Here are the voices
of change in data

Andrew Foster, C.F.A., is the Chief Data Officer at M&T Bank. As CDO, he leads data and AI strategy design and execution ensuring M&T is well placed for the next decade of growth.

He drives development and delivery of platforms, tools, processes and methodologies to enable M&T to harness the full potential of its data to continuously meet the evolving needs of customers and communities. He partners with multi-disciplinary teams across the organization to drive data-driven outcomes to support customer experience, business resilience, performance optimization, and growth.

Foster brings over 20 years of experience leading data, automation, and innovation organizations in the financial services industry, most recently as Deputy Chief Data Officer (Americas) and Head of Data Governance at Deutsche Bank in New York. He previously held leadership positions at Europe Arab Bank (EAB) PLC and Arab Bank PLC, both in London.

Committed to pursuing greater inclusion in the fields of data and technology, Foster has consistently advocated for women in data management, serving in volunteer leadership and outreach roles for Women Data Professionals with a focus on industry mentoring. WDP is the gender diversity arm of EDM Council, a leading global trade association for data and analytics management.

A native of South Africa whose career has taken him through London and New York, Foster works at M&T Bank’s Tech Hub at Seneca One in Buffalo, New York. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Science, specializing in Finance, from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and has participated in executive leadership programs through the London Business School.

Cassie Kozyrkov, CEO of Kozyr, is a renowned leader in artificial intelligence. She is best known for founding the field of Decision Intelligence and serving as Google’s first Chief Decision Scientist, where she led the charge in Google’s transformation into an AI-first company.

Today, Cassie is a sought-after AI advisor and speaker who has transformed how organizations like Gucci, NASA, Spotify, Meta, Salesforce, and GSK approach AI strategy. Passionate about elevating human potential through the responsible adoption of complex technology, she also serves on multiple advisory boards and is an investor in emerging product companies.

Her influence on Google’s culture is legendary; no matter how big the auditorium, Google had to use lotteries to manage the demand to participate in one of her live workshops. Her work, which included personally training over 20,000 Googlers in AI and data-driven decision-making, impacted more than 500 company initiatives.

Combining deep technical knowledge with theater-trained charisma, Cassie is a captivating keynote speaker with the rare ability to make complex concepts accessible, engaging, and actionable for executive and general audiences alike. Her humor, wit, and vivid analogies ensure that people of all stripes leave her talks inspired and equipped to drive innovation. Cassie has delighted live audiences in more than 40 countries and on all seven continents, including stages at the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Web Summit, and SXSW.

Cassie has appeared on the cover of Forbes AI and featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Fast Company, WIRED, Success, Entrepreneur, as well as a recent documentary on the AI revolution. Her online courses and more than 200+ published articles have reached millions and cemented her position as a LinkedIn Top Voice and the #1 Writer in AI on Medium for many years. She is followed by more than 20,000 CxOs.

Hailing from South Africa, Cassie began her undergraduate studies at the age of 15 at Nelson Mandela University and earned degrees in economics, mathematical statistics, psychology and neuroscience from the University of Chicago, NCSU, and Duke University, which honored her as a Few-Glasson Distinguished Alumna for her significant contributions to the fields of AI and Decision Intelligence. She is a guest lecturer to executive MBA students in Harvard Business school.

Krishna Cheriath serves as the Head of Digital and AI for BioPharma Services, supporting pharma services and the PPD™ clinical research businesses of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science. He leverages advanced analytics and AI to enhance clinical research and patient outcomes. With leadership roles at Zoetis, Bristol Myers Squibb and prominent consulting firms like PWC and IBM, Krishna brings over 15 years of expertise in data strategy. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon and Rutgers, contributing to the development of data-driven leadership programs.

A digital, data, and analytics evangelist, Krishna advocates for responsible and ethical innovation. His passion for positive societal change through data and digital transformation fuels his work, along with his commitment to fostering a more connected humanity. As a champion of empowered, empathetic leadership, Krishna constantly seeks new innovations and ideas to drive impactful change.

Mubashir is a Principal AI Architect at Snowflake who helps organizations unlock transformational outcomes through Data Science, Generative AI, and scalable data platforms. At Snowflake, I lead AI/ML solution design, partner collaboration, and developer enablement, drawing on experience across Retail, Insurance, Consulting, and FinTech.

Parth Patwari leads Deloitte’s AI & Data practice for the U.S., helping global and domestic banks harness AI, analytics, and data management to meet business, risk, and regulatory objectives. He works closely with CIO, CFO/CRO, and CDO organizations, driving enterprise-wide change across business, data, and technology functions to improve efficiency and compliance.

With extensive experience in banking, securities, and credit card sectors, Parth has architected and delivered large-scale systems, data infrastructures, and operational processes. He has led implementations in Integrated Finance, Risk & Regulatory domains, including Treasury, Liquidity, Customer, and Accounting, building data hubs and engines that support critical decision-making.

Parth also brings deep expertise in deploying AI and machine learning solutions. He has helped banks leverage their data assets to enhance quality, enable predictive analytics across finance and customer functions, and automate key processes.

Notably, at a Top 5 North American bank, he guided the transformation of its enterprise data management model, modernized its data environment, and established an enterprise analytics and data science center of excellence. His efforts enabled advanced AI/ML model development and deployment across all business lines, aligning data strategy with growth, risk, and regulatory agendas.

Pete Youngs is a founder and the Managing Partner at Ortecha, a boutique consultancy that helps organisations build trust in their data by establishing sustainable, high-performance data, analytics, and AI capabilities. He is a recognised expert in the Data Management Capability Assessment Model (DCAM), and leads Ortecha’s strategy and operations, across the UK, Europe and USA. Before founding Ortecha, Pete built his technical roots as an Oracle developer and enterprise data architect, and he continues to be hands-on, balancing advisory, governance, and architecture perspectives. Under his leadership Ortecha has expanded globally, partnering with major financial institutions and forging growth alliances (e.g. with Debrett’s) to scale both organically and through acquisitions.

Prukalpa Sankar is a Co-founder of Atlan, the data and AI governance platform, trusted by visionary data teams at Fox, HubSpot, Medtronic, HelloFresh, and Autodesk. Named a Visionary in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ and a Leader in the Forrester Wave™, Atlan helps enterprises manage and govern their data & AI products.

Previously, Prukalpa cofounded SocialCops, recognized by the World Economic Forum and the New York Times. She’s a Forbes 30u30, Fortune 40u40, and TED Speaker.

Sam Ramachandran is the Chief Sales Officer at Tiger Analytics, where he drives sales strategy, revenue growth, and strategic partnerships across North America. With over 22 years of experience in analytics-led business transformation, Sam has held leadership roles at Infosys and Fractal Analytics, serving Fortune 500 clients with cutting-edge data and AI solutions.

At Tiger Analytics, Sam plays a key role in shaping the company’s go-to-market approach, expanding its presence in advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI governance. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at industry events, including CDO Magazine roundtables and the 2025 DataIQ Summit, where he led a session on "AI Ethics and Governance at Scale."

Sam holds a graduate degree from BITS Pilani and has completed executive education at New York University, bringing both technical depth and strategic vision to his leadership in the AI and analytics space.

Cara Baestlein is the Head for Data Observability at Ataccama, where she leads product strategy and development for next-generation data monitoring solutions. She brings a strong track record of bridging product and go-to-market functions at high-growth data companies, having previously held key roles at Quix, Aiven, and Snowplow. With a passion for building tools that help organizations delivery business value from data, Cara combines deep technical understanding with a sharp focus on customer needs.

Jay Limburn is Chief Product Officer at Ataccama, where he leads a worldwide team of product managers to deliver market leading data management software products. Jay has a deep background in data governance, data quality, MDM and AI, and has spent over two decades helping companies align their technology vision, strategy and execution to deliver business outcomes.

Jay holds 17 patents in areas including machine learning, data governance and data generation. His passion is building market-leading, customer-focused products that enable enterprises to embrace AI innovation to augment human intelligence.

Before joining Ataccama, Jay was Vice President of Product Management at IBM, where he led the team responsible for the watsonx AI platform and IBM’s Data Fabric portfolio. In this role, he was focused on delivering cutting-edge generative AI, machine learning, and data and analytics capabilities to address some of the world’s most complex problems.

Jessica Goulart is the Global VP of Partnerships at Ataccama, where she spearheads global collaboration and growth initiatives. With extensive experience in managing strategic partnerships, Jessica previously held senior roles at Bloomreach and Adobe, driving successful partnerships across North America. Her expertise in building alliances and crafting strategic GTM initiatives makes her a leader in fostering meaningful collaborations across industries.

Jessie Smith is an experienced enterprise software executive with a decade of experience in product management and product development, specializing in areas of Enterprise Data Quality, Data Integration, Data Fabric, and Cloud. She currently leads Product Management for Ataccama's Data Quality portfolio.

Larry Hunt is the Field Chief Data Officer for Financial Services at Ataccama, where he helps customers achieve data-driven transformation. Since joining the company in 2025, he has worked with leading banks to boost agility, strengthen risk management, and accelerate innovation in a rapidly evolving market.

With more than 25 years in senior data leadership, Larry brings deep expertise in enterprise data strategy, governance, analytics, and risk management. Before Ataccama, he held executive roles at Bank of America and Wells Fargo, where he led large-scale data modernization, regulatory compliance programs, and technology initiatives spanning finance, risk, and operations. Earlier in his career, he advised global banking and capital markets organizations as part of Accenture’s strategy practice, helping them turn data into a competitive advantage.

Based in Charlotte, NC, Larry enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. When he’s not watching his children’s sports events, you’ll find him on the golf course, traveling, or pursuing his passion for aviation.

Lee Edney is the Global Head of Business Consulting at Ataccama, where he leads a team dedicated to driving measurable business impact through data management solutions. With extensive experience in consulting and strategic planning, Lee helps organizations unlock the value of their data, improve operational efficiency, and achieve business growth. His expertise spans across industries, enabling companies to align data strategies with broader business goals. Lee is passionate about delivering results through innovative data practices and fostering long-term customer success.

Martin is Chief Technology Officer at Ataccama and a member of the executive management team. With over two decades of experience, he is responsible for leading the engineering teams and developing and delivering the technology that underpins our products.

Previously, Martin was a co-founder of Instarea, a big data monetization startup for telecommunication operators, which he led as CEO for seven years. During his tenure, Instarea grew to earn Euro 4.5 million in annual revenue and was included in the FT 1000 list of fastest growing European companies. Prior to this, he was previously at Ataccama in the role of Delivery Center Director for two years, having joined from technology consultancy Adastra, where he spent six years as Competency Director for data quality and master data management projects.

Martin started his career in data management when he was at university in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he spent the free time between classes programming everything from video games to billing software for his father’s company. After graduation, he joined Accenture to work in data integration and has pursued this technology interest professionally ever since.

Martin was recently named one of The Top 25 Data Management and Analytics Executives of 2025 by The Software Report.

Matt Lane serves as the Chief Revenue Officer at Ataccama, having joined the company in 2023 to lead its revenue strategy and build a world-class sales organization.

Before joining Ataccama, Matt was Vice President of Global Revenue at Peak, an AI-driven technology company, where he oversaw the customer management and growth strategy. Prior to that, he held several leadership roles during a 13-year tenure at Mimecast, including Vice President of Sales and Global GTM Chief of Staff. In these roles, Matt played a key part in shaping go-to-market strategy, establishing global standard operating procedures and driving revenue growth leading to a successful IPO and acquisition.

Mike McKee was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of Ataccama in August 2023. Together with the leadership team, he executes on Ataccama’s mission to empower organizations to maximize the transformative potential of data and AI, enabling them to extract insights that help them make better business decisions.

Mike brings three decades of senior leadership experience and startup expertise, having formerly served as Chief Executive Officer and President at Dotmatics. He also held the role of Chief Executive Office at ObserveIT, and subsequently was appointed EVP & GM, Insider Threat Management, at Proofpoint after its acquisition of ObserveIT. Previously, he was SVP, Services & Customer Success at Rapid7, which completed an IPO on the NASDAQ during his tenure, and SVP, CAD Operations & Strategy at PTC, an organization at which he spent over 11 years and held senior positions in sales, finance, and services.

Mike’s experience also includes business strategy consulting at McKinsey, and his self-founded Onward & Upward Consulting initiative, as well as roles in investment banking with Goldman Sachs and Broadview International. Mike holds a MBA from Harvard Business School and a degree in Economics and Politics from Princeton University.

Mo Dodge is a Customer Advisory Consultant & Best Practice Lead at Ataccama, where he helps enterprises realize and articulate the ROI of their data management and governance initiatives, while also guiding them with best practices to maximize business outcomes. With over ten years of experience across presales, value engineering, and data strategy, he brings a proven track record of aligning technical solutions with business impact. Prior to Ataccama, Mo held key roles at leading data management vendors such as Informatica, Alation, and data.world, working closely with organizations to drive adoption of modern data platforms through a value-based, consultative approach.

Petr Zacek is the Director of Product Management for Master Data Management (MDM) at Ataccama. With a strong background in data management and product innovation, Petr is passionate about helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data. He combines technical expertise with a keen understanding of business needs to drive product vision and deliver cutting-edge solutions that empower companies to achieve data-driven success. Known for his strategic thinking and leadership, Petr is a key contributor to Ataccama’s mission of revolutionizing data management through AI and automation.

Rebecca Lane is the Director of Customer Success for EMEA & APAC at Ataccama, passionate about ensuring customers deliver value at every stage of their adoption journey. She has significant experience across Sales Engineering, Solutions Architecture and Customer Success in a number of data focused software companies. Starting her career as a hands on data analyst and later a management consultant reflects her passion for leveraging data to drive business outcomes.

Scott Lewis is Senior Vice President of Customers at Ataccama and a member of the executive management team, having joined the company in 2023. Scott is focused on working with customers to connect data to their business and delivering long term value and growth.

With over two decades of experience ranging from startups to large global software vendors, Scott’s areas of expertise include sales leadership and enablement, go to market, and customer relationship management. Prior to joining Ataccama, he was VP Global GTM and RevOps at OutSystems, a low-code platform software provider, where he set the go to market strategy including portfolio marketing, revenue operations, and business value consulting.

Prior to this, Scott spent six years at cybersecurity and observability leader Splunk, latterly in the role of Vice President and a member of the senior leadership team. During his tenure, he was responsible for the company’s global IT portfolio strategy and revenue, led M&A during a number of high profile acquisitions, and built new go to market functions from the ground up, including business value consulting, IT operations, security and business analytics specialist sales teams, and field enablement.