PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARD

Emili is Director, Engineering Culture at LexisNexis Legal & Professional (LNLP), and the main author of RELX’s Responsible AI Principles.

With a background in the social sciences and years of experience in the non-profit and corporate responsibility sectors, she is a purpose-driven innovator passionate about advancing engineering excellence at LNLP while creating inclusive, responsible technology. Emili advocates for and contributes to shaping the enterprise-level technology strategy, standards and practices that help teams raise the bar, every day. As part of this wider role, Emili navigates the competitive advantages of responsible AI in LNLP’s business strategy and risk-based governance framework and creates and implements guidelines for utilizing generative AI within the company’s ecosystem. She helps employees guide actions beyond the products they develop as it defines LNLP as a company.

Adrian Estala is VP, Field Chief Data Officer and the host of StarburstTV. With a background in leading Digital and IT Portfolio Transformations at companies like Shell, he understands the value of creating executive frameworks that focus on material business outcomes. Skilled with getting the most out of data-driven investments, Adrian is your trusted adviser to navigating complex data environments and integrating a Data Mesh strategy in your organization.

Mike Ferguson is CEO of Intelligent Business Strategies Limited, specializing in all aspects of data management, business intelligence and ML/AI. Over more than 40 years, Mike has consulted for dozens of companies on data strategy, technology selection, data architecture, data governance, data warehouse design and implementation, self-service analytics, machine learning and AI automation. 

Since 2017, he has served as conference chairman of Big Data LDN—where he annually presents a keynote detailing the issues dominating the data and analytics industry, and he is a member of the EDM Council CDMC Executive Advisory Board.  

Prior to starting his own firm, Mike co-founded Codd and Date with Turing Award Winner Dr Edgar F. Codd and world-renowned author Chris Date and served as Chief Architect at Teradata. He teaches popular master classes in nine countries on Data Strategy, Data Catalogs, How to Govern Data Across a Distributed Data Landscape, Practical Guidelines for Implementing a Data Mesh, Data Warehouse Modernisation, Big Data Fundamentals and Embedded Analytics, Intelligent Apps and AI Automation. 

Eric Kavanagh is the Host of DM Radio, the world’s longest running show about data. Since its premier broadcast in 2008, Eric has interviewed more than 500 data professionals for his “Let’s Talk Data!” show, ranging from world-class analysts to front-line practitioners. The show airs on more than a dozen terrestrial stations, reaching an estimated 1 million listeners and can be streamed globally.

As CEO of The Bloor Group, Eric designs and runs an array of new media programs, including InsideAnalysis, Future Proof, Inside OpenSource and The Briefing Room. An advocate of open data, he helped inspire the 2006 Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. He has spoken about open data for the UN, served on the tech advisory board for SXSW and writes for eWeek.com as a journalist covering Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud, Digital Transformation, Internet of Things, and related technologies.  

Anees leads the Applied AI and Analytics business and brings more than 26 years of experience to Course5 Intelligence Ltd. He has worked with numerous global Fortune 500 clients across various industries, including Retail/eTail, Travel and Hospitality, Telecommunications and Technology and Media. Last year he was recognized as 40 under 40 by a premium India publication house to honor his digital initiatives. Anees serves as an Advisor for the Wiley Innovation Advisory Council (WIAC) where he co-authored the Wiley Black Book two years in a row (2019 and 2020) with other esteemed industry leaders in partnership with Wiley.

At Course5, Anees has led and launched industry-recognized and leading solutions and products (Compete and Discovery). His work at Course5 revolves chiefly around setting go-to-market strategy for Applied AI, scaling global business (sales, operations, and solutions), engaging with Executives at Fortune 500 companies, and building the strategic partner ecosystem. Anees is also certified on Lean Six Sigma with an MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai.
 

Adrianne Phillips is an entrepreneur with nearly 15 years’ experience leading data-driven organizations leveraging artificial intelligence in the digital marketing, social media branding, foreign exchange and travel industries. As a PhD candidate, her research in AI-driven pricing optimization has led her to a deep understanding of the impact data, analytics and AI have on businesses in every vertical market.

Phillips served as a combat veteran in the United States Air Force, which honed a disciplined approach to her ventures and a lasting commitment to supporting others who serve. After leaving the military she has been active in SAVI (Strategic Alliance Veteran Integration), a nonprofit committed to the smooth transition of military members into civilian sectors. Under her guidance, SAVI launched the Tech Program, guiding military veterans interested in modern-day tech opportunities.

As a professional and academic focused on tech-driven solutions, Phillips is an advisor for the Digital Marketing Certificate Program at the George Washington University School of Business.

Rudina Seseri is Founder and Managing Partner of Glasswing Ventures, leading the firm’s investments in AI-enabled enterprise software as a service, cloud and IT software markets. She has led investments and/or served on the boards of ChaosSearch, CloudTruth, Inrupt, Plannuh (acquired by Planful), Reprise, Talla (merged with Seva), Verusen, Zylotech (acquired by Terminus), Celtra, SocialFlow, CrowdTwist (acquired by Oracle), and Navigant Consulting (acquired by Veritas).

A magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College, Rudina is an Executive Fellow and Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Harvard Business School. She also sits on the boards of M&T Bank, the New England Venture Capital Association, and is a former Digital Advisory Board member for GSK Consumer. 

Entrepreneur Magazine put her on the Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs List, she was Startup Boston’s 2022 Investor of the Year, a Boston Business Journal Power 50: Newsmaker, a Mass High Tech Woman to Watch, and named a Most Important VC in Boston, and Top VC investing in AI and Machine Learning by Business Insider.