The AI in Business Podcast

Today's guest is Vaithi Bharath, Associate Director of Data Science & AI Solutions at Bayer. Bharath joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to break down why clinical R&D timelines often slip for reasons that have little to do with model performance. Rather, delays compound when data moves across fragmented systems, teams rely on slow handoffs, and validation requirements turn minor adjustments into major cycle-time hits. He walks through where decision-making slows from data capture through database lock, and what it takes to accelerate workflows without replacing a validated environment. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers...

Today's guest is Tami Craig Schilling, Vice President of Agronomic Digital Innovation at Bayer Crop Science. Tami brings decades of expertise in agricultural sales, R&D, and digital tools for farmer support. Tami joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how generative AI delivers localized recommendations across the plan-plant-grow-harvest cycle amid variable soil, practices, and weather conditions. Tami also shares practical takeaways like using zip code-based tools such as ELI for prompting that triangulates genetics, environment, and pests—augmenting human expertise with precise agronomy advice, prompt guides for optimal outputs, and scale-neutral support from commercial to smallholder farmers. Wa...

Today's guest is Baker Johnson, Chief Business Officer at UJET. UJET is a next-generation cloud contact center platform that leverages AI to modernize the customer experience. Baker joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explain why conversational and agentic AI often fall short in CX, and how legacy processes and fragmented data prevent meaningful results. Baker also offers practical steps for improving ROI — from redesigning workflows before automating them to aligning real-time interaction data with systems of record and building a healthier balance between human and AI agents. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click em...

Today's guest is Sandro Venturini, Executive Director at UBS Asset Management Switzerland. Sandro brings deep expertise in fund structuring, cross-border launches, and data integration for financial services. Sandro joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how fragmented fund data creates silos in mergers and launches, and how a single source of truth enables AI to streamline compliance and reporting. Sandro also shares practical takeaways, such as using AI to anticipate stakeholder concerns from term sheets, generate draft prospectuses that slash legal fees and formation costs, and customize investor reporting to reduce manual errors across share classes. Just a...

Today's guest is Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com is a global B2B marketplace connecting small and mid-sized businesses with manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. Kuo joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello for an exclusive interview following his keynote address at this year's CoCreate event in Las Vegas to discuss how agentic AI is lowering barriers to global sourcing, transforming procurement workflows, and reshaping how organizations of all sizes move from product idea to execution. Kuo also breaks down the practical efficiencies emerging from AI-driven automation—from reducing manual supplier communication to streamlining global transactions and trade as...

Today's guest is Nina Edwards, Vice President of Emerging Technology and Innovation at Prudential Insurance. With decades of experience driving strategy, innovation, and AI-enabled growth at leading financial and consulting firms, Nina brings deep expertise in applied intelligence and emerging technology.​​ Nina joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to unpack why 95% of AI pilots fail to deliver enterprise value and reveal strategies for translating productivity gains into measurable ROI by ditching pre-AI metrics.​ Nina also shares practical takeaways, including protected sandboxes that slash approval cycles from months to days, unified KPI glossaries standardizing cycle time and exception rates, outcome charte...

Today's guest is Robert Wenier, Global Head of Cloud and Infrastructure at AstraZeneca. Robert leads enterprise cloud, infrastructure, and platform strategy across a highly regulated, data-intensive global organization. Robert joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to discuss how enterprise data and AI architectures are shifting from service-oriented and microservice models toward emerging agentic architectures that prioritize end-to-end business outcomes over stepwise technical execution. The conversation explores why AI is moving from a supporting role to a direct driver of competitive advantage, and how this changes expectations for infrastructure, data strategy, and leadership ownership. Want to share...

Today's guest is Naveen Kumar, Head of Insider Risk, Analytics, and Detection at TD Bank. With deep expertise in financial crime and risk analytics, he offers a frontline view into how regulated institutions manage AI securely at scale. Naveen joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the foundations required for responsible AI adoption in banking — from data protection and governance to fraud prevention and machine-assisted investigation. Naveen also breaks down practical steps leaders can take to improve ROI, including role-based AI access, full data visibility, and phasing innovation to meet regulatory expectations. Want to share your AI adoption st...

Today's guest is Kun He, Lead Scientific Advisor at Bayer Crop Science. He joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI is transforming human talent and workforce development in agricultural manufacturing, balancing data-driven efficiency with the irreplaceable role of human gut instinct. Kun also explores practical takeaways, such as integrating genotyping and phenotyping data to accelerate crop-breeding workflows, empowering breeders to drive "step change" innovations, and treating AI as a co-pilot to check biases while prioritizing customer needs for blockbuster R&D outcomes. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2...

Today's guest is Chris Joynt, Director of Product Marketing at Securiti. Securiti is a leader in AI-powered data security, privacy, and governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Chris joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore why trust in data remains the defining challenge for AI in financial services, and how institutions can modernize their architectures to enable safe, compliant, and scalable AI adoption. Chris also breaks down the practical workflows that reduce regulatory and cyber risk — mapping data flows, classifying unstructured data, preventing shadow AI — and shows how stronger governance ultimately accelerates ROI by enabling faster, more reliable AI d...

Shefali Kakar, Global Head of PK Sciences and Oncology at Novartis, returns to the AI in Business podcast to discuss how AI is reshaping the earliest and most critical phases of drug development—where strategic investment decisions are made long before a clinical trial begins. Together with Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello, Shefali explores how advanced modeling, in silico design, and patient data are creating a clearer picture of risk and return across R&D portfolios. She explains how pharmaceutical organizations are leveraging multi-factorial models to simulate safety, efficacy, and market potential—down to the molecular level. Want to shar...

Today's guest is Umesh Rustogi, General Manager of Dragon for Nursing, Microsoft Health & Life Sciences. Umesh joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how nursing workflows are straining under documentation burden, and how ambient AI is being built — not repurposed — to fit the realities of frontline care. The conversation also examines practical workflow changes already emerging in the field, as well as early ROI signals to watch for. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Cody Barrow, CEO at EclecticIQ. EclecticIQ is a global cybersecurity leader specializing in threat intelligence technology. Cody joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI-driven analytics and automation are revolutionizing threat detection and response in enterprise cybersecurity. Barrow also highlights practical improvements in workflow automation, early threat identification, and measurable ROI through reduced breach risks and operational efficiency. This episode is sponsored by EclecticIQ. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for...

Today's guest is Dirk Michiels, CEO of Savaco. Savaco is a Belgium-based managed service provider specializing in hybrid cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and enterprise software deployment. Michiels joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the transformative role of hybrid cloud architectures in enterprise data and AI strategies. He also highlights how seamless integration, enhanced security protocols, and optimized deployment workflows lead to faster innovation and measurable ROI for modern organizations. This episode is sponsored by Xurrent. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with...

Today's guest is Meghna Punhani, Chief People Officer at Eightfold AI. Eightfold AI provides an AI-powered platform for talent management, helping organizations optimize hiring, internal mobility, and workforce development. Meghna joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how HR leaders can adopt AI responsibly to enhance workforce capabilities and drive strategic impact. She also shares practical insights on reengineering HR workflows, leveraging AI for candidate screening and internal mobility, and building human-centered ethical guardrails for AI implementation. This episode is sponsored by Eightfold AI. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com...

Today's guest is Mathew Paruthickal, Global Head of Data Architecture, Utilization, and AI Engineering at Sanofi. Founded in 1973, Sanofi is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. Sanofi works in the research, development, and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Mathew joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how life sciences organisations can move from isolated digital tools to orchestrated, interoperable systems and how engineering teams can bake in traceability, auditability, and human-in-the-loop governance from day one. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential...

Today's guest is Lauren Tulloch, Vice President and Managing Director at CCC (Copyright Clearance Center). CCC provides collective copyright licensing services for corporate and academic users of copyrighted materials, and, as one can imagine, the advent of AI has exposed a large number of businesses to copyright risks they've never considered before. Today, Lauren joins us to discuss where copyright exposure arises in financial services, from the growth of AI development to more commonplace employee use. With well over a decade at the company, Lauren dives into the urgent need for proactive copyright strategies in financial services, ensuring firms...

Today's guest is Suvaleena Paul, Assistant Vice President and Senior Analyst in Fraud, Innovation, and Analysis at Bank of America. Suvaleena joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the integration of AI-driven technologies into fraud prevention workflows. She also shares practical insights on improving threat identification speed, fostering cross-team collaboration, and continuously refining AI models to maximize ROI and maintain regulatory compliance. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Dr. Mark Kiel, Chief Science Officer and Founder at Genomenon. Genomenon is a genomics intelligence company that unlocks real-world evidence from biomedical literature to help pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostics companies inform precision medicine, accelerate patient diagnosis, and guide trial design and label expansion. Mark joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how AI can streamline the extraction, organization, and interpretation of genomic and clinical data, enabling faster, more accurate decision-making in pharmaceutical R&D. He also shares practical approaches to integrating AI with human curation, improving workflow efficiency, and scaling insights for rare disease diagnosis...

The gap between a promising AI pilot and enterprise-wide, scalable impact remains a critical divide where momentum and resources often stall. Today's guest is Deborah Golden, U.S. Chief Innovation Officer at Deloitte who returns to the show to join Emerj CEO Daniel Faggella to tackle the costly reality of stalled AI initiatives. This conversation moves beyond traditional theory, offering a new strategic lens for driving the systemic and cultural change required to scale AI responsibly.  Deborah shares how leaders can overcome deep-seated organizational inertia that typically hinders initiatives, architecting novel approaches for innovation – like AI sandboxes, portfolio-based funding, and...

Today's guest is Robert Kubin, Head of Sales for Central Europe at Amundi. Amundi is a European asset manager, ranked among the top 10 globally by assets under management. It provides savings and investment solutions across active and passive management, in both traditional and real assets. Its offering includes IT tools and services (Amundi Technology) that cover the savings value chain. Amundi is listed on the stock exchange and manages more than €2.3 trillion in assets. A senior executive with more than 20 years of international experience across asset management, insurance, and consulting, Robert brings deep expertise in investment strategy and operational le...

Today's guest is Aaron Levie, CEO of Box. Box provides secure cloud content management and collaboration solutions for enterprises managing unstructured data at scale. Aaron joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to discuss how AI is reshaping enterprise data architecture, from organizing unstructured content to enabling AI-ready workflows across business functions. Levie also shares how modular data systems, federated indexing, and embedded intelligence can help organizations improve compliance, accelerate productivity, and turn data management into a competitive advantage. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and...

Today's guest is Michael Finley, Chief Technology Officer at AnswerRocket. Founded in 2013, AnswerRocket builds enterprise AI agents delivering measurable outcomes for Fortune 2000 clients across consumer goods, financial services, construction, real estate, and beyond. Finley joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprises can move beyond AI experimentation toward scalable, agent-driven systems that deliver measurable business value. Finley also explores what makes AI agents truly enterprise-ready — from data governance and tool integration to deployment and iteration. This episode is sponsored by AnswerRocket. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more in...

Today's guest is Nick Masca, Head of Data Science for Growth & Personalisation at Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer plc is a prominent British multinational retailer headquartered in London, England, known for offering a wide range of clothing, beauty items, home goods, and food products. Nick joins us on the program to surmise his views on the data-driven challenges currently facing the retail and eCommerce sectors. With a focus on change management rather than traditional digital transformation, Nick outlines the key obstacles retail leaders encounter when leveraging data tools to optimize processes like price setting, supply chain efficiency, and...

Today's guest is Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black. Nexus Black specializes in solving complex operational challenges in asset-intensive environments by bringing AI engineers and domain experts directly to the factory floor, shop floor, and field. Kriti joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explain how industrial leaders can move from AI theory to practical execution by uncovering hidden data inside aging assets, integrating multiple data modalities, and delivering measurable outcomes in weeks rather than years. Kriti also details how organizations can reduce unplanned downtime, improve maintenance planning, and scale technician expertise through targeted AI tools—demonstrating how ev...

Today's guest is Andrew Deutsch, CEO of the Fangled Group and Director of Operations at RR Donnelley. Fangled Group is a global marketing and sales consultancy specializing in data-driven strategies that accelerate market entry for small to medium-sized manufacturers. Andrew joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss leveraging data and AI to enhance operational efficiency and drive growth in complex industries. Andrew also shares practical insights on integrating technology with workforce solutions to improve workflows and generate measurable ROI. This episode is sponsored by OneTrust. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj...

Today's guest is Roanie Levy, Licensing and Legal Advisor, CCC. CCC provides collective copyright licensing services for corporate users of copyrighted materials. Roanie joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to break down how generative AI is changing copyright risk management for enterprises — from the impacts of Shadow AI to the realities of input/output risk and fair use misconceptions in AI-based workflows. Roanie also explores practical strategies to shift organizations from ad hoc, high-risk AI use to structured processes, collective licensing, and cross-team education. Their conversation highlights actionable steps for reducing compliance burdens, improving workflow efficiency, and future-proofing IP in...

Today's guest is Trish Vassar, Vice President of Global Learning & Development, who brings over 20 years of experience in talent management, learning, and leadership development. She joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how enterprise leaders can shift from traditional role-based planning to skills-based workforce strategies powered by AI. The conversation also covers practical approaches to AI-assisted workflows, establishing a shared skills language, and improving staffing and training outcomes across the organization. This episode is sponsored by Workera. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption...

Today's guest is Julian Tang, Chief Operations Officer for the Innovation Office at BlackRock. With extensive experience in financial technology and infrastructure, Julian specializes in integrating AI and data strategies to transform enterprise workflows. Julian joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how leading organizations are scaling AI effectively by building resilient data environments, establishing transparent governance frameworks, and fostering a culture of trust and responsible innovation. Julian also shares practical strategies for reducing operational friction, implementing modular AI workflows, and maximizing ROI across enterprise AI initiatives. Join us for an insightful discussion on the future of data-driven...

Today's guest is Raul Monroig, People Organization Vice President for the Intercon Region at Bristol Myers Squibb. Bristol Myers Squibb manufactures prescription medicines across oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease, and neuroscience. With a truly global footprint, the company's research, manufacturing, and commercial presence spans more than 60 countries, and with such scale, of course, comes the complexity of managing a vast workforce. Raul joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how global HR teams can embrace AI to tackle critical challenges in workforce development. With AI adoption accelerating at breakneck speed, it may be that focusing on a small...

Today's guest is Taylor Sullivan, Head of Product and Assessments at Workera. Workera provides AI-driven skills verification and assessment solutions for organizations. Taylor joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how organizations can move from skill inferencing to verified, measurable skills, enabling more confident talent decisions. Taylor also explains how AI-powered assessments can personalize learning, reduce time to proficiency, and provide leaders with actionable data to align workforce capabilities with evolving business needs. This episode is sponsored by Workera. Learn how brands are driving impact in enterprise AI through Emerj's media offerings. Find out more at emerj.com...

Today's guest is Sachit Kamat, Chief Product Officer at Eightfold AI. Eightfold AI provides a complete AI platform for talent management to help companies find, recruit, and retain workers with the goal of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of talent operations. Sachit joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how agentic AI enables HR teams to move from human-scale to machine-scale processes, rethinking how organizations identify, assess, and mobilize talent. The conversation also covers how agentic systems can enhance compliance, accelerate change management, and create measurable ROI by automating interview workflows and optimizing internal mobility. This episode is...

Today's guest is Greg Ratcliff, Chief Innovation Officer at Vertiv. With 30 years of experience leading technology teams and global innovation initiatives, Gregory offers deep expertise in data, IoT, and digital infrastructure. Ratcliff joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise leaders can scale AI effectively by building the right infrastructure and addressing key bottlenecks. Gregory also shares practical strategies for modular, hybrid data environments, bridging talent gaps, and improving operational efficiency across AI workflows. Join an exclusive circle of AI leaders shaping the conversation in business. Share your AI adoption story and be considered as a future...

Today's guest is Jim Johnson, President at AnswerRocket. Founded in 2013, AnswerRocket builds enterprise AI agents delivering measurable outcomes for Fortune 2000 clients across consumer goods, financial services, construction, real estate, and beyond. Johnson joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how consumer packaged goods companies can overcome data complexity and accelerate decision-making with emerging agentic AI capabilities. The conversation also examines how CPG teams can shorten analysis cycles, reduce dependence on manual reporting, and uncover new revenue opportunities by pairing existing human expertise with continuously learning AI agents. This episode is sponsored by AnswerRocket. Interested in putting your AI...

Today's guests are Matt Berseth, Co-founder and CIO at NLP Logix, and Russell Dixon, Strategic Advisor at NLP Logix. NLP Logix is a fast-growing AI services firm based in Florida that serves both the public and private sectors. Berseth and Dixon join Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise leaders can successfully deploy AI collaboration tools like ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft Copilot, set the right foundations for adoption, and measure ROI. They also share practical takeaways on identifying high-value use cases, tracking meaningful usage and productivity metrics, creating feedback loops to share best practices, and embedding AI...

Today's guest is Emily Nguyen, Head of Industrials and Warp Speed at Palantir Technologies. Emily joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show to discuss the realities of AI adoption on the factory floor. Despite rapid advances in AI, many manufacturers still rely on legacy systems, siloed data, and even pen-and-paper processes. Emily shares insights from her 12 years at Palantir on how to bridge these gaps, connect critical functions, and build organizational readiness for AI. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future...

Today's guest is Dag Liodden, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder at Crisp. Crisp combines the power of agentic AI with deep retail expertise. Over 7,000 brands leverage Crisp to manage and enrich their retail data to surface valuable insights and drive sales and supply chain performance. Dag joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss why vertical expertise in CPG is essential for unlocking AI's potential, and how creating an AI-ready foundation through data harmonization transforms workflows – from category and promotion management to supply chain optimization. He also explains how this foundation allows teams to focus on strategic work, while AI...

As agentic AI becomes a defining force in enterprise innovation, infrastructure has moved from a back-office concern to the beating heart of business transformation. On today's episode of the 'AI in Business' podcast, Ranjan Sinha, IBM Fellow, Vice President, and Chief Technology Officer for watsonx and IBM Research, joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the future of scalable AI infrastructure — from neuromorphic and quantum processing to open-source AI platforms built for trust and governance. Ranjan explains how enterprises are transitioning from isolated experiments to mission-critical AI applications, revealing why today's Fortune 500 leaders must reimagine compute, governance, and da...

Today's guest is Scott Bradley, VP of AI and Innovation at Novartis. As the eighth largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue, Novartis' medicines reach millions of people worldwide. Their focus on the discovery and development of novel, breakthrough treatments sees them reimagining not just the delivery of said treatments, but the practice of medicine at large. Scott joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how artificial intelligence is transforming trial design, operations, and patient engagement — while also reshaping industry trust and accountability. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 fo...

Today's guest is Xiong Liu, Director of Data Science and AI at Novartis. Novartis is among the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, pioneering data and advanced analytics in the pursuit of new medicines and patient outcomes. Xiong joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how generative AI and foundation models are transforming R&D, clinical workflows, and research collaboration across the life sciences. The discussion highlights how domain-specific data strategies, improved data quality, and shared benchmarks are accelerating discovery and operationalizing AI for measurable ROI in biopharma. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj...

Today's guest is Mathias Cousin, Managing Director at Deloitte. With extensive experience in R&D transformation and regulated industry data strategy, Mathias joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to unpack what it really takes for enterprise leaders to deliver ROI from AI and data initiatives. Mathias also shares actionable guidance on building effective "string of pearls" use cases, investing in data quality and AI-native talent, and adopting practical change management to embed AI in workflows for measurable gains in efficiency and long-term competitive edge. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj...

Today's guest is Sandro Venturini, Executive Director and Consultant at UBS. Specializing in cross-border fund structuring and regulatory strategy, he holds years of experience guiding financial institutions through complex launches across jurisdictions for the world's largest private bank. Sandro joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show today to explore the role of AI in reducing legal and business costs, ensuring alignment across stakeholders, and creating a single source of truth for fund launches. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest...

Today's guest is Christo Siebrits, Senior Associate and General Counsel at AbbVie. With over 20 years of experience in global pharmaceutical legal and compliance leadership, Siebrits leads AbbVie's AI initiatives and provides strategic guidance on AI-related legal and regulatory matters. Christo joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise legal teams can adopt generative AI safely, balance internal versus external data use, and implement human-in-the-loop workflows to manage risk. Siebrits also shares practical strategies for matter-centric processes, measuring AI-driven efficiencies, and making informed decisions on AI investments across internal and external legal operations. We'd like to note for...

On this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello speaks with Ben Ninio, Principal in Strategy at Deloitte, about how enterprises are rethinking the fundamentals of scientific discovery in the AI era. Ben explains why language itself has become the "hack" for unifying frameworks across R&D domains—from pharmaceuticals to agriculture to industrial chemistry—allowing organizations to move beyond the limits of brute-force computation. He illustrates how large language models and knowledge graphs can help identify new molecular, biological, and cross-domain insights that were previously impossible to surface. This episode is sponsored by Delo...

When finance leaders push for measurable savings and supply chain leaders prioritize continuity and resilience, technology adoption often gets caught in the middle. Procurement teams, operating with risk-averse cultures and outdated tools, face growing complexity while pressure mounts from both sides of the business. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Rob DeSantis — CEO and Co-founder of Arkestro, Co-founder of Ariba, and early LinkedIn executive — explains to Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella why AI represents more than incremental change for procurement. Instead of simply digitizing old workflows, AI enables re-imagined processes that deliver step-function valu...

Today's guest is Steve Taczala, VP of Service Operations at Impact Networking. Impact Networking is a managed service provider founded in 1999, with more than 20 US offices, supporting organizations in IT, cybersecurity, and applying AI to business operations. Taczala brings extensive experience in managing MSP service operations and improving IT workflows. Steve joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise teams can reduce ticket noise, prioritize actionable incidents, and prepare service desks for AI-driven operations. Steve also shares practical strategies for staging platform migrations, implementing intelligent ticket routing, and using AI to enhance team efficiency and the overall...

Today's guest is Sunitha Rao, SVP and General Manager for Hybrid Cloud Business at Hitachi Vantara. Hitachi Vantara is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. that provides data infrastructure foundations that help leading innovators manage and leverage their data at scale. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management, and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. Sunitha joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show to break down how enterprises across industries can modernize their data infrastructure, scale AI deployments, and align IT investments with their sustainability goals. This episode is...

Today's guest is Padma Hari, Chief Digital Officer at Nestlé Purina. With over 20 years of experience shaping digital strategy and driving enterprise-wide transformations, Padma has leveraged AI, analytics, and data-driven insights to deliver measurable business impact at scale. Padma joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise leaders can move from siloed decision-making to end-to-end synchronized planning using data and AI. Padma also shares practical takeaways, including how to harmonize goals across business functions, run mock sessions to test new planning processes, and utilize AI to enable faster and more effective decision-making, which boosts operational efficiency and R...

Today's guest is Kevin Ahlstrom, Associate General Counsel in Patents at Meta. Kevin brings extensive expertise in navigating intellectual property challenges in the rapidly evolving technology sector. He joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the evolving role of patent strategy in the age of AI innovation. Kevin also shares practical insights on streamlining legal workflows and aligning intellectual property management with AI development to drive greater innovation, efficiency, and ROI. Today's episode is sponsored by Filevine. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption...

Today's guest is Naveen Kumar, Director of Financial Crimes at Walmart. Naveen joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI-powered video and sensor analytics are transforming risk detection and operational oversight in retail environments. Naveen shares insights on how integrating diverse data sources enables real-time fraud detection, compliance monitoring, and enhanced employee safety. The conversation also covers practical workflow innovations, including cross-functional collaboration and embedding AI into daily processes to generate measurable improvements in efficiency and customer experience. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to...

Today's guest is Shandon Quinn, Vice President of Patent Intelligence, Search and Analytics at Clarivate. Quinn joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how AI-powered workflows are helping IP leaders deliver strategic impact, smarter decision-making, and tangible results for data-centric enterprises. Shandon also shares proven changes to patent review and portfolio management, including the shift to predictive analytics and benchmarking, enabling teams to save costs and create new business value through data and automation. This episode is sponsored by Clarivate. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share...

Today's guest is Faithe Toomy, Director of Voice of the Customer and Insights at Insulet. Insulet is a medical device company specializing in wearable drug delivery systems for diabetes care, combining engineering, clinical research, and digital health capabilities to develop automated therapeutic solutions. Faithe joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how data and AI are transforming call center operations while maintaining compliance and customer trust. Faithe also shares practical strategies for training agents, leveraging conversational analytics, and implementing AI tools that enhance workflow efficiency, improve first-contact resolution, and support a more confident, human-centered customer experience. Want to...

In this special weekend edition of the 'AI in Business' podcast's AI Futures series, Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella speaks with Stuart Russell, Distinguished Professor of Computational Precision Health and Computer Science at the University of California and President of the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI. Widely considered one of the earliest voices warning about the uncontrollability of advanced AI systems, Russell discusses the urgent challenges posed by AGI development, the incentives driving companies into a dangerous race dynamic, and what forms of international governance may be necessary to prevent catastrophic risks. Their conversation ranges...

Today's guest is Aaron Demory, Senior Partner at Fearlus and Chief of Information Technology and Security at the FDIC. Aaron joins Emerj Editorial Director Matt DeMello on today's show to explore how organizations can safeguard institutional memory, align data strategy with cultural goals, and rethink success in the age of AI. With experience spanning both the public and private sectors, Aaron examines the rise and fall of tribal knowledge, why its loss is accelerating across industries, and how this creates operational and compliance risks. He connects these challenges to organizational change management and the broader shift away from traditional...

Global sourcing has long been a barrier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Language differences, compliance challenges, logistics hurdles, and trust issues can overwhelm even the most determined entrepreneurs. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, shares how new technologies—including Alibaba's agentic AI system Accio—are streamlining procurement and unlocking opportunities once reserved for enterprises. Drawing on examples from thousands of SMBs worldwide, Zhang details how AI is transforming sourcing from a months-long, manual process into an automated workflow that delivers results in hours. He also discusses how Alibaba.com is e...

Clinical trials are growing more complex, and nowhere is that more evident than in oncology and obesity research. As sponsors push for reliable, real-time patient data, the role of electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOAs) has never been more critical. These tools determine not only how patients report on their quality of life but also how sponsors capture the endpoints that drive regulatory approval. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello speaks with Anthony Mikulaschek, Vice President of Commercial Strategy at IQVIA Technologies. Anthony unpacks the evolution of eCOAs, from their early days...

In this episode, Pavlé Sabic, Senior Director in Generative AI Solutions and Strategy at Moody's, joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how agentic AI is redefining workflows in financial institutions. Pavlé explains why large enterprises are turning to AI-driven automation to overcome persistent challenges — from fragmented data and manual inefficiencies to evolving regulatory demands. He shares practical examples, including credit memo automation that reduces production time by 60%, portfolio monitoring tools that detect emerging risks earlier, and sales intelligence workflows that deliver highly targeted client insights. Pavlé also outlines why proprietary data is a strategic advantage in regulated indus...

In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, host and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello speaks with Yunke Xiang, Global Head of Data Science for Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality at Sanofi. Together, they examine how generative AI and reasoning models are evolving from simple automation to high-impact copilots across pharmaceutical operations. Yunke shares examples of how AI is enabling "talk to your data" use cases, automating regulatory reporting, and accelerating knowledge transfer for new employees. He also highlights how agentic AI systems may soon extend beyond copilots to function as digital teammates, orchestrating tasks across complex supply...

The 'AI in Business' podcast connects enterprise leaders with the best insights on how AI is driving measurable impact across regulated industries. In this episode, we highlight Prudential Financial's perspective on scaling AI in customer experience, an area facing both significant opportunity and unique regulatory challenges. By featuring Abhii Parakh, VP and Head of Customer Experience at Prudential Financial, this episode links directly into ongoing conversations with financial services leaders about digital transformation, customer trust, and the rise of agentic AI. Listeners will gain actionable context for how insurance companies can responsibly adopt AI, improve employee and customer outcomes...

As AI adoption accelerates in financial services, governance leaders face the challenge of keeping oversight processes aligned with innovation. OneTrust provides data governance and risk management tools, serving over 14,000 customers worldwide across privacy, security, third-party, and AI domains. Traditional data governance models, often designed for structured databases, are not built to manage today's dynamic, unstructured AI workflows. Without clear frameworks, organizations risk compliance gaps, inconsistent oversight, and even internal conflict over ownership of AI decision-making. In this episode, Shane Wiggins, Director of Product at OneTrust, explores how enterprises can build governance models that not only mitigate risk but also...

Banks face some of the highest stakes when it comes to IT reliability. Even small disruptions can ripple into regulatory exposure, reputational harm, and major financial losses. Yet many financial institutions still rely on reactive monitoring systems that chase alerts without addressing the root causes of outages. On today's episode of the 'AI in Business' podcast, Dale Skeen, CTO and Co-founder of Vitria Technology, explains how AI and agentic systems are reshaping IT operations in financial services. Vitria Technology is a global leader in AI-driven operations platforms, helping enterprises move from data analysis to automated action with its flagship...

As enterprises scale their AI initiatives, leaders face mounting challenges in balancing compute demands, sustainability goals, and hybrid cloud strategies. Many organizations rush to secure GPUs and cloud resources without accounting for hidden costs, data bottlenecks, and sustainability trade-offs. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello speaks with Jason Hardy, Chief Technology Officer of AI at Hitachi Vantara, about the realities of scaling AI infrastructure at the enterprise level. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Hitachi Vantara is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. that provides data...

As universities and enterprises both turn to large-scale digital learning, the challenges of scaling education look remarkably similar across sectors. From managing data pipelines to ensuring learners feel a sense of connection, success depends on more than just technology. In this Pure Storage-sponsored episode of the 'AI in Business' podcast from Emerj, Norma Scagnoli, Chief Learning and Innovation Officer at the Illinois Institute of Technology, discusses how higher education institutions are navigating cultural resistance, accreditation hurdles, and governance demands while scaling MOOCs and degree programs. She also shares lessons enterprises can apply as they build partnerships with universities and...

The consumer goods and retail industries face an overwhelming challenge: too much fragmented data and too little clarity. From mismatched retailer reports to legacy systems that can't keep up with today's SKU volumes, many organizations find themselves bogged down in "data indigestion" instead of actionable insights. Today's guest is Henrique Wakil Moyses, Vice President of Data Science at Crisp. Crisp is a data platform designed for the consumer goods ecosystem, helping brands, retailers, and distributors harmonize fragmented data from multiple sources. By providing real-time visibility into sales, inventory, and supply chain signals, Crisp enables faster, data-driven decisions that reduce...

What if the real AI revolution isn't in the models — but in the reimagined systems beneath them? In this episode, Deborah Golden, U.S. Chief Innovation Officer at Deloitte, joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to rethink what powers (or derails) AI at scale. The conversation challenges conventional wisdom – proposing that the future of AI may hinge less on algorithms and more on the invisible infrastructure that surrounds them. Golden surfaces the hidden risks of silo systems, unchecked shadow AI, and the all-too-common "speed trap" mindset – making a bold case that infrastructure isn't just operational – it's strategi...

As AI capabilities evolve, financial institutions face pressure to balance innovation with security, trust, and regulatory compliance. From fraud prevention to customer experience, deterministic AI applications continue to form the backbone of financial services—even as new technologies like generative and agentic AI emerge. In this episode, JoAnn Stonier, Data and AI Fellow at Mastercard, joins us to share how Mastercard is navigating these dynamics. She explains how AI-driven analytics reduce false positives in fraud detection, why "agent-ish" AI marks an important transition toward more autonomous systems, and how responsible governance ensures privacy and security remain at the forefront. Wa...

What if the real AI revolution isn’t in the models — but in the reimagined systems beneath them? In this episode, Deborah Golden, U.S. Chief Innovation Officer at Deloitte, joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to rethink what powers (or derails) AI at scale. The conversation challenges conventional wisdom – proposing that the future of AI may hinge less on algorithms and more on the invisible infrastructure that surrounds them. Golden surfaces the hidden risks of silo systems, unchecked shadow AI, and the all-too-common “speed trap” mindset – making a bold case that infrastructure isn’t just operational –...

In today's high-volume service environments, the smallest misstep can erode both efficiency and customer trust. In this episode, Eric Rivas, Director for Service Repair at Electrolux, joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to share how frontline data and technician expertise can be better captured, organized, and applied to deliver consistent, first-visit success. Rivas advises service leaders on best practices for approaching the challenges of tribal knowledge transfer, skill development, and diagnostic accuracy in large service organizations. He also breaks down the build-versus-buy dilemma facing many service leaders when it comes to new technology—and why effective partnerships often prove mo...

In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Pallab Deb, Managing Director in SI & Industry GTM Partnerships at Google, joins Emerj CEO Daniel Faggella to discuss how AI infrastructure has evolved into a platform-centric foundation for enterprise transformation. Pallab explains why the modern AI stack extends beyond compute and storage to include network performance, data governance, multi-model integration, and agentic interfaces that enable real-time, multilingual, and multimodal engagement. He outlines the shift from proof-of-concept pilots to proof-of-value initiatives, where production readiness and security are expected from the outset. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers...

Joe Lang, Vice President of Service Technology and Innovation at Comfort Systems USA, joins the AI in Business podcast to discuss why a clear data strategy must come before investing in storage infrastructure for AI adoption. Joe outlines the risks of assuming that cloud providers or storage solutions alone will produce reliable intelligence, and why organizations should approach AI initiatives as iterative R&D projects rather than instant ROI efforts. He shares practical guidance on right-sizing storage to business goals, addressing the skilled trade gap through scalable systems, and the advantages of a cloud-first approach with sequestered, trusted data...

AI-powered video intelligence is transforming the retail environment from one of surveillance to one of support. In this episode, Joe Troy, Senior Manager of Site Risk at Amazon, shares how generative AI is helping organizations not only reduce shrink and detect fraud, but also foster transparency, trust, and operational efficiency across frontline teams. Joe explains how AI can detect patterns that traditional systems miss—like organized fraud rings and duplicate refund behaviors—while still relying on human judgment to determine context and action. He highlights the importance of building a culture of "mutual visibility," where employees feel supported rather than...

Today's guest is Madhav Madaboosi, who is with bp. Madhav Madaboosi leads a global Digital Transformation Team in Future Midstream and Strategy at bp, where he is involved in leading initiatives spanning supply chain, logistics, energy movement, and customer-facing operations. With over two decades of experience in AI, advanced analytics, strategy, and portfolio management, he specializes in driving enterprise-wide transformation that bridges business strategy and digital innovation. bp is an integrated energy company operating across oil, gas, and low-carbon energy solutions, with a presence in more than 60 countries. Madhav joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how companies...

Today's guest is Joe Lang, Vice President of Service Technology and Innovation at Comfort Systems USA — a leading national provider of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing building systems services, with more than 45 operating companies across 170+ locations. Joe shares insights on managing data complexity in large field service operations — from translating tribal knowledge into clean, usable data to building internal tools that treat technicians like their own customers. He explains why cleaning data too early can slow progress, how AI tools can gradually align terminology across legacy teams, and which KPIs matter most when moving from reactive to predictive service. This epis...

Today's guest is Amit Gupta, Chief Digital Officer, Life Sciences Manufacturing Industry, at Danaher. Amit returns to the program to share the operational playbook behind building enterprise-ready AI infrastructure. While AI headlines tend to focus on models, Amit emphasizes that success begins with what's underneath — the data. He outlines a four-part architecture that includes data aggregation, integration, transformation, and harnessing, walking listeners through how Danaher built a system that enables — not constrains — AI deployment. He also explores how tiered storage strategies address not just technical needs, but real-world challenges in compliance, cost control, and security. Want to share your AI ado...

Today's guest is Sidharth Ojha, Head of Process Optimization in Data and AI at the AXA XL Global Underwriting Office. AXA XL is the property and casualty and specialty risk division of AXA, serving mid-sized companies and large multinationals across more than 200 countries and territories. In this episode, Sidharth breaks down where insurers are seeing real GenAI adoption beyond the back office — including use cases in underwriting efficiency, regulatory alignment, and internal risk triage. He discusses how summarization tools are evolving into more advanced applications like quote comparison and submission prioritization, helping insurers shift from cost savings to growth-focused ou...

In today's enterprise landscape, many AI initiatives stall before delivering real business value—especially in service operations, where data lives in disconnected systems and frontline speed is critical. For Amit Gupta, Chief Digital Officer, Life Sciences Manufacturing Industry, at Danaher, overcoming these challenges requires a structured, business-first approach. On this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Amit shares how Danaher uses a 70/30 buy-versus-build strategy to accelerate time to value while maintaining flexibility. He details a step-by-step framework for identifying high-impact AI use cases, involving cross-functional teams early, and guiding projects from strategic concept to measurable results—what he call...

Today's guest is Kelly Dempski, Head of Solutions for Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) at Turing. Turing is one of the world's fastest-growing Artificial Intelligence companies, working with the world's leading AI labs to advance frontier model capabilities and leveraging that work to build real-world AI systems that help businesses solve their toughest problems — delivering real business results, faster, smarter, and at scale. Kelly is a seasoned technology executive and innovator at Turing, where he leads the development of disruptive, business-focused Artificial Intelligence solutions for financial services clients. Over a 30-year career, he has held Managing Director roles at...

Today's guest is Dr. Steffen Hoffmann, Managing Director of Bosch UK. Dr. Hoffmann joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore the strategic deployment of AI across industrial sectors, from manufacturing operations to internal business systems. Dr. Hoffmann shares how AI is helping manufacturers address upstream process variables to reduce defect rates and improve efficiency. He also discusses the importance of "human in the loop" oversight in regulated environments, and how Bosch's internal deployment of generative AI — starting with an HR assistant — serves as a model for cautious, business-aligned innovation. The conversation explores industrial applications of AI governance, the role...

What does it really take to bring AI into the heart of financial services—and why are so many firms still stuck in manual mode? In this episode of the 'AI in Business' podcast, Frank Hattann, Chief Commercial Officer at Ocorian, joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how legacy financial institutions can unlock real commercial value from AI without losing the human touch. Frank draws from his unique background across Microsoft, PayPal, and professional services to explain why mindset — not just infrastructure — is the true bottleneck to transformation. From improving top-of-funnel outreach to redefining service pricing in an AI...

Today's guest is Ryan Anderson, CEO and Founder of Filevine. Filevine is a cloud-based enterprise legal practice management platform that automates and centralizes workflows—covering case and document management, contract lifecycle, client communication, billing, e-signatures, analytics, and AI‑powered insights. Ryan joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on today's show to discuss how enterprise legal teams can move from reactive to proactive operations with the help of agentic AI systems. As legal departments face unprecedented data volume and complexity, Anderson outlines a vision for AI-enabled workflows that preserve human judgment while surfacing the right insights at the right time. Want...

Today's guest is Patricio La Rosa, Head of End-to-End Decision Science in Seed Production Innovation at Bayer Crop Science. Patricio joins the AI in Business podcast to explore how AI is transforming the clinical trial lifecycle, from biomarker discovery to long-term patient engagement. Drawing on his academic expertise, Patricio explains how AI-powered systems such as metagenomics, NLP, and multimodal sensing are helping researchers identify robust biomarkers and predict patient outcomes more effectively. He emphasizes the importance of reproducibility, effect traceability, and the scalability of sensing modalities from trial design to clinical practice. Patricio's discussion with Emerj Editorial Director Matthew...

Today's guests are Dwight Hill, Head of Retail & Consumer Products at Turing, and Joe Troy, Senior Manager of Site Risk at Amazon. Turing is one of the world's fastest-growing Artificial Intelligence companies, working with the world's leading AI labs to advance frontier model capabilities and leveraging that work to build real-world AI systems that help businesses solve their toughest problems —delivering real business results, faster, smarter, and at scale. Joe and Dwight join Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how generative AI is delivering measurable value in retail, starting with loss prevention and expanding across store operations, marketing, an...

For decades, manufacturers have relied on traditional dashboards that often fell short when it came to understanding the complexity of real-time operations. In this episode of the 'AI in Business' podcast, Microsoft's Rad Desiraju and NVIDIA's Mike Geyer explore how AI-powered 3D digital twins and real-time simulation are transforming the way manufacturers monitor, collaborate, and optimize production environments. The conversation begins with a breakdown of how dashboards have evolved—from static displays of sensor data to immersive, simulation-based platforms driven by AI. Rad and Mike then dive into the technical backbone behind today's most advanced digital twin solutions, including ed...

Today's guest is Bryan Willett, Chief Information Security Officer at Lexmark, joining Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello to explore how organizations can navigate the trade-offs between cloud and on-prem AI deployments—balancing speed to market, cost efficiency, and the protection of sensitive data. Bryan also emphasizes the importance of a strong governance triad—security, privacy, and AI teams working together—to ensure ethical, compliant, and effective AI adoption. From managing data surges in IoT and biometrics to creating hybrid storage strategies, he shares actionable insights for leaders in security, IT, and AI strategy. This episode is sponsored by Pure Storag...

Today's guest is Marie Flanagan, Director of Product Management in Digital Projects and Solutions at IQVIA. Marie returns to the program to unpack how AI and automation technologies are transforming drug safety workflows. Together with Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello, she shares how IQVIA uses natural language processing (NLP) built on safety-specific training data to surface early signals from massive, multilingual datasets. She also explains why combining NLP with automation tools, such as RPA and OCR, leads to higher accuracy in adverse event detection, especially across social media and non-traditional data channels. Want to share your AI adoption story...

Today's guest is Zar Toolan, General Partner and Head of Data & AI at Edward Jones, joining Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello to explore how AI can be strategically aligned with corporate goals in financial services. Zar shares his perspective on overcoming barriers to AI adoption, the critical build-versus-buy-versus-partner decisions, and the human-centered change management required for scalable AI transformation. He also discusses the importance of responsible AI principles, leveraging data as a competitive asset, and evolving talent strategies to thrive in today's intelligence age. This episode is sponsored by EPAM. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj...

Today's guest is Bryan Willett, Chief Information Security Officer. Bryan discusses how organizations can shift security from a reactive compliance task to a strategic advantage by leveraging AI partnerships and transparent communication. He explains how proactive security packages and AI-driven tools streamline vendor due diligence and RFP responses, reducing bottlenecks and improving cross-team collaboration. Bryan also emphasizes the importance of evaluating vendor development hygiene and maintaining developer awareness as key components to managing evolving AI-enabled cyber threats. This episode is sponsored by Aquant. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want...

Today's guest is Miranda Jones, SVP of Data & AI Strategy at Emprise Bank. Miranda returns to discuss the evolving reality of responsible AI in the financial services sector. As generative and agentic systems mature, Jones emphasizes the importance of creating safe, low-risk environments where employees can experiment, learn prompt engineering, and develop a critical understanding of model limitations. She explores why domain-specific models outperform generalized foundational models in banking—where context, compliance, and communication style are essential to trust and performance. The episode also examines the strategic value of maintaining a deliberate pace in adopting agentic AI, ensuring human ov...

Today’s guest is Andrew Kostin, Executive Manager in Project Management at JPMorgan Chase. He joins Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello on today’s episode to explore the evolving challenges of combating retail and eCommerce fraud from a point-of-sale perspective. With the shift from brick-and-mortar businesses to online and mobile ordering models accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have found themselves ill-prepared for the rising tide of fraudulent activities. If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learne...

Today's guest is Neil Bhandar, Chief Data Analytics Officer for Generac. Neil brings decades of experience in artificial intelligence, from academic research to enterprise-scale implementation across manufacturing and financial services. He joins Emerj Managing Editor Matt DeMello to explore the hidden costs of building AI in-house, the risks of over-relying on large models, and how service organizations can deploy GenAI to improve efficiency and preserve institutional knowledge. Neil shares how GenAI is helping field teams access hard-to-find information in real-time — reducing the need for costly site visits and accelerating issue resolution. He also explains why human empathy remains essential in...

As global food demand accelerates, the agricultural sector faces rising pressure to innovate faster, safer, and more sustainably. Today's guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast is Brian Lutz, the Vice President of Agricultural Solutions at Corteva Agriscience, the world's leading pure-play seed and crop protection company. Brian joins Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello to discuss their partnership with Deloitte to drive AI for discovery across biology and chemistry in agriculture. He explains how Corteva integrates AI into every phase of R&D — from genetic optimization in seeds to molecule discovery in crop protection. Want to share your AI ad...

Neil Bhandar, Chief Data Analytics Officer for Generac. Generac is a U.S.-based industrial manufacturer that designs and produces a wide range of power solutions—including portable, residential standby, commercial, and industrial generators, along with automatic transfer switches and related accessories. Neil joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on today's show to explore how companies can make smarter decisions around compute and storage—without falling into the trap of overbuilding for marginal gains. Drawing from his deep background in both business and analytics, Bhandar explains why many infrastructure conversations go off-course by starting with technical specs instead of stra...

Today's guest is Josh Haddock, Director of Contact Center Technology at Herbalife. Herbalife is a global health and wellness company that develops and sells nutritional products, personal care items, and weight management solutions through a network of independent distributors. With operations in over 90 countries, Herbalife combines direct selling with a strong focus on community, personal coaching, and customer education. Josh joins the program to share how his team is redefining customer and distributor support in a highly relationship-driven business. Josh explains why adopting AI in the contact center starts with understanding the full journey—from digital engagement to live co...

Today's guest is Phil Christianson, Chief Product Officer at Xurrent. Xurrent is an IT service management platform that helps large organizations coordinate incident response and improve system reliability. They serve clients across healthcare, government, and financial services and are known for their focus on post-incident accountability and automation. Phil joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on today's episode to explore how AI can help break this cycle and build lasting resilience, drawing from years of experience in fintech, e-commerce, and enterprise IT. Phil outlines how war rooms — once a necessary constant in tech operations—are evolving with automation and mach...

Today's guest is Brad Kennedy, Senior Director of Business Solutions Strategy at Orlando Health — a not-for-profit healthcare organization headquartered in Florida. With years of experience leading innovation and patient experience programs in hospital systems, Brad joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello on the show today to explore how healthcare leaders can turn emerging technologies into measurable improvements for patients and clinical teams. He explains how federal policy has elevated patient experience to a top-level business concern and why small, incremental wins — particularly in AI-driven clinical decision support — are proving the value of innovation on the ground. The conversation also explor...

Today's guest is Itumeleng Masunyane, Senior Vice President of Internal Audit at Amicorp Group. Amicorp provides corporate management, financial markets, and fund administration services with a strong presence in emerging markets. Itumeleng joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show to discuss the expanding role of AI in internal audit — moving beyond compliance into broader strategic influence across the enterprise. She shares how AI is enabling real-time risk monitoring, automating routine audit tasks, and helping internal audit teams generate timely insights for business leaders. Their conversation also explores how audit functions can reposition themselves as key players in di...

Today's guest is Arun Subramaniyan, Founder and CEO of Articul8. After earning his PhD simulating jet engines and leading GE's digital twin revolution, he's helping Articul8 build domain-specific AI solutions for the world's most complex industries - from Wall Street to electrical grids and aerospace design. Arun joins us on today's show to share why simply plugging in large language models isn't enough for industries with complex, high-stakes processes. Arun explains how enterprises can move beyond general-purpose AI by creating domain-specific models that understand specialized terminology and data, and how orchestration frameworks—what he calls the "Model Mesh"—enable thes...

Today's guest is Joe Troy, Senior Manager of Site Risk at Amazon. Joe leads efforts to harness AI-powered video intelligence to transform retail security and operational workflows. With extensive experience in risk management and physical security, Joe joins Emerj Managing Editor Matt DeMello to discuss how AI is accelerating investigations, reducing labor costs, and enabling real-time fraud and safety alerts. He unpacks how video intelligence is shifting security teams from reactive surveillance roles to proactive business partners focused on enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Joe also shares practical advice for retail leaders on adopting AI-driven video systems responsibly...

Today's guest is Michael Zaiac, Head of Medical Oncology for Europe and Canada at Daiichi Sankyo. Michael joins the platform in a special episode focused on how AI is driving measurable ROI in clinical trials — particularly in eligibility and driving diversity in patient populations. Their conversation explores how life sciences teams are applying advanced analytics to accelerate enrollment, improve diversity in study populations, and reduce time to trial completion. Michael also shares where generative AI is beginning to play a role in patient-facing materials, including simplified consent forms and study summaries. Throughout the episode, Michael emphasizes the importance of ea...

Today's guest is Miranda Jones, SVP Data & AI Strategy Leader at Emprise Bank, to explore how banks can design AI systems that balance compliance obligations, customer expectations, and employee experience. Miranda unpacks why explainability shouldn't be an afterthought—and how embedding transparency into AI workflows helps institutions avoid costly rework and build trust across all stakeholders. She discusses the importance of co-designing solutions with the people closest to the work and why slowing down to define meaningful KPIs is essential to long-term success. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more in...