remaining a Director for more than eight years, advising on innovation and long-term strategy.
He also co-founded Net Element, Inc. (Nasdaq: NETE), taking the company public via SPAC in 2012 and integrating Unified Payments, a leading transaction processing provider. Across his career, DK has raised over $100 million in private and public capital, including two public listings — one via SPAC (2012) and one via traditional IPO (2021), bringing a disciplined perspective across strategy, innovation, governance, and capital markets.
1:10 – 2:05 pm
Workshop: Rethinking Board Structure for the Digital Age
Board Member, Shipwell and Everyrealm Inc; 4-Time AI Company Founder
Kathy is a four-time AI founder who has scaled companies from ideation to $100 million in revenue and delivered 8x returns to shareholders. Over the past 18 years, she has served on the boards of PE-backed, VC-funded, and pre-IPO companies, with a focus on accelerating value creation through targeted scaling, strategic M&A, and AI transformation that drives competitive advantage and positions companies for successful exits. Throughout her career, Kathy has led high-impact AI and digital transformation initiatives that deliver measurable results for stakeholders and accelerate organizational change. Her perspective is grounded in entrepreneurial execution, fluency with emerging technologies, and governance experience across multiple stages of the company lifecycle. Kathy has been recognized by Forbes, Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Owler for her entrepreneurial leadership and work in AI.
9:35 – 10:20 AM
Leading at AI Speed—What Boards and CEOs Must Align on Now
Founder and CEO, FourOne Insights
Will Markow is an internationally recognized expert on the future of work and the impact of emerging trends and technologies on the workforce.
Will has advised hundreds of companies, technology vendors, training providers, workforce development organizations, government agencies, and multiple White House administrations on key issues related to the future of work, skills-based hiring, and related topics.
His research has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and numerous other national media outlets, and he has testified before Congress on growing the cybersecurity talent pipeline.
Will previously spent 12 years with Lightcast, where he oversaw their workforce consulting and research team. Will also oversaw the development of CyberSeek.org – a cybersecurity career exploration portal frequently cited by national media outlets and multiple presidential administrations.
12:00 – 1:10 pm
AI and the Workforce Transition: How Boards Should Oversee the Next Phase of Work
Principal, iQ 360
John Onoda spent his corporate career leading departments and entire communications functions at industry-leading consumer and financial brands, including Holiday Inns, Harrah’s, McDonald’s, Levi Strauss, General Motors, Visa USA, and Charles Schwab. He later moved to the consulting side as a senior advisor for Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, advising companies across major sectors—as well as universities and government agencies—on a wide range of communications challenges. Throughout his career, he has also been deeply involved in ESG, including serving on the board of Business for Social Responsibility. Most recently, John has been helping to develop an AI tool that uses unprecedented computing power and speed to predict outcomes based on stakeholder behavior, giving leaders a powerful new way to anticipate long-term implications and make better-informed decisions.
2:20 – 2:35 PM
AI Interstitial: Using AI Simulations to Stress-Test High-Stakes Decisions
Leader, U.S. Center for Corporate Governance, BDO
Amy has spent over 16 years with BDO as part of the National Assurance practice office. She founded and directs BDO’s Center for Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting, designed for financial executives and those charged with governance of both public and private companies. She is responsible for the development and presentation of a significant volume of BDO’s continuing professional education (CPE)-worthy webinar, on-demand and podcast programs and thought leadership pieces on a variety of matters related to corporate governance, including cybersecurity, fraud, succession planning, and audit quality. Amy further develops certain of our firm’s board of director forums as well as participates in external events for corporate directors.
She also participates in the development and implementation of BDO’s national strategies and initiatives that support industry, business, technical, and client service goals. She is responsible for publication and issuance of BDO’s annual voluntary Audit Quality Reports and tools and templates supporting communications with our client Audit Committees.
Amy currently serves as BDO’s Policy Lead to and participates on the Center for Audit Quality’s (CAQ) Advisory Committee and has assisted in CAQ initiatives, including audit committee communications and audit quality indicators. She has participated in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s EDMAX forum for accounting firm learning specialists to share knowledge/practices on learning methods.
She fully supports BDO initiatives aimed at flexibility, development, and career progression, and serves on the BDO’s Women’s Inclusion initiative and the Virtual Parenting Network as well as BDO’s focus on the audit of the future.
12:00 – 1:10 pm
AI and the Workforce Transition: How Boards Should Oversee the Next Phase of Work
Board Member, Accendra Health (formerly known as Owens & Minor)
Carissa Rollins is a retired global healthcare and technology executive with over 30 years of experience driving digital transformation, operational excellence, and inclusive leadership
across Fortune 500 organizations. Most recently, she served as Global Chief Information Officer
(CIO) at Illumina, a global leader in genomics and life sciences, where she led enterprise-wide
information systems strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, and
compliance.
Prior to Illumina, Carissa served as Chief Information Officer at UnitedHealthcare, the largest
U.S. health insurer, where she led enterprise IT strategy, digital health innovation, infrastructure modernization, and data platforms supporting over 50 million members. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership roles at Gander Mountain, Kohl’s Corporation, ManpowerGroup, and MillerCoors, gaining deep expertise across IT, operations, and digital strategy.
Carissa is the recipient of the ORBIE Leadership Award, recognizing her outstanding impact as a technology leader. She is passionate about mentoring future leaders and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in technology and healthcare. She currently serves on the boards of Owens & Minor (OMI) and the Grand Canyon Conservancy. She holds an MBA from Marquette University and continues to contribute her strategic insights through board service
and thought leadership.
9:35 – 10:20 AM
Leading at AI Speed—What Boards and CEOs Must Align on Now
Group Chief Technology Officer, Atos
Florin Rotar is the Group CTO for Atos, a global technology powerhouse which is supporting public and private organizations throughout their entire digital transformation journey, from strategy and architecture to operations and optimization. He has been awarded 2025 & 2024 “Best AI Consulting Service Provider” by AI Breakthrough Awards and “2024 Chief AI Officer of the Year” by HMG Global Leadership Institute. Recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the ‘Top 10 CTOs To Watch In 2023’. Florin is a published coauthor of the books “We the People: Human Purpose in a Digital Age: A Guide to Digital Ethics for Individuals, Organizations and Robots of All Kinds” and “The Handbook for Chief AI Officers: Leading the AI Revolution in Business”
He is a frequent keynote speaker at AI global conferences, the UN, and featured in BBC, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Chief Executive Magazine.
Florin holds CERT Certification in Cybersecurity Oversight (Carnegie Mellon/NACD) and the Director Qualified credential (ACCD). Actively bridges the gap between academia and industry innovation as a Founding Board Member of the University of Washington Information School and as advisor to AI startups such as Bullfrog AI, Pay-I.
12:00 – 1:10 pm
Workshop: Agentic AI as Strategy: When Augmentation Makes Sense—and When It Doesn’t
CEO, Global Data Innovation
Dominique Shelton Leipzig founded the Global Data Innovation Teams at two successful international law firms where she provided strategic guidance to companies with a cumulative market capitalization of more than $3 trillion. Dominique has trained and coached over 50,000 professionals on AI privacy and security, including Fortune 100 executives, board members and leaders at major companies and universities, and judges on privacy, AI, and cybersecurity to keep your business ahead of the curve. She is also a trusted advisor to policymakers in Washington, where she is working closely with lawmakers charged with crafting the nation’s first legislative and regulatory framework on artificial intelligence.
She has authored three books on data leadership, with a fourth forthcoming from Forbes. She serves on the Advisory Board of the AI Governance Center and the Board of Directors of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
11:20 – 11:50 AM
Governing AI Decisions—Applying a TRUST Framework
CEO & Founder, Cantellus Group
Karen advises Fortune 50 companies, global consortia, startups, and public sector organizations on AI governance, innovation strategy, and risk. She also serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global AI Council, helping shape board-level frameworks for responsible adoption of advanced technologies.
3:10 – 4:10 PM
Agentic AI in Action: Governing When AI Becomes a Decision-Maker
President, Cantellus Group
JoAnn C. Stonier is EVP/chief information governance & privacy officer for MasterCard. In this role, she is responsible for worldwide privacy compliance and information governance for the enterprise. Ms. Stonier is responsible for identifying MasterCard’s data strategy as an element of the company’s product and business strategy, as well as for the management of privacy and data protection compliance and regulatory engagement on a global basis. Ms. Stonier and her team of global professionals help business colleagues understand the opportunities associated with MasterCard’s information assets as well as understand the risks and relevant legal requirements that need to be addressed related to the collection, use and disclosure of personal data.
Prior to joining MasterCard in 2008, Ms. Stonier was the chief privacy officer for American Express Company. She also held various roles of increasing responsibility at American Express, including chief operating officer, American Express Tax & Business Services; vice president, Acquisition Integration; and vice president & assistant to the chairman. Ms. Stonier has worked at Waldenbooks, Inc., PepsiCo and started her career as an auditor for PriceWaterhouse Coopers.
In addition to her work at MasterCard, Ms. Stonier is an adjunct professor at Pratt Institute where she teaches business strategy and international business, in the Design Management Master’s program.
Ms. Stonier received her Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University in Queens, and her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis College. She holds memberships in the Bar of the State of New York and the Bar of the State of New Jersey. Ms. Stonier has been recognized as an expert in the field of financial privacy, and was named as a fellow to The Aspen Institute’s First Mover Fellowship program. She is a well-regarded speaker at industry events and often addresses the need for balancing information innovation and privacy. Events have included: Amplify Festival 2013 Keynote Speaker, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP); the Practicing Law Institute (PLI) and the Dow Jones Global Compliance Symposium.
3:10 – 4:10 PM
Agentic AI in Action: Governing When AI Becomes a Decision-Maker
Founder & CEO, iQ 360
Kathy is a four-time AI founder who has scaled companies from ideation to $100 million in revenue and delivered 8x returns to shareholders. Over the past 18 years, she has served on the boards of PE-backed, VC-funded, and pre-IPO companies, with a focus on accelerating value creation through targeted scaling, strategic M&A, and AI transformation that drives competitive advantage and positions companies for successful exits. Throughout her career, Kathy has led high-impact AI and digital transformation initiatives that deliver measurable results for stakeholders and accelerate organizational change. Her perspective is grounded in entrepreneurial execution, fluency with emerging technologies, and governance experience across multiple stages of the company lifecycle. Kathy has been recognized by Forbes, Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Owler for her entrepreneurial leadership and work in AI.
2:20 – 2:35 PM
AI Interstitial: Using AI Simulations to Stress-Test High-Stakes Decisions
Board Member, GE HealthCare Technologies
Phoebe Yang serves on the board of GE HealthCare Technologies, where she is a member of the Audit and Compliance Committee and previously served on the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Talent, Compensation and Culture Committee. She also serves on the board of Doximity and as a stewardship trustee of CommonSpirit Health, where she chairs the Technology Committee and serves on the Executive, Finance and Sponsorship and Governance committees.
Yang most recently served as general manager of Amazon Web Services Healthcare, leading cloud platform strategy and digital transformation initiatives for healthcare organizations globally. Prior to AWS, she served as chief strategy officer for population health at Ascension and as lead managing director of Ascension Holdings International, overseeing strategic growth initiatives and international investments.
Earlier in her career, Yang held senior executive roles at The Advisory Board Company, Discovery Inc. and AOL Time Warner, and served in appointed positions at the U.S. Department of State and the Federal Communications Commission. Her work spans healthcare delivery, digital infrastructure, governance and public policy, with a focus on technology-enabled transformation and enterprise risk oversight.
10:20 am – 11:05 am
Where Value Will Be Created (or Lost) Faster Than Boards Expect
CEO, TGN Consulting
Kari Zeller (FKA Granger) is an authentic leader and combat veteran known for her ability to seamlessly transition her expertise from the battlefield to the boardroom.
As the Founder and CEO of TGN Consulting, she has spent over two decades guiding companies—including Fortune 100 firms, healthcare systems, and governmental organizations—through pivotal transformations. Kari is renowned for her ability to mobilize workforces by reducing friction and gaining traction in order to execute in new strategic directions, while aligning leadership behaviors with enterprise priorities to ensure sustained value creation. Her hallmark is uncovering and addressing underlying conditions that impede progress, enabling executives and boards to drive breakthrough results.
Kari’s expertise extends across strategy, culture, and leadership, making her a trusted advisor in navigating today’s multifaceted challenges such as large-scale turnarounds, M&A integration, technology adoption, re-structuring, and more. A Master Certified Coach with over 5,000 hours of coaching experience, she partners with CEOs and directors to anticipate emerging trends, resolve stakeholder tradeoffs, and embed resilience into organizational cultures. Recognized for her candor and strategic acumen, Kari equips leaders and boards with tools to unlock systemic value. A decorated Air Force officer, Kari led operations for an aircraft fleet valued at over $1.2 billion and spearheaded logistics for critical missions, including hurricane evacuations and combat deployments in Iraq. Her deep commitment to ethical and stakeholder-centric leadership underpins her vision of empowering organizations to embed the conditions for enduring success. As a sought-after advisor, speaker, and author, Kari inspires directors and executives to harness the transformative power of workforce mobilization, fostering resilience, agility, and readiness for the challenges ahead.
1:10 – 2:05 PM
Workshop: Governing Human Capital in an Age of Exponential Change
Founder & CEO, iQ 360
Kathy is a four-time AI founder who has scaled companies from ideation to $100 million in revenue and delivered 8x returns to shareholders. Over the past 18 years, she has served on the boards of PE-backed, VC-funded, and pre-IPO companies, with a focus on accelerating value creation through targeted scaling, strategic M&A, and AI transformation that drives competitive advantage and positions companies for successful exits. Throughout her career, Kathy has led high-impact AI and digital transformation initiatives that deliver measurable results for stakeholders and accelerate organizational change. Her perspective is grounded in entrepreneurial execution, fluency with emerging technologies, and governance experience across multiple stages of the company lifecycle. Kathy has been recognized by Forbes, Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Owler for her entrepreneurial leadership and work in AI.
2:20 – 2:35 PM
AI Interstitial: Using AI Simulations to Stress-Test High-Stakes Decisions
Lutz is a partner in our offices in Vienna and Düsseldorf focusing on IP and new technologies. Lutz advises clients worldwide, in particular in the tech and consumer sector, on platform and digital regulation, intellectual property and new business models and technologies, including AI.
Lutz has long-standing experience with e-commerce business models, on the contractual as well as on the contentious side, where he has represented clients in consumer protection issues in court, including before the European Court of Justice.
Lutz is publishing regularly on IP and tech issues and is teaching international copyright law at Vienna University.
Lutz’s experience includes advising:
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Angie Ruan is the Chief Technology Officer, Capital Access Platform at NASDAQ. An award-winning industry leader, Ms. Ruan holds four technical patents and has been instrumental in driving digital transformation across many industries, including enterprise application, e-commerce, payment, and capital markets. She most recently served as Vice President of Engineering at Chime before returning to NASDAQ where she was the Senior Vice President of Global Technology, responsible for overseeing the development of Key Market Technology Products and Corporate Platforms. Prior to joining Nasdaq, Ms. Ruan served as the Global Group Technology Vice President of consumer experiences and platform for American Express, where she was responsible for the digital transformation of American Express web and mobile technology. Before then, she was the Unit CIO for U.S. Consumer and U.S. Small Business, and was also Head of Engineering for Global PayPal Retail and Merchant product lines. As well, she held various executive engineering leadership roles at eBay including building the eBay messaging system, creating the eBay mobile platform, and transforming the DevOps organization.
Recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s Women of Influence, Ms. Ruan holds an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and studied undergraduate in Computer Science at Tsinghua University of China.
11:25 am – 12:15 pm
What Creates Value?
As AWS Head of AI and Modern Data Strategy, Ben Schreiner is a trusted advisor helping customers unlock transformative growth. With 25+ years of global experience spanning enterprise tech, startups, and financial services, Ben provides a unique perspective on driving innovation through emerging technologies like generative AI.
11:25 am – 12:15 pm
What Creates Value?
Dominique Shelton Leipzig founded the Global Data Innovation Teams at two successful international law firms where she provided strategic guidance to companies with a cumulative market capitalization of more than $3 trillion. Dominique has trained and coached over 50,000 professionals on AI privacy and security, including Fortune 100 executives, board members and leaders at major companies and universities, and judges on privacy, AI, and cybersecurity to keep your business ahead of the curve. She is also a trusted advisor to policymakers in Washington, where she is working closely with lawmakers charged with crafting the nation’s first legislative and regulatory framework on artificial intelligence.
She has authored three books on data leadership, with a fourth forthcoming from Forbes. She serves on the Advisory Board of the AI Governance Center and the Board of Directors of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
1:00 – 1:45 pm
TRUST: Establishing an Intentional Approach to AI and Data Governance
JoAnn Stonier serves as a Mastercard Fellow focusing on Data, AI and Privacy, having previously served as their Chief Data Officer and Chief Privacy Officer. She is a recognized global data strategist with extensive experience in artificial intelligence, data governance, science, platforms with an emphasis on responsible data design. She has advised industry executives, governments and NGOs on both commercial and non-profit solutions.
Currently, she serves as the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Data Equity, is a member of the United Nations Expert Group on Governance and Artificial Intelligence and is a member of OmniCon Group’s AI Advisory Board.
11:25 am – 12:15 pm
What Creates Value?
Board Member, Ossia Inc.; Former Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Ms. Van Wazer is a global executive with deep fluency in technology coupled with strategic expertise in assessing and leveraging regulatory landscapes for bottom line results. An engineer, lawyer, and White House veteran, she has been involved in policymaking to facilitate many of the major technological transformations of the last 25 years, from cellular and Wi-Fi, to smart grids, the cloud, and AI. She has deep substantive expertise in disruptive innovation, cybersecurity, and privacy.
Van Wazer is Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, for Akamai Technologies, a $4B cloud computing and cybersecurity services company operating in over 140 countries. Before joining Akamai, she was the lead for cybersecurity in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, handling cybersecurity policy, cyber incident response, and serving as White House lead for the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council, a public-private partnership to increase the cyber resiliency of the financial services sector. Her White House service includes a stint as Assistant General Counsel for OMB.
She is a member of the Board of Ossia Inc., a Redmond, WA-based technology company whose pioneering products transmit power wirelessly, eliminating the need for cords and batteries. At Ossia, she is Chair of the Regulatory Committee and a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. She is on the boards of Georgetown University Law Center, Helen Keller International, and a past Chair of the Board of the Information Technology Industry Council, the largest technology trade association. She is a member of the North America Regional Advisory Council for ISC2, the global cybersecurity certifying organization.
1:45 – 2:45 pm
Cybersecurity 2030: Establishing Your AI Risk Posture
CEO Ignitetech, GFI Software, Khoros
Eric Vaughan is an experienced technology and M&A executive recognized for his innovation in the enterprise technology space. As IgniteTech’s CEO, Eric is responsible for setting and executing the company’s vision, leading and motivating the global, remote-based IgniteTech team to continue to drive the company’s business to success in the eyes of its customers.
As the previous founder and CEO of 3 software and services companies, Eric is well known throughout the industry as an innovator, architect, and developer of a number of software, hardware, and integration solutions. With extensive technology-M&A experience on both the buy and sell sides, Eric has led teams through the full cycle of activities for over 60 M&A transactions including public-company buyouts, private equity/venture capital sales, and several divestiture transactions from IBM, with direct integration and CxO accountabilities for the acquired businesses post-close.
10:35 – 11:25 am
Beyond Productivity and Cost-Cutting: How AI is Solving Big Problems and Creating New Business Models
Board Member, Hitachi Ltd. and Humanetics Group; Former Global CIO, Siemens
Dr. Helmuth Ludwig is a Professor of Practice for Strategy and Entrepreneurship at SMU’s Cox School of Business in Dallas, where he teaches MBA courses, e.g., on Technology and AI Strategy. He serves on the Boards of Directors of Hitachi Ltd and Humanetics Group. He is also a senior advisor to Bridgepoint LLC and Zscaler, Inc.
From 1990 until 2019, he worked at Siemens in different functions and regions: global CIO (until 2019), CEO of Siemens Industry Sector North America (until 2014), and President of Siemens PLM Software (until 2010). Earlier in his career, Helmuth had several international assignments at Siemens in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Board Member, Ossia Inc.; Former Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Ms. Van Wazer is a global executive with deep fluency in technology coupled with strategic expertise in assessing and leveraging regulatory landscapes for bottom line results. An engineer, lawyer, and White House veteran, she has been involved in policymaking to facilitate many of the major technological transformations of the last 25 years, from cellular and Wi-Fi, to smart grids, the cloud, and AI. She has deep substantive expertise in disruptive innovation, cybersecurity, and privacy.
Van Wazer is Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, for Akamai Technologies, a $4B cloud computing and cybersecurity services company operating in over 140 countries. Before joining Akamai, she was the lead for cybersecurity in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, handling cybersecurity policy, cyber incident response, and serving as White House lead for the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council, a public-private partnership to increase the cyber resiliency of the financial services sector. Her White House service includes a stint as Assistant General Counsel for OMB.
She is a member of the Board of Ossia Inc., a Redmond, WA-based technology company whose pioneering products transmit power wirelessly, eliminating the need for cords and batteries. At Ossia, she is Chair of the Regulatory Committee and a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. She is on the boards of Georgetown University Law Center, Helen Keller International, and a past Chair of the Board of the Information Technology Industry Council, the largest technology trade association. She is a member of the North America Regional Advisory Council for ISC2, the global cybersecurity certifying organization.
1:45 – 2:45 pm
Cybersecurity 2030: Establishing Your AI Risk Posture
The AI Leadership Forum agenda has been shaped in close collaboration with a committee of experienced board members and executives, ensuring the program addresses the most critical and relevant topics for today’s leaders.