Speakers & Presentations

John Thompson Keynote at 2024 INFORMS Regional Analytics Chicago

John K. Thompson

Global AI Leader, EY

GenAI: Today, Tomorrow, and the Future

GenerativeAI (GenAI) continues to rapidly evolve, and implementations are growing into new operational areas and are addressing new use cases across industries. Almost every company is engaged in leveraging this exciting new branch of AI. Leading companies want to understand how to engage with GenAI to drive competitive advantage. GenAI Agents are an exciting new opportunity to extend how organizations are utilizing GenAI in their operations and how to serve our employees, partners, and customers.

This session will outline the GenAI journey that my team has undertaken over the past 2 years. We will discuss how Agents can and will extend GenAI capabilities. We will examine where Agents can make a difference in a significant number of internal and external applications. We will talk about the candidate technologies that we have evaluated and will use in our efforts to build a world class Agent architecture, foundation, and environment. We will discuss how Skills and Agents relate to each other and how we plan to move from Skills to Agents. We will review the future roadmap and plan to deliver Simple Agents, Intelligent Agents, Polymorphic Agents and more. Bring your questions, this will be an interactive session/discussion.

+ John K. Thompson Bio
John is an international technology executive with over 37 years of experience in the fields of data, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

John is responsible for the global AI function at EY. His role is to actively lead the design, development, implementation, and use of innovative AI solutions, including Generative AI, Traditional/Classical AI, and Causal AI, across all of EY Service Lines and functions and for EY’s clients. The team is comprised of – an Applied AI Research group, a product development organization, and an AI Consulting Practice. At EY John’s team has developed and released:
- The world’s largest, secure, private LLM based chat service, which has been the fastest growing tech svc in EY’s history serving over 300,000 employees
- A Synthetic Data Generation Service
- An Enterprise Prompt Engineering & Mgt Service
- A new model orchestration layer
Prior to EY, he was responsible for the AI and advanced analytics team at CSL Behring, a leading biopharmaceutical company where he led a team that developed and deployed over 25 analytical applications in 4 years. John was an Executive Partner at Gartner, where he was management consultant to market leading companies in the areas of digital transformation, data monetization and advanced analytics. Before Gartner, John was responsible for the advanced analytics business unit of the Dell Software Group.

John’s most recent book – Causal Artificial Intelligence – is intended to provide guidance for data scientists, by providing deep technical information as well as the type of information needed to collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs). SMEs hold deep organizational knowledge about how each business operates. Business executives and managers must be able to guide the combined team based on the direction that the organization wants to take and the problems that need to be solved. The book is meant to be a primer on how teams can work together to derive value from this new pillar of the AI field.

John’s 3^rd book is an effort to raise awareness and knowledge of the topic of data – Data for All, has been written for the general public, the book is an outline of how the world of data works today and how it will work in the near future. The book instructs people in how to protect and manage their data and the data of their loved ones. Data for All communicates how to do this in applied and practical terms.

John is the author of the bestselling book – Building Analytics Teams: Leveraging analytics and artificial intelligence for business improvement. The book was published in June 2020 and outlines how to hire and manage high performance advanced analytics teams. The book outlines how to engage with executives and senior managers, and how to select and undertake analytics projects that change and improve how a business operates.

John is co-author of the bestselling book – Analytics: How to win with Intelligence, which debuted on Amazon as the #1 new book in Analytics in 2017. Analytics is a book that guides non-technical executives through the journey of creating an analytics function, funding initiatives, and driving change in business operations through data and applied analytical applications.

Mr. Thompson’s technology expertise includes all aspects of advanced analytics and information management including – descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, artificial intelligence, analytical applications, deep learning, cognitive computing, big data, simulation, optimization, synthetic data, and high-performance computing.

John has built start-up organizations from the ground up and he has reengineered business units of Fortune 500 firms to reach their potential. He has directly managed and run – sales, marketing, consulting, support, and product development organizations.

He is a technology leader with expertise and experience spanning all operational areas with a focus on strategy, product innovation, growth, and efficient execution.

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Ferris State University and a MBA in Marketing from DePaul University.

Colleen Griffin Keynote at 2024 INFORMS Regional Analytics Chicago

Coleen Griffin

Director of IT Engagement for Data & Analytics, Stericycle

Improving Sustainability through Data Governance

In a business context, sustainability is a company’s role in society, how it generates value by managing positive and negative environmental and social impacts, and how its decisions impact a wide range of stakeholders. Regulatory agencies have recently disclosed guidelines for standards of Corporate Sustainability scorecards to include Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics. Currently, organizations struggle to provide accurate, reliable ESG data which can pose a risk to the organization and potential future compliance issues. The purpose of my research is to study established data governance models and suggest how they can be adapted to improve the collection of correct ESG data.

The session will give an overview of the research & the intended outputs as well as how data governance impacts AI.

+ Coleen Griffin Bio

Coleen Griffin is the Director of IT Engagement for Data & Analytics at Stericycle – she is responsible for working with the business to operationalize the Data & Analytics Strategy. She is passionate about empowering learning and adoption through internal communities. She served as the Enterprise Architect for Data & Analytics & Director of IT Business Operations in her 6+ years at Stericycle. With 23+ years of IT experience, she worked Accenture, TekLink, Pepsico, and Worksoft.

Coleen holds a bachelor’s degree from St Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, a graduate degree in Information Systems from the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, and an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Engineering at the Lero Institute & University of Limerick in Ireland where she is studying the impact of ESG on data governance frameworks with an anticipated completion in 2026.

Coleen is a member of Chicago’s Innovation Executives League (IEL) and an active speaker and mentor at Women in Science in Engineering (WISE) clubs & STEM events at Mother McAuley and other Chicago high schools.

David Giard

Partner Solution Architect, Microsoft

Revolutionizing Workflow with Microsoft Copilot Products

In this presentation, we will explore the transformative capabilities of Microsoft Copilot products, which leverage innovative AI technology to enhance productivity and efficiency across various domains. We will begin with an introduction to the importance of AI and automation in modern software development, followed by an overview of Microsoft Copilot’s products and their key features.
The presentation will cover several Copilot products, including GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot for Security, Copilot for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. Each section will delve into how these tools assist developers, business professionals, and security teams in streamlining their workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and improving overall performance.

+ David Giard Bio

David Giard is a former accountant and a former biochemist, who has been developing solutions using Microsoft technologies for over three decades. Currently, David helps people design and build solutions in his role as a Partner Solution Architect at Microsoft. David has been very active in the developer community, speaking at numerous major conferences, code camps, and user groups around the world; helping to lead user groups; and helping to organize conferences and other geek events. He is the host and producer of the mildly popular online TV shows Technology and Friends and GCast. He is the co-author of the Wrox book Real World .NET, C#, and Silverlight. You can read his latest thoughts at DavidGiard.com. His hobbies include video, photography, sports, and embarrassing his sons.

Kristian Hammond

Bill and Cathy Osborn Professor of Computer Science, Northwestern University

Managing Transformation: Business and Technology in the Age of Language Models

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping numerous industries, and one of the most impactful developments in this landscape has been the rise of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT. Powered by a unique blend of machine learning and natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT has emerged as a transformative technology that has redefined the realm of human-computer interaction. This 90-minute session aims to offer functional review of its core functions, potential applications, and its role in empowering users in their personal and professional lives.

We will navigate how language models can be developed and deployed, demonstrating their potential across sectors such as customer service, education, healthcare, and content creation. Participants will gain insights into how this technology can be tailored to meet individual requirements, thereby enhancing efficiency, productivity, and decision-making capabilities.

We will also discuss the concerns to keep in mind when integrating Language Models into workflows and products. We will address ethical considerations, data privacy, and model training limitations to ensure you make informed decisions that align with your specific needs and values.

Designed for business leaders and technical decision makers, this talk offers a functional understanding of the business uses of LLMs, how to bring them into the enterprise, and how to avoid possible pitfalls. Our goal is to ensure you walk away with a solid grasp of this game-changing technology and a clear vision of how you can leverage it to stay at the forefront of the digital revolution.

Key takeaways:

Understanding the reality of LLMs
Use cases and approaches to using LLMs
Mistakes to avoid

+ Kristian Hammond Bio

Kristian Hammond is the Bill and Cathy Osborn Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University and the co-founder of the Artificial Intelligence company Narrative Science (recently acquired by Salesforce). He has spent most of his career focused on the problem of making machines smarter. His research is aimed at bridging the human/machine communication gap between the data we gather and the information that is locked within it.

Since the fall of 2016, he has been the faculty lead of Northwestern’s CS + X initiative, exploring how computational thinking can be used to transform fields such as the law, medicine, and education. He also directs Northwestern’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) as well as the Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI). In January of 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).

He believes in humanizing computers with the aim of stopping the process of mechanizing people. Kris received his PhD from Yale.

Danny Henken

Director – Business Analytics, Milwaukee Brewers

Leveraging CRM Data to Enhance Fan Engagement in Major League Baseball

Each season, all 30 Major League Baseball teams are tasked with filling their stadiums with an excess of 40,000 fans, 81 times per season. Each team is conducting business with thousands of fans over the course of the season. Some fans attend one game, while others attend all 81. Over time, each team has collected valuable data about each of their fans, which populates into each team’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database. As part of this conversation, we will discuss the many types of data that are captured and the analytical capabilities needed to paint a comprehensive picture of each fan. Additionally, it is always great to have a robust database, but how can all of this data be leveraged in order to create actionable insights and enhance the overall fan experience?

Key takeaways:

Understanding of the types of data used and leveraged to enhance key decision-making across the business of a professional sports team
Understanding of the key, future areas of the business that can continue being impacted by levering data and insights

+ Danny Henken Bio

Danny Henken has been a member of the Milwaukee Brewers front office since 2016, and currently holds the position of Director – Business Analytics. In his role, he is responsible for providing strategic and analytic support to all business-related departments across the organization, including ticket sales and operations, marketing, and partnership sales and activation. Through survey development and analysis, as well as a number of other data sources, Danny is able to integrate all of these sources to produce actionably insightful analysis. Danny graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Statistics, along with a Criminal Justice certificate.

Kristina Chambers

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, TTX Company

+ Kristina Chambers Bio

Kristina Chambers is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for TTX Company in Charlotte, NC. TTX Company provides railcars and related freight car management services to the North American rail industry. As CDAO, she is leading the corporate data, AI and governance strategy and responsible for the implementation of their modern data and analytics cloud platform.

Kristina has twenty-five years of executive leadership experience in technology, operations, and finance in the U.S. and Europe in diverse verticals such as transportation, financial services, energy and manufacturing. She holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Tim Turner

Vice President Business Insights & Data Analytics, Thresholds

+ Tim Turner Bio

Tim Turner is a data analytics leader with more than 10 years of experience using market research, data science, and strategic frameworks to help organizations identify and pursue growth opportunities. He completed his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2020 with concentrations in Business Analytics, Behavioral Science, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University where his primary concentration was Economics and his secondary concentration was African and African-American History. His career has spanned many organizations including Walgreens, GoHealth, Stax Inc., and most recently Thresholds, a Chicago nonprofit where he is Vice President of Business Insights & Data Analytics. Beyond his day job, Tim also serves as President of the Chicago Urban League IMPACT Alumni Association, Chair of the Associate Board of BUILD, Inc., and Mentor with Project OneTen. Tim is originally from Manchester, TN and currently resides in the North Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago. When Tim is not working or volunteering you can find him playing board games, collecting vinyl, or reading about social justice.

Meera Dugar

Vice President, JP Morgan Chase

+ Meera Dugar Bio

Meera Dugar is an accomplished Senior Technology Leader and Enterprise Architect with over 20 years of experience driving digital engineering, data architecture, and innovative solutions. Currently a Vice President at JP Morgan Chase, she leads multi-million-dollar projects in risk controls, AI/ML, and cloud modernization. Her career spans industries like finance, retail, and transportation, including leading technology at McDonald’s, managing Office Depot’s merger, and overseeing national railroad safety initiatives. Named a 2024 Champion of Data in the Midwest by CDO Magazine, Meera is also a frequent speaker, serves on CDO Magazine’s editorial board, and mentors aspiring data professionals, all while remaining passionate about leadership and continuous learning.