Speakers & Presentations

John Thompson Keynote at 2024 INFORMS Regional Analytics Chicago

Deepa N. Krishnan

VP, Customer Success Americas, IBM

Keynote: AI Innovation in Action

+ Bio

Deepa Krishnan is the VP of Customer Success for IBM Americas where she is responsible for leading a team of hundreds Customer Success Managers to drive the deployment of IBM Technology including Software and Cloud across the US, Canada and Latin America. Previously, Deepa was the VP of Worldwide Services Delivery at IBM Technology Expert Labs. Her global team of delivery specialists were responsible for the hands-on implementation of solutions at thousands of clients, to help them unlock value across IBM’s Data &AI, Automation, Security and Sustainability portfolios.

Prior to this role, she was VP of Hybrid Cloud and Digital Platform for the Worldwide Ecosystem, where she had executive oversight of the new digital experience for partners looking to create their solutions on IBM’s open hybrid cloud platform.

In her role in product management for Storage Cloud SW and SaaS at IBM Storage, Deepa was responsible for expanding the IBM Storage portfolio to a multi-cloud operational model, enabling clients to maximize the use of their data across heterogeneous environments.

Deepa has a strong breadth of experience ranging from mergers and acquisitions to user experience, product design and development. Deepa has received recognition from IBM for both outstanding technical achievement and client engagement. Deepa is currently the Executive Sponsor for IBM’s Multicultural Women’s Initiative (MCW) Business Resource Group.

Deepa has a MS in Computer Science from the University of Florida and an MBA from Emory University. She lives in Johns Creek, GA with her husband and their three children.

Dr. Jue Xue

Technical Account Manager, Gurobi Optimization

Technical Case Study: Optimization in the Age of AI

+ Bio

Preetika Madan, VP CITI

Executive Director, Advanced Analytics

Student Presentations: Analytics at Work- Taking Predictive Models from Lecture Halls to Leadership

+ Bio

Preetika Madan is an accomplished analytics leader and Executive Director of Advanced Analytics, known for driving data-powered transformation across Fortune 500 companies. With over a decade of experience spanning consumer retail, commercial banking, and corporate cards, she specializes in AI, machine learning, predictive modeling, and strategic data storytelling.

Preetika has two patents in fraud and compliance solutions, one granted and one applied, reflecting her innovative contributions to the field. Her work bridges the gap between technical solutions and executive decision-making, enabling organizations to unlock multi-billion-dollar opportunities through data-driven insights. She has led high-performing analytics teams across geographies, delivering scalable solutions that optimize product cross-sell, customer engagement, and operational efficiency.

Beyond her corporate achievements, Preetika is a passionate mentor and thought leader. She regularly speaks at industry conferences, judges analytics competitions, utilizes her skills for community projects and supports aspiring professionals in navigating the evolving data landscape. Her leadership style is rooted in collaboration, clarity, and a deep commitment to impact.

Panel: Leading AI – Bridge to the Future

This panel will spotlight technology leaders who are pioneering the use of AI in enterprise settings. The discussion will explore:

Innovative solutions powered by Large Language Models (LLMs)
Emerging applications of Agentic Frameworks
Best practices in AI Governance and Responsible AI

Deepa N. Krishnan

Vice President, Customer Success, IBM Americas

+ Bio

Deepa Krishnan is the VP of Customer Success for IBM Americas where she is responsible for leading a team of hundreds Customer Success Managers to drive the deployment of IBM Technology including Software and Cloud across the US, Canada and Latin America. Previously, Deepa was the VP of Worldwide Services Delivery at IBM Technology Expert Labs. Her global team of delivery specialists were responsible for the hands-on implementation of solutions at thousands of clients, to help them unlock value across IBM’s Data &AI, Automation, Security and Sustainability portfolios.

Prior to this role, she was VP of Hybrid Cloud and Digital Platform for the Worldwide Ecosystem, where she had executive oversight of the new digital experience for partners looking to create their solutions on IBM’s open hybrid cloud platform.

In her role in product management for Storage Cloud SW and SaaS at IBM Storage, Deepa was responsible for expanding the IBM Storage portfolio to a multi-cloud operational model, enabling clients to maximize the use of their data across heterogeneous environments.

Deepa has a strong breadth of experience ranging from mergers and acquisitions to user experience, product design and development. Deepa has received recognition from IBM for both outstanding technical achievement and client engagement. Deepa is currently the Executive Sponsor for IBM’s Multicultural Women’s Initiative (MCW) Business Resource Group.

Deepa has a MS in Computer Science from the University of Florida and an MBA from Emory University. She lives in Johns Creek, GA with her husband and their three children.

Karl Obinna Amalu

Sr. Director Ops & Infrastructure, Slalom Consulting

+ Bio

Karl Obinna Amalu is a distinguished Senior Technology Leader at Slalom with over two decades of experience driving innovation and operational excellence across infrastructure, cloud, edge computing, and DevOps engineering. He has held pivotal roles at leading organizations including McKesson, Macy’s, and Amazon, where he has led high-performing teams and delivered secure, scalable, and compliant technology solutions. Holding a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Karl is recognized for his analytical acumen, strategic vision, and commitment to continuous improvement. His recent focus on edge computing and low-latency applications reflects his engagement with emerging technologies such as generative AI. A dedicated mentor and lifelong learner, Karl is passionate about cultivating talent and fostering inclusive, forward-thinking engineering cultures.

Tuba Aktaran-Kalayci

Head of the AI Center of Excellence, Cox Communications

+ Bio

Tuba Aktaran-Kalayci is the head of the AI Center of Excellence at Cox Communications, where she leads AI Solution Development, Architecture & Responsible AI practice. She earned her Ph.D. in operations research with a minor in mathematics from Georgia Tech and previously led the Analytics Center of Excellence. At AT&T, she served as director of advanced analytics, leading data scientists working with petabytes of network-generated data. She recently received the Catalyst Award for Women in Technology for her superior contributions in achieving an industry-leading analytics ecosystem.

Shallu Sarvari

Practice Head – Data & AI, Americas

+ Bio

Shallu Sarvari is a seasoned AI architect at Nagarro, where she leads transformative initiatives that harness artificial intelligence to solve complex business challenges. With a strong foundation in academia Shallu blends technical depth with a passion for innovation and inclusive collaboration.

At Nagarro, she specializes in identifying high-impact business areas ripe for AI-driven automation, particularly those involving repetitive and time-consuming processes. Her approach emphasizes starting with clear business goals, ensuring data freshness, and executing pilot phases that deliver measurable value. Shallu has contributed to intelligent solutions in sales forecasting, CRM integration, marketing mix optimization, and customer experience personalization—demonstrating how AI can elevate strategic decision-making and operational efficiency.

She is a vocal advocate for demystifying AI, encouraging organizations to focus on business use cases rather than viewing AI as a standalone product. Her work reflects Nagarro’s ethos of openness, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. Whether developing accelerators for e-commerce or mining customer sentiment for airlines, Shallu’s expertise continues to shape impactful, scalable AI solutions across industries.

Gautam Krishna

Director, AI Products, Cox Communications

Secretary, INFORMS Atlanta Chapter

+ Bio

Gautam Krishna Moorthi is the Director of AI Solution Development at Cox Communications’ AI Center of Excellence. He is an accomplished AI and Data Science Leader and Solutions Architect with over 12 years of experience in designing, implementing, and leading the development of advanced cloud-native AI/ML solutions and data-driven applications. He brings a unique blend of hands-on technical expertise and strategic leadership across diverse sectors including Telecommunications, Automotive, Digital Marketing, Supply Chain, and Cloud Consulting. Prior to joining Cox, Gautam had worked as an AI/ML Architect at Slalom and a Senior Data Scientist at 360i (Dentsu).

Panel: AI in Action – Redefining Innovation with Impact

Sujatha (Su) Rayburn, Moderator

Vice President of Information Management & Analytics, Delta Community Credit Union

+ Bio

Sujatha (Su) Rayburn has worked in IT and the Data & Analytics industry for over 25 years and is currently the Vice President of Information Management & Analytics for Delta Community Credit Union (DCCU), where she leads data analytics strategy and execution. As an experienced executive, Su has expertise in building and leading cross-industry teams in successfully implementing innovative data and analytics solutions. Su started her career as a Chartered Accountant in India and quickly realized her passion and talent for creating innovative solutions with data analytics. Before DCCU, she was responsible for providing valuable insight and leadership at Equifax and has also held various contributor and leadership roles at esteemed organizations such as Cox Automotive and GE. In addition to her day job, Su is a semi-professional Indian classical music singer. Su has a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Masters in Information Systems from Arizona State University. She is a regular contributor and speaker at leading industry, trade conferences, and webinars.

Anupam Bandopadhyay

Design Lead and Senior Manager, Manhattan Associates

+ Bio

Anupam is a seasoned Design Lead and Senior Manager at Manhattan Associates with over 17 years of experience revolutionizing supply chains through AI and automation. Specializing in warehousing, retail, and manufacturing, Anupam merges operational expertise with cutting-edge technology, designing AI-driven solutions like robotic ASRS workflows, predictive analytics integrations for WMS platforms, and machine learning models to optimize inventory accuracy. By developing intelligent SOPs and automation strategies, Anupam has consistently enhanced productivity, reduced costs, and scaled business growth. A proven leader in digital transformation, Anupam pioneers data-driven innovations from smart returns processing to dynamic replenishment algorithms—to redefine efficiency across the supply chain ecosystem.

Archi Pandurangi

Advanced Analytics Lead, iSpot

+ Bio

Archi Pandurangi is an industry leader in marketing analytics and data science, currently serving as Advanced Analytics Lead at iSpot. With over a decade of experience, Archi sits at the intersection of data innovation and strategic marketing—developing advanced measurement and attribution models that have transformed how major brands evaluate cross-channel performance. Her work with household names such as Stellantis, NBCU, and Progressive has helped bridge the gap between analytics rigor and media strategy at scale.

At iSpot, Archi leads a team of data scientists creating proprietary machine learning models for media attribution, audience segmentation, and creative testing—unlocking over $12M in annual value. Her use of SHAP values for explainable AI and optimization techniques for addressable TV measurement places her at the forefront of cutting-edge marketing science.

Previously at Discover Financial Services, Archi was instrumental in developing FCRA-compliant targeting models and digital strategies that generated $60M+ in incremental revenue. Her ability to turn complex data into C-suite decisions makes her a go-to voice in the analytics community.

Archi holds an M.S. in Software Engineering from the University of Delaware and brings a rare blend of technical depth, marketing fluency, and executive storytelling to the conference stage.

Dr. Warren Hearnes

Founder, OptiML AI
Past President, INFORMS Atlanta Chapter

+ Bio

Dr. Warren Hearnes is an expert in optimization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence with over 30 years of experience applying these technologies to solve business challenges. He currently leads OptiML AI and Sportslytx, where he applies AI and ML to industry challenges and educates executives on these technologies. He also teaches AI courses to Department of Defense personnel.

Previously, Warren was Chief Data Scientist at Best Buy, where he led AI/ML strategy, vision, and execution, driving AI/ML growth, sophistication, and impact across the enterprise. His career also includes key roles at Cardlytics, The Home Depot, UPS, and Lucent Technologies, where he implemented AI/ML systems for fraud detection, pricing optimization, customer analytics, and operational improvements, generating significant business value through reduced costs, increased revenue, and faster throughput.

A U.S. Army veteran, Warren graduated from both Airborne and Ranger Schools and served as a Field Artillery officer. He holds a BS from West Point (1989) and an MS and PhD (1999) from Georgia Tech, where his research focused on reinforcement learning for robotic control. He contributed to early ML research funded by the National Science Foundation, the Electric Power Research Institute, and NASA.

Warren is actively involved with INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Science) as VP of Technology Strategy and Chair of the AI Integration Committee. He serves on analytics advisory boards for graduate programs at Georgia Tech and previously served a similar role at Emory University. His current interests include AI education for executives, sports analytics, and leveraging large language models to assist in optimization modeling.

Vishal Venkatram

VP, Digital Enterprise, Transformation, HARMAN INTERNATIONAL

+ Bio

A forward-thinking digital transformation leader with a proven track record of driving enterprise-wide innovation and operational excellence.

As VP of Digital Enterprise Transformation, I lead strategic initiatives that modernize core business functions, streamline processes, and unlock value through technology. Leveraging AI, deterministic and probabilistic, are core to the success.

As Vice President and CTO of Field Engineering and Customer Solutions at The Modern Data Company, Vishal leads a worldwide team of engineers and consultants delivering cutting-edge data patform & products across diverse industries.

Previously, Vishal served as CIO and Executive Leader of Global Delivery and Transformation at GE Power, where he spearheaded the digital transformation of the power generation business—impacting over 200 sites and 50,000 employees. His leadership has consistently driven operational efficiency, strategic alignment, and measurable customer value.

Vishal is passionate about building high-performing, diverse teams and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence. He thrives on solving complex challenges and is always exploring new domains to create meaningful impact for customers and stakeholders.

He sits on the advisory board at the GSU Mack Robinson School of Business & is an advisory board member at startups that focus on AI Data Security.

Lilli Zhang

Senior AI and Machine Learning Engineer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Awards – Student Presentation

+ Bio

Lilli Zhang is a Senior AI and Machine Learning Engineer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Lilli holds a Ph.D. degree in Data Science and Analytics from Kennesaw State University, Master degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and Bachelor degree in Electronic Information Science and Technology from Central South University. Her expertise is Imbalanced Learning, Knowledge Graph, Mathematical Optimization, and Data Science Agentic AI combining Large Language Model, Data Science Models, and Knowledge Bases (graph, vector, SQL). Her work has been published in multiple top-ranking journals and also developed into high-impact business applications at HPE.

Beverly Wright, PhD, CAP

Vice President of Data Science & AI, Wavicle Data Solutions

Director for Data Science & AI, University of Georgia’s Executive Education

Closing Speech

+ Bio

Beverly Wright, PhD, CAP serves as Vice President of Data Science & AI at Wavicle Data Solutions, and Director for Data Science & AI at University of Georgia’s Executive Education.

With a career spanning over 30 years across utilities, financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, consulting, and academia, Beverly has led numerous teams and established herself as a data science & AI thought leader, executive professor, national speaker, podcast host, and a trailblazing advocate for data science and AI for good.

She also serves as Board Chair for TAG Data Science & AI, Board Member for Georgia Institute of Technology’s Master of Science in Analytics program, Past President of the Analytics Society at INFORMS, and podcast host for TAG Data Talk.

Speakers & Presentations

Deepa N. Krishnan

Keynote: AI Innovation in Action

Dr. Jue Xue

Technical Case Study: Optimization in the Age of AI

Preetika Madan, VP CITI

Student Presentations: Analytics at Work- Taking Predictive Models from Lecture Halls to Leadership

Panel: Leading AI – Bridge to the Future

Deepa N. Krishnan

Karl Obinna Amalu

Tuba Aktaran-Kalayci

Shallu Sarvari

Gautam Krishna

Panel: AI in Action – Redefining Innovation with Impact

Sujatha (Su) Rayburn, Moderator

Anupam Bandopadhyay

Archi Pandurangi

Dr. Warren Hearnes

Vishal Venkatram

Lilli Zhang

Awards – Student Presentation

Beverly Wright, PhD, CAP

Closing Speech

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