Responsible AI in Global Business 2025

Amanda Ballantyne is executive director of the AFL-CIO Technology Institute. She works closely with unions and worker advocates to educate and engage a broad set of public and private stakeholders on the impacts of artificial intelligence and related technologies impacting working people’s rights, job security, job quality and safety. She is a member of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC).

Prior to joining the AFL-CIO, Amanda was executive director of the Main Street Alliance, a national network of small business owners and entrepreneurs focused on policy and employment issues.

Amanda brings nearly 20 years of organizing, policy and legal experience in unions and nonprofits. She graduated from Smith College and earned her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.

Responsible AI innovation requires three pillars — forward-looking innovation, clear governance, and of course, the technology must work in practice.

That’s where engineering comes in. Sarah Bird leads Microsoft’s responsible AI engineering effort, working to accelerate the adoption and positive impact of AI by bringing together the latest innovations in research, product and policy. She helps to create and apply responsible AI principles, standards and tools across the company, and has led the cross-company group of experts to build Microsoft Copilot and Github Copilot, among other key Microsoft products.

Bird has been in the field of responsible AI since its inception. She is one of the founding researchers of the first responsible AI group at Microsoft, an active member of the Microsoft AETHER committee and contributed to the creation of the Microsoft Responsible AI Standard.

She received her Ph.D. in computer science from Berkeley, where her advisor was Turing Award winner Dave Patterson. Before joining Microsoft, Sarah was also a founding member of the AI ethics group at Facebook.

She is also the New York site lead for engineering and research at Microsoft and is passionate about New York as a place for technology development and innovation. Bird’s team is lighting the way in terms of what’s possible in responsible AI, showing real examples of AI that works safely and responsibly that are moving the field forward. 
Bird was first introduced to engineering when two women engineers came to speak to her fourth-grade class. Seeing how that one small experience may have changed the trajectory of her life has made Bird passionate about mentorship and encouraging more women to get into the field of Responsible AI.

Bird’s passion for responsible AI is driven by her belief in the potential of AI and her recognition that we cannot realize its full potential unless we are able to have AI that is safe, responsible, fair and robust. This is the driving force behind her work.

“I’m so excited about the future and how AI can change the world. But the responsible AI part is critical. I see this as essential work in making AI a reality, and for me, this is really a labor of love.”

Ben Brooks is a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, Harvard, where he scrutinizes the regulatory and legislative response to AI models. He served most recently as Head of Public Policy for Stability AI, custodian of Stable Diffusion. Ben has testified on AI regulation before the US Congress and UK Parliament, and engages decision makers around the world to protect open innovation in future regulation. Previously, Ben advocated the safe, open, and durable regulation of emerging technologies, including drone delivery at Alphabet, ridesharing at Uber, and digital assets at Coinbase. He has worked with authorities on the ground in over 25 countries as they navigate complex reforms in high-stakes or permission-based domains, from Mandalay to Texas.
 

Jennifer Frederick has served as Yale University’s associate provost for academic initiatives since July 1, 2022. She is an expert in interdisciplinary and inclusive teaching practices in higher education and a widely respected university leader who has centered equity and inclusion in her many leadership roles.

As founding executive director of the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning in 2014, she has been instrumental in the Center’s creation and support of all aspects of student learning and faculty pedagogy. Her leadership of the Poorvu Center has also included building the Faculty Teaching Initiatives team, the Academic Strategies Program, and Educational Program Assessment service, and expanding to Poorvu North. This role draws on her skills in facilitating curricular innovation, mentor training, teaching center strategic planning, and inclusive teaching. Beyond Yale, Frederick served for many years as the principal investigator on an award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to support a national STEM faculty development initiative, the Summer Institutes on Scientific Teaching. She currently holds an appointment as HHMI Facilitator-Scholar, designing and delivering mentorship training to HHMI scientists nationwide.

In 2024, Frederick participated in the Yale Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence to develop the institution’s AI priorities and make recommendations for investments to improve educational policy and provide curricular guidance. Building on that work, she now leads the university-wide effort to implement the Task Force’s recommendations.

Jenny holds a BA in Chemistry from Cornell University, and a PhD in chemistry from Yale. She held teaching and research-focused faculty positions at the University of Bridgeport and Western Connecticut State University before returning to Yale in 2007 to focus on educational development.

Camille Stewart Gloster is a globally recognized cybersecurity and emerging technology expert, attorney, and strategist, known for her leadership at the intersection of national security, technology policy, and responsible AI. She is the CEO and Principal of CAS Strategies, LLC, where she advises organizations on cybersecurity, AI policy, and trust in the digital ecosystem.

Previously, she served as Deputy National Cyber Director for Technology & Ecosystem Security at the White House, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy and led AI and cybersecurity initiatives, including contributions to the 2023 Executive Order on AI. Before her government tenure, she was the Global Head of Product Security Strategy at Google and Head of Security Policy for Google Play & Android, where she spearheaded global election integrity efforts and security risk mitigation strategies.

With a background spanning Deloitte, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and leadership roles in cybersecurity policy, Stewart Gloster has been instrumental in driving national and international cyber strategies. A Harvard Cyber Fellow and a sought-after speaker, she is a champion for inclusive cybersecurity and responsible technology development. Her expertise and thought leadership continue to shape the evolving landscape of digital trust and security.

Logan Graham leads the Frontier Red Team at Anthropic, where he focuses on identifying the most advanced—and potentially high-risk—capabilities of artificial general intelligence (AGI) as far ahead as possible. His mission is to push the boundaries of AI safety and security by rigorously testing models to uncover emergent capabilities.

Previously, he served as the UK Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on science and technology, working to position the country for the 22nd century by reshaping state structures to drive new industrial revolutions. During this time, he played a key role in making AI a national priority, establishing the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), securing billions in science funding, transforming the Prime Minister’s office into a more agile and innovation-driven entity, and addressing critical national security risks.

In addition to his government leadership, Graham contributed to a major moonshot project at Google X and holds a PhD in machine learning from the University of Oxford. His career has been defined by a deep commitment to technological progress, cultivating exceptional talent, and navigating the complex interplay between innovation, policy, and global security.
 

Traci is an executive leader with extensive experience in people and organizational transformation across multiple industries. Recently, she served as Executive Vice President Head of Global People Success Services at SAP, where she brought operational HR teams from a siloed way of working to a more collaborative, cross HR approach during HR and the company’s ongoing transformation. Previously at Colgate Palmolive, she had an extensive career, having led HR across nearly all regions.

With a degree in Human Resources and an MBA in Finance, Traci began her career in Total Rewards, and is a data-driven storyteller. She has lived in four countries and worked globally, embodying the true spirit of a global citizen. Her curiosity about how people, culture, and organizations form systems drives her personally and professionally. Currently, she serves as an Advisor at degreed and Trustee at Ithaca College. An engaging speaker on leadership and change, Traci is an avid traveler, having visited 60 countries, many with her (mostly willing) family.

Jon Iwata is Practice Leader of the Yale Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management at Yale School of Management, where he is an Executive Fellow and Lecturer. The program, established in 2022, was founded based on the work Jon and his collaborators led exploring stakeholder capitalism's impact on leadership.

Jon is also Executive Chair of the Data & Trust Alliance, a not-for-profit organization formed in 2020 by CEOs of leading corporations to develop and adopt responsible data and AI practices. It has produced algorithmic safeguards for workforce practices and the first data provenance standards to bring transparency to how, when and where data is collected or generated. Alliance members include American Express, AT&T, Chevron, CVS Health, GM, Mastercard, Meta, Nike, Pfizer, Salesforce, Starbucks, UPS, Walmart and Warby Parker.

Over a 35-year career at IBM, Jon held multiple leadership roles, including Senior Vice President, Chief Brand Officer, and leader of the company's global marketing, communications and citizenship organization. He reported to three IBM CEOs over two decades of significant transformation. He was chairman of IBM’s corporate strategy committee. According to Interbrand, IBM became the second most valuable brand in the world during Jon’s tenure as CMO.

Jon is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and serves on the advisory board of Responsible Innovation Labs. He was appointed a Tech Ethics and Policy Mentor at the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society at Stanford University in 2023.

Jon is an inductee of the B2B Hall of Fame and the Marketing Hall of Fame. He was named a Brand Genius by AdWeek. In 2023 he was awarded the Harold Burson Award, the Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communications by the Page Center at Penn State University, and was named to the 2023 NACD Directorship 100 – the annual list of the most influential people in the boardroom and on corporate governance. He holds a BA from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San Jose State University.

Jon is co-inventor of a U.S. patent for a nanotechnology and process for atomic-scale semiconductors.

Saira is the Executive Director of the Data & Trust Alliance: a coalition of 26 leading organizations—including AT&T, Chevron, IBM, Mastercard, Nike, UPS, and Walmart—who are committed to the development and adoption of responsible data and AI practices and policies. Over the past three years, Saira has led development of all D&TA’s products—tools and education for algorithmic safety, M&A diligence for AI, and, most recently, the first cross-industry standards for data provenance. The work entails significant collaboration with experts from D&TA member companies, industry and civil society.

Prior to that, Saira was a Partner at SYPartners, where she worked for 10 years with enterprise leaders to envision and design new futures. She has a background in science journalism and received her B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University. Born in Kenya, Saira spent much of her life in Africa and the Middle East before moving to New York City.
 

Professor Kovács studies how socially structured information such as categories, awards, online reviews, and social networks shape audiences’ perceptions and evaluations in creative domains such as music, literature, dining, or technology. Focusing on audiences is important because in creative domains quality and relevance are often elusive, making social evaluations particularly important. Quality here is constructed in part through categorization and the interaction of heterogenous audience segments and networks. His research takes a sociological approach, in which actors, objects, organizations, and markets are located in a relational space, and heterogeneity, positioning, and networks are studied by exploring the locations and movements in this relational space.

Professor Kovács typically uses large-scale, “big data” approaches to study these questions, analyzing online reviews and social networks. His research appears in journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, American Sociological Review, Organization Science, Management Science, Nature Biotechnology, Psychological Science, Research Policy, Social Networks, and Strategic Management Journal.

Professor Kovács received his PhD from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Prior to joining the Yale School of Management, he was an assistant professor at the University of Lugano, Switzerland.

Elena Kvochko is a globally recognized technology executive, cybersecurity expert, and advocate for digital resilience, with a distinguished career leading security and innovation strategies for Fortune 500 companies and global institutions. She has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most influential organizations, shaping the future of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and enterprise technology at scale.

Kvochko launched Trustguard AI in 2024. Previously, Kvochko served as the first Chief Trust Officer at SAP, where she drives global initiatives in cybersecurity, data privacy, and responsible AI, ensuring trust and resilience in the digital economy. Prior to SAP, she was the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Barclays, where she spearheaded the bank’s global security strategy and innovation agenda. She also held senior technology leadership roles at Bank of America and the World Bank, where she worked on large-scale digital transformation and cybersecurity initiatives impacting financial markets and global economies.

A thought leader in cybersecurity, Kvochko has contributed extensively to the discourse on security, privacy, and AI ethics, with published works in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Global Technology Leaders by Forbes and has received multiple industry accolades, including the Innovator of the Year award by Women in IT.

Joanne Lipman is the bestselling author of NEXT! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work and the No. 1 bestseller That's What She Said. A pioneering journalist, she has served as Editor-in-Chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal's Weekend Journal, leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. A frequent speaker and television commentator, she is an on-air contributor at CNBC and journalism lecturer at Yale University. She was also named the inaugural Distinguished Journalism Fellow at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study.

Dubbed "star editor" by CNN and "innovator in chief" by The New York Times, Lipman began her career as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to Deputy Managing Editor, the first woman to attain that post. There, she created Weekend Journal and Personal Journal, and supervised coverage that earned three Pulitzer Prizes. She subsequently was founding Editor-in-Chief of Conde Nast Portfolio and Portfolio.com, which won National Magazine and Loeb Awards.

In 2015, she became the first Chief Content Officer of Gannett. There she was Editor in Chief of its USA Today and USA Today Network, encompassing the flagship title plus 109 metro newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer Prizes.

Lipman is a frequent television commentator, seen on ABC, CNN, NBC, CNBC, CBS, MSNBC and PBS, among others. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, Fortune, Newsweek and Harvard Business Review. She is also co-author of the critically acclaimed musical memoir, "Strings Attached." 

American technologist. Product experience leader across consumer and enterprise. Early catalyst for generative art and computational design for commercial applications across Web2 and Web3. First recipient of White House’s National Design Award for algorithmically-generated visualizations informed by data + AI. Noted book author, online influencer, and investor in diverse startups.

Currently serving as VP, Engineering, Head of Computational Design / AI Platform at Microsoft. Formerly chief technology officer of Everbridge, Sonos board of directors, Wieden+Kennedy board of directors, Kleiner Perkins partner, MIT Media Lab data visualization lead, Automattic head of design + inclusion, Publicis Sapient executive vice president and chief experience officer, and 16th president/ceo of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Author of five books including a gentle intro to AI/ML "How To Speak Machine" and the tech bestseller of 2006 "Laws of Simplicity." Writings, interviews, or talks include WSJ, NYT, TED, BBC, WEF, COP, CNN, The Economist, Forbes, USA Today, Fortune, Fast Company, Esquire. Honors include three honorary doctorate degrees, TIME Best Twitter 140, White House National Design Award, Fast Company Masters of Innovation, LinkedIn Top 10 US Influencer, Esquire 75 Most Influential of the 21st Century, and Tribeca Film Festival Disruptor Award for launching the STEM to STEAM movement in the US.

“Maeda is to design what Warren Buffett is to finance.” —Wired Magazine

Andy Markus is the Senior Vice President and Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer at AT&T Services, Inc., where he leads the company’s vision for data-driven innovation and AI advancements. With over 30 years of expertise in data management, analytics, and artificial intelligence, Markus plays a pivotal role in transforming AT&T’s data assets into actionable insights that enhance customer experiences, empower employees, and deliver measurable business value.

Under his leadership, the Chief Data Office (CDO) is at the forefront of reimagining and optimizing critical operations across the firm leveraging state-of-the-art automation, traditional AI, and generative AI solutions.

A champion of responsible AI and data governance, Markus ensures AT&T adheres to rigorous standards for data and AI usage while fostering a culture where even non-technical employees can leverage advanced technologies to drive innovation. Before joining AT&T, Markus served as Senior Vice President of Data Management and Consumer Analytics at WarnerMedia, where he played a critical role in executing enterprise data solutions across legacy Turner, HBO, and Warner Bros. His achievements included driving advancements in data architecture, advertising optimization, and consumer identity management.

Earlier in his career, Markus held leadership roles at Time Inc. and Management Decision Systems, where he was instrumental in developing the financial industry’s first mass-marketed, credit bureau-based risk models. He is a recognized expert in building large-scale data platforms, leading diverse teams of data and AI professionals, and delivering strategic initiatives that align with organizational goals.

Markus earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Statistics, with a minor in Computer Science, from The University of Alabama. His academic foundation in statistics and computer science continues to inform his innovative approach to data and AI leadership. 

Andy Markus’s strategic vision and technical expertise position him as a transformative leader in the ever-evolving landscape of data and artificial intelligence.

James Maroney was first elected to represent the 14th District (Milford) in 2018.

Senator Maroney currently serves as the Co-Chair of the General Law Committee. In his time as co-chair of the committee, he has passed comprehensive consumer data privacy laws, children and consumer health data privacy laws, a law governing state government use of AI, laws modernizing and expanding the practice of pharmacy in Connecticut, among others.

Recently Senator Maroney was named to the inaugural Leadership Council of the Future of Privacy Forum Center for Artificial Intelligence. Senator Maroney’s work on tech legislation has been recognized nationally.

Prior to politics, Sen. Maroney founded and ran an educational consulting business in Milford. In addition, he was a past president and founding member of the Milford Education Foundation and served on the Milford Board of Education. A proud and active participant in the community, he is a member and past president of the Devon Rotary, where he chaired the scholarship committee for years.

Prior to a successful career in public service, State Senator Maroney attended Yale (Class of 96), where he was a 3-time varsity letter winner in both track and field and cross-country. In his senior year, he was elected captain of the track and field team and was awarded the Yale Men’s Cross-Country Award for Performance and Dedication. He graduated from Jonathan Law High School of Milford in 1992.
 

Seeyew Mo is a leading expert at the intersection of cybersecurity, technology, and national security, with 20 years of experience in technology development, policymaking, and stakeholder engagement.

As the first-ever White House Assistant National Cyber Director for Workforce, Education, and Economic Advancement, Seeyew spearheaded the implementation of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, transforming the nation's cyber workforce and education landscape. He led interagency efforts across more than 35 federal departments and agencies, influenced over $100 billion in federal contracts, and secured private-sector commitments that generated 35,000 new jobs and $100 million in cyber education funding. Seeyew also contributed to the development of President Biden's Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, shaping policies to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies.

Prior to his White House appointment, Seeyew served as a Senior Cybersecurity, Technology, and National Security Fellow in the U.S. Senate, advising on critical issues such as U.S.-China competition, artificial intelligence, and national security policies. He also held technical and leadership roles in the private sector, where he worked on innovative solutions in AI, cybersecurity, and workforce development.

Seeyew's diverse expertise is rooted in a strong educational foundation. He earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, a Master’s in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University, and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing national security, fostering a resilient and dynamic workforce, and shaping technology policies that serve the public good.
 

Alan Murray is the founding president of the WSJ Leadership Institute, which was established to provide peer learning opportunities for corporate executives. The Institute includes The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, as well as the CFO, CMO, and CIO Networks.

Previously, Murray spent ten years at Fortune Media, where he served as editor-in-chief and then CEO. He was responsible for establishing Fortune as an independent company and is credited with turning around the 94-year-old media brand. While at Fortune, he wrote the CEO Daily newsletter and hosted the Leadership Next podcast. He also served for two years as chief content officer for Time Inc.

Before Joining Fortune, Murray spent two years as president of the Pew Research Center. Prior to that, he had a two-decade career at The Wall Street Journal, where he was Washington Bureau Chief and then Deputy Managing Editor, overseeing all digital, conferences, books and video operations. He also spent three years as Washington Bureau Chief for CNBC, where he cohosted Capitol Report nightly.

Murray is the author of five books, including, most recently, Tomorrow’s Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business. He is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Arthur W. Page Center Integrity in Public Communications award, and multiple journalism awards. He was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, holds a MSc. degree in economics from the London School of Economics and completed the Senior Executive Program at the Stanford School of Business.

Kristina Podnar is a globally recognized digital policy consultant, author, and speaker, specializing in governance, compliance, and trust in the digital age. With over two decades of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, governments, and international organizations, she helps businesses unlock innovation while ensuring security, privacy, and ethical AI adoption.

As the author of The Power of Digital Policy, Podnar is a thought leader in digital governance, frequently contributing to industry discussions on responsible technology and regulatory compliance. She is a sought-after advisor, guiding organizations through the complexities of digital transformation while safeguarding consumer trust and brand integrity.

Berta Rodriguez-Hervas is the Chief AI and Analytics Officer at Pfizer and serves as co-chair of Pfizer’s AI Council. Berta has an extensive background in AI, machine learning and analytics, with a track-record of quickly developing AI solutions and delivering them at scale in large global organizations. Until recently, Berta was Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Machine Learning Operation at Stellantis, a global automotive company, designing and implementing the strategy for the next generation of autonomous vehicles. Prior to that, she held key program and product development roles at NVIDIA, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz.

JoAnn C. Stonier is a Mastercard Fellow for her expertise in data and AI, focusing on driving thought leadership and external engagement across academia and government and with regulators and other stakeholders, and acting as a trusted advisor across Mastercard in her subject matter expertise.

JoAnn formerly served as Mastercard’s first chief data officer, leading enterprise-wide data strategy and management to ensure Mastercard maximizes the value of its information assets. JoAnn and her team of global professionals identified the opportunities associated with Mastercard’s information assets and assisted in the development of the tools, processes, policies, and standards necessary to enable their use.

Previously, JoAnn was EVP Chief Information Governance & Privacy Officer for the organization. In that role she was responsible for worldwide privacy and information governance, leading those teams as well as leading regulatory engagement in this area. Prior to joining Mastercard in 2008, JoAnn 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. JoAnn has worked at Waldenbooks, Inc., PepsiCo and started her career as an auditor for PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

In addition to her work at Mastercard, JoAnn is an adjunct professor at Pratt Institute where she teaches business strategy and international business, in the Design Management Master’s program.

JoAnn 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. JoAnn has been recognized as a leader in data and privacy by several organizations including the Aspen Institute, the United Nations, and the Information Governance Initiative and has served on the board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, the Center for Information Policy Leadership, and the Information Accountability Foundation. She is a well-regarded speaker at industry events and often addresses the need for balancing data innovation and privacy. JoAnn is based in Purchase, NY.

Jade is an experienced business executive with a deep understanding of both large enterprises and startups. With over 20 years of experience, she has been instrumental in driving innovation and reshaping industries in collaboration with forward-thinking organizations.

At IBM, Jade led transformation and growth initiatives, including the incubation of emerging businesses such as AI for Business Automation and the translation of scientific discoveries into profitable business ventures through collaborative platforms such as ThinkLabs, CXLabs, and Innovation Discovery.

More recently, Jade was the Co-Founder and CEO of a startup aimed at helping hypergrowth organizations cultivate conscious company cultures. She also serves as a consultant and executive coach for pioneering teams and high-achieving leaders.

Jade is not new to higher education. She began her career in the Higher Education consulting practice at Coopers & Lybrand where her clients included Caltech, USC, and Stanford. Currently, she is a mentor for the Endless Frontiers Lab, a program at NYC’s Stern School of Business, focused on maximizing the potential of massively-scalable, science and deep technology startups.

Jade holds degrees in Industrial Engineering and English Literature and obtained her master’s degree in General Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She resides in Katonah, NY.

In his current role, Jim leads the Johnson & Johnson Technology organization, a team of more than 4,000 professionals across 50 countries who are passionate about combining deep scientific expertise with the latest digital solutions to confront some of the most complex healthcare challenges of our time. In addition, Jim and his team are responsible for powering the 130,000 colleagues across Johnson & Johnson and the digital ecosystem that connects the Company to patients and customers.

Jim has an overriding commitment to attracting and growing digital talent across the enterprise and forging external connections across industries and disciplines. He has been known to say he has “the best job in the world” because of his ability to drive positive impact in the world using “tech for good”. Jim, and the organizations he has led, have received industry accolades for their contributions in leadership, application of technology to drive outcomes and deliver business value, best places to work in IT, and support of STEM for emerging talent.

Jim rejoined Johnson & Johnson in 2019 from Bayer Crop Science, where he served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Chief Information Officer, and Head of Digital Transformation. Previously, he served as Chief Information Officer at Monsanto for five years, before the company was acquired by Bayer. Prior to that role, Jim spent nine years working as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical, where he advanced technology throughout the company’s Research & Development organization.

Earlier in his career, Jim led the Research & Development and Commercial IT organizations at Merck. Jim began as a bench scientist at SmithKline Beecham before transitioning to IT. Throughout his professional life, he has had extensive international experience, including living in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in Bioscience and Biotechnology and a master’s degree in Computer Science, both from Drexel University. He is also the Co-Chair of the Advisory Council for Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, and a member of the Data & Trust Alliance, a cross industry consortium seeking to learn, develop, and adopt responsible data and AI practices.

Jim is married and is the proud father of three daughters. In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, skiing, scuba diving, and boating.

Bernardo Tavares is the Chief Technology & Data Officer for Kenvue. In this role, Bernardo oversees the Information Technology and Data Science groups and as key enablers of innovation and growth, leads the data and technology agenda by scaling digital capabilities to better serve customers and consumers.

Bernardo brings together the power of people, technology, and data to transform digital experiences for consumers, customers, partners, and employees around the world. He sets the strategic direction and drives digital investments, empowering teams to work smarter, better understand consumer behaviors and innovate with speed and impact to meet consumer needs and improve health for all.

Under Bernardo’s leadership, teams are leveraging digital and data capabilities with proven science to optimize business technology and to deliver new and differentiated experiences and solutions across brands like Tylenol®, Neutrogena® and Zyrtec®. Bernardo has also been critical in modernizing the digital ecosystem, creating a culture and foundation for data excellence and insights.

Bernardo is an experienced global leader. Prior to being named Chief Information Officer of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health in 2018, Bernardo led the Consumer Health IT organization in Latin America, driving commercial innovation through innovative technology and data programs. He also led the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health and Consumer Medical Devices IT Portfolio and Project Office worldwide, where he was responsible for Business Technology strategy, portfolio planning, execution, and value realization.

Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson in 2012, Bernardo served in several IT leadership roles driving consumer and technology innovation for Unilever and IBM around the world. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree from University of São Paulo with a specialization in Business Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil. He is also a Data Research Advisory Board member for MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR), member of the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council (HITEC) and a member of the Data & Trust Alliance (D&TA).
 

Rob Thomas is Senior Vice President Software and Chief Commercial Officer, IBM. He leads IBM’s software business, including product management and design, product development, and business development. In addition, Rob has global responsibility for IBM revenue and profit, including worldwide sales, strategic partnerships and ecosystem.

In his over 20 years in IBM, Rob has held roles in IBM Consulting, IBM Microelectronics, and IBM Software, including two years living in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007, Rob joined IBM’s software business, focused on data and analytics. He held a variety of roles including product engineering and business development, leading IBM’s transition from databases to delivering broader analytical capabilities, investing in open source, and eventually artificial intelligence. Rob has overseen numerous acquisitions by the firm, representing over $20 billion in transaction value.

In 2015, John Wiley & Sons published Rob’s first book, titled “Big Data Revolution: What farmers, doctors, and insurance agents can teach us about patterns in big data”. The Financial Times called the book, “interesting as a case study of the philosophical assumptions that underpin the growing obsession with data.” In December 2016, Rob published his second book, “The End of Tech Companies,” educating business leaders on how to navigate digital disruption. In April 2020, O’Reilly published Rob’s latest book, “The AI Ladder: Accelerate Your Journey to AI.” The book serves as a practical guide for business leaders to learn the steps necessary to successfully scale AI throughout their organization. Rob also publishes ‘The Mentor’ on his Substack. Each month, he shares 3 things he’s read on skills, careers, and personal development.

Rob graduated from Vanderbilt University and went on to earn a graduate degree at The University of Florida. Rob serves on the board of Domus (Stamford, CT), which assists underprivileged children in Fairfield County. He is an active volunteer at Filling in the Blanks, an organization focused on fighting childhood hunger in local communities. He lives in New Canaan, CT with his wife and three children.

Nisheeth Vishnoi is the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Computer Science at Yale University, where he co-founded the Computation and Society Initiative to address challenges at the intersection of technology and society. A leading researcher in theoretical computer science and AI ethics, his work spans optimization algorithms, machine learning foundations, and sociotechnical systems analysis.

Educated at IIT Bombay (B.Tech, 1999) and Georgia Tech (Ph.D., 2004), Vishnoi has made seminal contributions to understanding NP-hard problems, convex optimization, and algorithmic fairness. His current research focus is on understanding and addressing some of the key questions that arise in nature and society from the viewpoint of theoretical computer science through natural algorithms, emergence of intelligence, and questions at the interface of AI, Ethics, and Society.

Honors include:
• Best Technical Paper Award at ACM FAT* (2019)
• Invited Paper in Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science (2017)
• IIT Bombay Young Alumni Achievers Award (2016)
• Indian National Science Academy Young Scientist Medal (2011)
• IBM Research Pat Goldberg Memorial Award for 2005 (2006)
• Best Paper Award at IEEE Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS) (2005)

Vishnoi serves on Yale's AI Task Force and leads NSF-funded initiatives on scalable optimization. His interdisciplinary work bridges computer science, social policy, and economics, particularly through algorithmic solutions for societal challenges.

Edward (“Ted”) Wittenstein is a Lecturer in Global Affairs and the Executive Director of  International Security Studies, a research and teaching hub of the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs. In that capacity, he helps oversee a number of programs dedicated to international history and global security, including the  Schmidt Program on Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies, and National Power; the  Johnson Center for the Study of American Diplomacy; and the  Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. A former diplomat and intelligence professional, Ted teaches undergraduate, graduate, and law courses on intelligence, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and national security decision-making. He also serves as Co-Director of the  Yale Cyber Leadership Forum, a Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, and a visiting faculty fellow at Yale Law School’s  Center for Global Legal Challenges.

Ted is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School. Prior to returning to work for Yale, he held a variety of positions at the U.S. Department of Defense, Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of State.