Bringing Data and AI to Life

Gone are the days where organizations can think of AI as the strategy. At least, they should be. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, welcomes Elon Salfati, Founder of the Salfati Group, to explore why you should treat AI as infrastructure rather than a standalone tool.

What You’ll Learn

• How to reframe AI from "what can we use it for?" to "what's our operating model when AI orchestrates it?"
• The three-step workflow mapping framework
• Why "AI-ready data" is a myth and what to do instead
• The federated data access strategy to dissolve silos without expensive multi-year migrations
• How to identify your AI accountability gap and best align the team
• The one-sentence test that separates real AI initiatives from board-mandated theater

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Elon Salfati on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elonsalfati/

Salfati Group Website: https://salfati.group/

Informatica: https://www.informatica.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

AI is everywhere but many organizations are still getting it wrong. In this special Greatest Hits episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, hosts Amy Horowitz and Nick Dobbins sit down with Zoher, a seasoned data and AI leader. From his experience across banking, healthcare, and retail, Zoher explains why data is the true foundation of AI success and why most organizations underestimate the complexity of organizing, and governing it. He also dives into the common traps companies fall into, from chasing AI use cases without clear business problems to optimizing processes that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AI is just another tool and not the strategy
• The biggest mistake companies make when starting their AI journey
• How poor data foundations lead to faster bad decisions
• Why redefining business processes matters more than automating them
• Challenges of scaling AI across industries like healthcare and retail
• What aspiring professionals should focus on to succeed in the AI space

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Zoher LinkedInInformatica: https://www.informatica.com/Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Not every AI experiment should make it to production, and even when one does, deployment is far from the end of the story.

In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host Nick Dobbins sits down with Maria Vechtomova, Co-Founder of Cauchy, MLOps expert and O’Reilly author, to explore what happens after AI leaves the experimentation phase.

Maria breaks down the principles that have made MLOps more mature and repeatable, including traceability right through reproducibility as well as reliability and observability.

What You’ll Learn

• Why some AI experiments should never reach production
• The four foundational principles behind strong MLOps practices
• How Generative AI and agentic systems change traditional deployment patterns
• Why evaluating AI output is harder when the definition of “good” keeps changing
• How the acceptable level of AI reliability depends on the cost of getting something wrong
• Why code-based evaluators, LLM-based judges, and human review all have a role in monitoring
• Why treating AI as “finished” after deployment creates long-term problems
• How enablement teams and better integration practices can help enterprises scale AI faster

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Maria Vechtomova on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-vechtomova/

Cauchy Website: https://cauchy.io/

Nick Dobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dobbins-guiding-data-modernization-with-responsible-ai/

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

What does "sales" really mean in your business? Why does every department give a different answer?

In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz, sits down with Allison Sagraves, a leading AI, Data & Tech Advisor and faculty member in Carnegie Mellon’s Chief Data and AI Officer Executive Program. They unpack the massive disconnect between C-suite AI ambition and operational execution.

Allison argues that many companies may be misdiagnosing their biggest data problem. Data quality still matters, but the harder issue is often data meaning: whether people across the organization agree on what critical business terms represent in the first place.

What You’ll Learn

• Why data meaning can be a bigger barrier to AI than traditional data quality issues
• How executive alignment and clear ownership can build confidence in critical data domains
• Why taxonomy becomes increasingly important as AI moves beyond simple pilots
• How the Chief Data Officer mandate has shifted from defense to offense, and, with AI, partly back toward defense
• Why executives need direct, hands-on experience with AI to ask better questions and lead with greater confidence
• How creating room to admit what you don’t know can lead to more realistic AI decision-making

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Allison Sagraves on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/allisonsagraves

Carnegie Mellon University Website: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

AI this, AI that - but how many of us are actually extracting its complete value and making it work for us? In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz sits down with Karen Pfeifer, Chief AI Officer at Pythian, to unravel the complexities of enterprise data and AI transformation.

What You’ll Learn

• How to transform raw data assets into strategic business drivers through a data-first, AI-centric approach
• The framework for measuring data success through concrete business metrics like cost reduction, customer retention, and revenue growth
• Why organizational culture and change management are crucial for successful AI implementation
• How to develop cross-functional data strategies that align with specific business outcomes
• The critical importance of building trusted data foundations before scaling AI initiatives
• How to navigate the balance between innovation and responsible AI usage in enterprise environments

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Karen Pfeifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-pfeifer-data-strategy/

Pythian Website: https://www.pythian.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

So, you’ve got your data in place. Now what? The world of data collection, analysis and engineering is undergoing a massive overhaul and it can be hard to keep on. In part 2 of this Bringing Data and AI To Life episode, host Nick Dobbins, Worldwide VP and Field CTO at Informatica, and Joe Reis, bestselling author of "Fundamentals of Data Engineering" and Data Engineer, continue to unpack why prioritizing business problems over technological solutions in AI implementation is critical.

What You’ll Learn

• How to adopt a "problem-first" approach and resist the trap of tool-driven solutions
• Why active listening and business literacy are crucial skills for data professionals in the AI era
• The art of communicating data projects, simply, to gain business buy-in
• Why philosophy, arts, and knowledge sciences are becoming essential skills for data professionals
• The strategic importance of understanding semantic layers, knowledge graphs, and ontologies in an AI-first world
• How to future-proof your career by creating new roles and opportunities in the evolving data landscape
• Why self-directed learning and broad reading across disciplines are critical for navigating the AI transformation

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Joe Reis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephreis

Joe’s Practical Data Modeling Substack: https://practicaldatamodeling.substack.com/

Joe’s Book “Fundamentals of Data Engineering”: https://www.amazon.in/Fundamentals-Data-Engineering-Systems-Grayscale/dp/9355421540

Nick Dobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dobbins-guiding-data-modernization-with-responsible-ai

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Today’s data ecosystem is less an absolute and more an ever-evolving mystery that’s always got eyes on it. Our eyes too - on the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, our host Nick Dobbins, Worldwide VP and Field CTO at Informatica, welcomes Joe Reis, bestselling author of "Fundamentals of Data Engineering" and Data Engineer, to explore the evolving landscape of data engineering and AI implementation.

What You’ll Learn

• Why fundamental data principles remain essential even as AI technologies evolve
• How to transition from tool-first thinking to problem-first approaches that deliver real business value
• The critical importance of security and governance in building AI-ready data pipelines
• Why active listening and business literacy are crucial skills for modern data practitioners
• How to communicate data initiatives effectively by speaking the language of business stakeholders
• Why combining traditional sciences with philosophy and arts creates stronger data professionals in the AI era

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Joe Reis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephreis

Joe’s Practical Data Modeling Substack: https://practicaldatamodeling.substack.com/

Joe’s Book “Fundamentals of Data Engineering”: https://www.amazon.in/Fundamentals-Data-Engineering-Systems-Grayscale/dp/9355421540

Nick Dobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dobbins-guiding-data-modernization-with-responsible-ai

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

AI is everywhere but many organizations are still getting it wrong. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, hosts Amy Horowitz and Nick Dobbins sit down with Zoher, a seasoned data and AI leader. From his experience across banking, healthcare, and retail, Zoher explains why data is the true foundation of AI success and why most organizations underestimate the complexity of organizing, and governing it. He also dives into the common traps companies fall into, from chasing AI use cases without clear business problems to optimizing processes that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AI is just another tool and not the strategy
• The biggest mistake companies make when starting their AI journey
• How poor data foundations lead to faster bad decisions
• Why redefining business processes matters more than automating them
• Challenges of scaling AI across industries like healthcare and retail
• What aspiring professionals should focus on to succeed in the AI space

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Zoher LinkedInInformatica: https://www.informatica.com/Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

AI isn't just a technology trend. It's fundamentally reshaping how enterprises manage, govern and activate their data to power intelligent systems. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica sits down with Gaurav Pathak, VP of Product Management for AI and Metadata at Informatica to explore how organizations can land on the winning side of this transformation.

What You’ll Learn

• How to shift from manual, code-driven data pipelines to AI-assisted automation
• The critical role of data quality and governance in agentic AI success
• Why the "long tail of real-world scenarios" is your biggest AI challenge
• The three innovation vectors reshaping AI right now
• How to approach open-source and international AI models with strategic clarity
• The governance framework that enables rather than restricts AI experimentation

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Gaurav Pathak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-pathak-1916357/

Informatica: https://www.informatica.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Gone are the days where organizations can think of AI as the strategy. At least, they should be. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, welcomes Elon Salfati, Founder of the Salfati Group, to explore why you should treat AI as infrastructure rather than a standalone tool.

What You’ll Learn

• How to reframe AI from "what can we use it for?" to "what's our operating model when AI orchestrates it?"
• The three-step workflow mapping framework
• Why "AI-ready data" is a myth and what to do instead
• The federated data access strategy to dissolve silos without expensive multi-year migrations
• How to identify your AI accountability gap and best align the team
• The one-sentence test that separates real AI initiatives from board-mandated theater

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Elon Salfati on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elonsalfati/

Salfati Group Website: https://salfati.group/

Informatica: https://www.informatica.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Waiting to invest in AI could cost you everything, and yet, leaders are weary of taking the leap. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI to Life, host Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, welcomes Steve Brown, AI futurist, innovation advisor and author of “The AI Ultimatum”, to explore how leaders can ensure they’re using AI the right way.

What You’ll Learn

• Why waiting to adopt AI is a guaranteed competitive disadvantage
• How to avoid the #1 mistake early adopters made - the data cleanup problem
• The critical change management imperative that most leaders overlook
• Why treating AI as just another technology is a catastrophic strategic error
• How to shift your leadership posture from "sage expert" to "philosopher explorer"
• The three-stage AI maturity model for sustained AI excellence
• How Starbucks' DeepBrew demonstrates the power of thoughtful data strategy
• The imperative for AI governance and guardrails in today’s day and age
• Why your "next hire works for electrons, not dollars"

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Steve Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futuresteve/

Steve Brown’s Website: https://www.stevebrown.ai/

Steve’s Book, The AI Ultimatum: https://www.amazon.in/AI-Ultimatum-Preparing-Intelligent-Transformation/dp/B0FXVM8VFV

Informatica: https://www.informatica.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz/

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Many companies are rushing to roll out AI initiatives, but without a strong data foundation, the results can be catastrophic. In this episode, Jim Kruger, EVP and CMO at Informatica, joins host Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, to unpack the critical gap between AI ambitions and data reality.

What You’ll Learn

• The foundational data quality issues that lead to costly resets.
• Why board excitement for AI is outpacing the reality of enterprise data infrastructure.
• A data-intensive approach to aligning sales and marketing through granular tracking.
• Why autonomous agents demand 100% data confidence to avoid reputational damage.
• Why "what you don't do" is just as important as your AI bets.
• Practical steps to audit data readiness and upskill teams for the AI era.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Jim Kruger on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-Kruger/

Informatica Website:https://www.informatica.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Global CDO Insight Survey: https://www.informatica.com/blogs/cdo-insights-2026-ai-adoption-accelerates-but-trust-and-governance-lag-behind.html

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

If successful enterprise AI adoption is on your list for 2026, you’ve got to focus all your effort on strategy, not tools. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz, welcomes Kavita Ganesan, Chief AI Strategist & Architect, Opinosis Analytics, for a browse through her playbook of getting AI right.

What You’ll Learn

• How to move beyond ChatGPT hype and build AI literacy among leadership
• The 66-to-5 framework for ruthless AI prioritization
• Why most AI projects fail: the gap between high-level vision and detailed workflow analysis
• How to balance innovation, ethics, and compliance without becoming the "AI police"
• The automation myth that's costing organizations millions
• Why upskilling and responsible deployment matter more than ubiquitous AI integration

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Kavita Ganesan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kavita-ganesan

Opinosis Analytics Website: https://www.opinosis-analytics.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

The year may have changed from 2025 to 2026, but some fundamental truths about AI haven’t. In the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz, kickstarts the year with Lillian Pierson, Fractional CMO & Growth Advisor, Data Mania LLC, for a candid and eye-opening conversation on how companies can build AI-native growth systems that deliver true and measurable ROI.

What You’ll Learn

• How to apply the ACT Framework (Identify bottleneck → Construct system → Test & iterate) to systematize growth marketing
• Why building AI-native content systems delivers 8x faster output and 3.5x more leads
• The critical balance between automation and human judgment
• How to shift from team management to growth architecture
• Why AI replaces execution, not strategy
• The practical entry point to AI adoption

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Lillian Pierson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillianpierson

Data Mania Website: http://www.data-mania.com/

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

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Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
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Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

As we draw the curtains on 2025, it’s time to celebrate and reflect on the tectonic shifts the data and AI landscape have brought our way. In this episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, hosts Amy Horowitz and Nick Dobbins reflect on a remarkable year of conversations with industry leaders, unpacking breakthrough insights that separate organizations thriving with AI from those merely chasing the hype.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to transform data work into mission-critical outcomes
• Why you should focus on “keeping your data closets clean” before chasing agentic AI
• The agentic AI transformation from “human in the loop” to “human on the loop”
• The garbage in, garbage out data crisis we’re battling today
• How to structure and design your organization for maximum AI leverage
• Why governance and human judgment are non-negotiable in today’s AI-driven world

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Regulations and governance don’t have to slow you down in the age of AI. They can actually be your competitive advantage. In the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz, welcomes Anand Vijai, Head of Risk, Finance, Compliance and Enterprise Data Platforms at Citizens Bank, for a play-by-play on building the idea data experience.

What You’ll Learn

• The data experience framework - how to rally cross-functional stakeholders around a unified data mission
• The 3-principle adoption approach: Architecture as code, first mile delivery and last mile support
• How to reduce “time to insights” without sacrificing governance
• How machine learning–powered automation reduces data quality routine builds from 40+ hours to two button clicks
• Why regulated industries should lead on AI, not follow
• How to leverage your existing compliance and risk infrastructure into a competitive advantage
• The practical checklist for organizations kickstarting their AI journey

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Anand Vijai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandvijaimr/

Citizens Bank Website: https://www.citizensbank.com/homepage.aspx

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

Placing bets is always a risky game, and yet, everyone’s looking to do it with AI. So, how can you make the best possible bet? In the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, host and GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica, Amy Horowitz, welcomes pioneering AI strategist and Forbes-ranked #1 Futurist, Jonathan Brill, to figure it out - from why the "octopus organization" model beats traditional hierarchies, to the four ways of thinking your teams need to master.

What You’ll Learn

• How to reframe AI strategy from labor displacement to capturing unfilled demand
• The economics of AI and why brilliant innovation fails without a sustainable business model
• How to transform bookkeepers into data scientists and leverage reskilling rather than layoffs
• The Octopus Model: the framework that allows organizations to decentralize decision-making to frontline teams
• Why 85% of organizational transformations fail and how to get it right
• The four critical thinking frameworks organizations need: deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, Bayesian statistical thinking and abductive reasoning
• Why psychological safety is your foundation for AI adoption
• Guarantees for employees facing displacement, adoption stalls and talent walks.
• Why innovation and encouraging the innovator mindset are mission-critical to organizations

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Jonathan Brill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbrill1

Jonathan Brill Website: https://jonathanbrill.com/

Center for Radical Change Website: https://www.centerforradicalchange.org/

Jonathan’s Book, “AI and the Octopus Organization”: https://www.amazon.in/AI-Octopus-Organization-Building-Superintelligent-ebook/dp/B0FQQ4SLL8

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

What if we could cut through AI hype and unlock real business value through predictive analytics? In the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, host Nick Dobbins, VP and Worldwide Field CTO at Informatica, sits down with Eric Siegel, CEO of Gooder AI and bestselling author of "The AI Playbook," to explore the practical implementation of machine learning and Predictive AI in business operations.

What You’ll Learn

• How to leverage the six-step BizML framework to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders
• Why predictive AI deserves equal attention and investment alongside generative AI for operational improvement
• The critical difference between technical metrics (like AUC scores) and business metrics that demonstrate real value
• How to define specific, measurable predictions that drive operational improvements and bottom-line results
• Why data quality and coherent infrastructure are fundamental to successful AI implementation
• The importance of balancing technical innovation with clear business value propositions in AI projects

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Eric Siegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/predictiveanalytics

Gooder AI Website: https://www.gooder.ai

Eric’s Book, “The AI Playbook”: https://www.amazon.in/AI-Playbook-Mastering-Deployment-Management-ebook/dp/B0C4J7TG5D

Nick Dobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dobbins-guiding-data-modernization-with-responsible-ai

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

In a world that’s seeing the rise of Agentic AI, you want to avoid the chaos and be more cruise control in the space. Tune into the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life as host Nick Dobbins, VP and Worldwide Field CTO, Informatica welcomes Kevin Petrie, VP of Research and Head of Data Management Practice at BARC, to explore the transformative impact of Agentic AI on modern enterprises.

What You’ll Learn

• How to adapt data architecture for agentic AI through three critical lifecycles: DataOps, ModelOps, and AgentOps
• Why human oversight remains crucial in AI governance, even as automation increases
• The framework for managing data, model, and agent governance simultaneously for risk mitigation
• How to build trust in AI systems through strategic metadata management and semantic layers
• The practical approach to scaling AI agents while maintaining control and compliance
• Why emotional intelligence and adaptability are becoming more critical as AI capabilities expand
• How to start small with AI implementation while preparing for future scale

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions can be found here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Kevin Petrie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinpetrietech

BARC Website: https://barc.com/

Nick Dobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dobbins-guiding-data-modernization-with-responsible-ai

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/

What does it take to be a successful Chief Data Officer in today’s fast changing tech data and AI landscape? In the latest episode of Bringing Data and AI To Life, Amy Horowitz, GVP Solutions Sales and Business Development at Informatica sits down with Cara Dailey, 3-time CDO for major financial institutions, to explore what pragmatic leadership in data transformation really entails.

What You’ll Learn

• How to identify strategic data opportunities by focusing on specific business problems and value drivers
• The "Clean Closets" approach to assessing and organizing enterprise data assets in your first 100 days as a data leader
• Why connecting data strategy to business objectives is crucial for driving organizational transformation
• How to build high-performing data teams by combining diverse skillsets, from academics to relationship managers
• The critical link between AI innovation and data governance, and why AI is actually strengthening the case for robust data management
• Why taking calculated career risks and saying "yes" to unexpected opportunities can lead to transformative leadership roles in data

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This podcast is brought to you by Informatica, the leader in enterprise cloud data management.

Links:

Cara Dailey on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cara-dailey

Early Warning Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-warning-services?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company

Amy Horowitz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhorowitz

Informatica Website: https://www.informatica.com/

Data & AI Architecture Summit: https://now.informatica.com/ai-architecture-summit2025.html?Source=INFAPodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:

Informatica.com

We want to hear from you:
Bringing Data and AI to Life Guest and Audience Feedback
Leave us a voice note!
Previous guests include:
Salema Rice host of Data Governance and Data Integration Solution Sales, Willem Koenders of ZS Associates, Tanja Ubert of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Graeme Thompson of Informatica

Check out our Top episodes:

• Why Do We Still Struggle to Trust AI? with Graeme Thompson from Informatica
• Data Quality Over Quantity and the Human Element, with Tanja Ubert from Rotterdam University
• The Power of Data Governance and Responsible AI with Salema Rice, Chief Executive Officer at CDO Today

Bringing AI and Data to Life is handcrafted by our friends over at: https://www.fame.so/