The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow, January 2023 - CIO Look

SAMPLE VOL 01 I ISSUE 09 I 2023 10 Influential The Most Leaders in Tech to Follow Dr. Prashanth Southekal Founder and Managing Principal Prashanth Energizing Businesses with Data Analytics Dr. Southekal

EDITOR’S NOTE 10 Influential The Most Leaders in Tech to Follow The Aspects of Advancements A s technology becomes more and more prevalent, it is important to find great leaders in the field. New tech leaders often take inspiration from others whose styles and techniques they admire. They look at the successes of those who came before them and emulate approaches that make sense for them. that they can make them with confidence- even if they aren't sure how things will turn out. They are not afraid to put their ideas and solutions before the group. One of the hallmarks of great tech leaders is their ability to put aside personal feelings and beliefs when it comes to making decisions that affect their team, company, or customers. Great tech leaders take risks because they know that failure is part of success-and. If you never fail at anything, then you've probably chosen not to try something challenging enough. They are constantly curious and always asking questions, and they make it a point to be well-versed in the latest technologies, trends, best practices, and industry standards. As they evolve more deeply into their roles, they can learn what is working for them and adapt their methods as needed. Vision, communication, innovation and empathy are some of the principal qualities a leader needs to successfully direct a tech organization. Mapping the journey of these tech leaders, CIOLook sheds light on “The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow, 2023,” who are enabling advancements and enhancing the facets of the dynamic industry. The most successful tech leaders are able to communicate effectively with their teams. They know how to articulate their vision, listen and take criticism in stride, and are comfortable making decisions that will affect other people's lives. They are also skilled at communicating with people who don't share their technical expertise. Flip through the page and indulge in the journey of sheer innovations with leadership attributes. Have a delightful read! Abhishek Joshi Abhishek Joshi They find ways to translate complex concepts into language that non-technical people can understand, and they make sure that everyone on the team understands their role in achieving goals. Confidence is a crucial trait for great tech leaders. These personalities are constantly making decisions that affect their team, the company's bottom line, and even the lives of their customers. They have to be confident enough in their decisions so

Y R 20 16 O Kashif Dafedar Epitome of Sheer Determination Shumon A Zaman Thriving with Astounding Traits and Values T S R E V O C 24 Venkata Duvvuri An Epitome of Quality Education 08 Prashanth Energizing Businesses with Data Analytics Dr. Southekal

Shellie Jones Editor-in-Chief Featured Person Company Name Brief Kevin Lewis, Vice President of Retail Intelligence CONTENT FOLLOW US ON www.facebook.com/ciolook www.twitter.com/ciolook Kevin is an effective influencer with senior leadership capable of inspiring vision while securing key technology investment. Walmart walmart.co Senior Editor Alan Swann Executive Editors Abhishek Joshi Linda, along with her teams, delivers the processes and tools to create an airline that customers choose to fly. In this role, she has oversight of digital technology, contact centers, customer solutions and innovation. WE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON Linda Jojo Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer United Airlines united.com DESIGN VisualizerDave Bates Art & Design Director Revati B. Associate Designer Ankita P. Radhakrishna has over 20 years of experience as a Global Business Solutions Leader in Data Engineering, Data Science and Analytics, including business intelligence, AI, ML, and the creation of customer engagement solutions. Radhakrishna Hiremane VP, Head of Analytics Atlassian atlassian.com CONTACT US ON Email info@ciolook.com For Subscription www.ciolook.com SALES Shumon A Zaman Chief Information and Digital Officer PASCO is known for its grassroots efforts in advocating for individuals experiencing disabilities with legislators locally and federally. VP Operations Sihanee M., Rouniyar A. Senior Sales Manager Prathamesh Tate Sales Executives Rohit, John Ali & Sons Holding LLC ali-sons.com Copyright © 2022 CIOLOOK, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from CIOLOOK. Reprint rights remain solely with CIOLOOK. Tim Nelson Vice President, Data and Analytics Tim Nelson is a seasoned Commerce and Supply Chain Solutions Leader with experience across multiple industries including Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution and CPG. PODS PODS.com TECHNICAL Technical Head Prachi M. Technical Consultant Victor Collins Venkata Duvvuri Adjunct Professor Northeastern University northeastern.edu Venkata Duvvuri is a data analytics instructor based out of the Silicon Valley campus. SME-SMO Research Analyst Eric Smith SEO Executive Sagar L. sales@ciolook.com January, 2023

Cover Story Dr. Prashanth Southekal Energizing Businesses with Data Analytics We believe data is a valuable, measurable, and monetizable business asset only if it is managed well; if not, data is a liability that is very hard to dispose of. Dr. Prashanth Dr. Prashanth Southekal Southekal Founder and Managing Principal DBP Institute DBP Institute

The 10 Most Inuential Leaders In Tech To Follow P resource that was waiting to be discovered. With the advent of machine learning and the application of statistical analysis to data, it became a resource of great power, bringing about a transformation on par with industrialization to businesses. The boost to business performance across all industries has been immense, and perhaps no one can attest to it’s power better than DBP Institute. owering up businesses in current times is data analytics. Before the recognition of ‘data is the next oil’ by companies, it was an untapped Dr. Southekal has been consulting for over 80 organizations, including P&G, GE, Shell, Apple, FedEx, & SAP. He has trained over 3,500 professionals, writes regularly for Forbes, and has also authored three books on the subject of data, analytics, & ML. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Data and Analytics at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain and CDO Magazine included him in the top 75 global academic data leaders of 2022. While running DBPI, I completed my Ph.D. from ESC Lille (FR), my MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US), and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors (CA). I published three books - Data for Business Performance (2017), Analytics Best Practices (2020), and Data Quality (2023), and over 5,000 copies of my books have been sold worldwide. I spoke at numerous conferences from Singapore to San Francisco on Data and Analytics (D&A). Today, apart from my entrepreneurial pursuits, I am also a Professor at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, and I sit on the Editorial Board of MIT CDOIQ and on the Advisory boards of BGV (a Silicon Valley-based VC firm), Grihasoft (IN), Evalueserve (CH) and Astral Insights (US). In an exclusive interview with CIOLook, Dr. Prashanth Southekal shares how insights from data is transforming businesses and the world. The ‘3P’ leadership lessons I subscribe to are Patience, Persistence, and Positive Attitude. DBP Institute, where DBP stands for Data for Business Performance, is a Data Analytics Consulting, Research, and Education firm. It implements and optimizes solutions that lie at the intersection of Data, Technology & Business productivity for measurable and monetizable business results. The company’s outstanding performance is a result of an emphasis on three ideals– Expertise, Execution, and Excellence. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at DBP-Institute. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today? I was born and raised in India. After my Master’s in Information Technology from IIIT Bangalore (IN), I started my career with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in Brussels, Belgium. In 2004, I moved back to India and worked for General Electric and SAP before SAP transferred me to Calgary, Canada, in 2009 for a three- year assignment. In 2012, I started my entrepreneurial journey with DBP Institute (DBPI) to provide digital, data, and analytics consulting services. customer. However, most SMEs ($5 Million to $5 Billion in revenue) often run businesses by guesswork and false assumptions as they lack the necessary expertise and resources to effectively execute D&A projects. DBPI provides insights and recommendations by considering all the available alternatives so that companies can proactively consider the best alternative to increase revenue, reduce costs, and mitigate. The road was not very easy, as I had to overcome many challenges in my career. Firstly, adapting to the Canadian job market took time. When I moved to Canada from India, my skills were more technical and relevant in the Indian job market. I had to learn and unlearn skills to suit the Canadian job market. I also had to learn the North American culture and business practices. Prashanth H Southekal, Ph.D., MBA, ICD.D is the Founder of DBP Institute. He is an author, Keynote speaker, board member & Professor of Data & Analytics. He believes data is a valuable, measurable, and monetizable business asset only if it is managed well; if not, then data is a liability that is very hard to get rid of. Secondly, till 2015 all of DBPI’s clients were in Calgary (CA) in the Oil and Gas sector. When the crude oil prices fell in 2016, we lost many consulting contracts from the Oil and Gas companies. So, we decided to diversify to markets outside Calgary and explore services outside consulting. We started looking at the US as the new market for consulting services and education and research as our new service lines. Pivoting was difficult and required a lot of patience, persistence, and learning from failures. Our mission is to help companies leverage data and technology for improved business performance, and we have a very active Advisory Board of senior business and technology leaders that monitors and counsels on DBPI’s mission. Our 2025 vision is to be the first option for medium-sized businesses ($5 million to $5 billion in revenue) in North America to create their digital, data, and analytics future. Since our inception in 2012, DBPI has offered D&A consulting services to over 35 clients in Vietnam, India, UAE, Israel, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and the US. We have trained over 3,500 business leaders in D&A worldwide, and we have provided research services to 6 start-up and early-stage D&A companies in taking their idea and product to the market. Our revenues are growing annually at 20%, and our prices are about 80% cheaper than our competitors. Tell us something more about DBP-Institute and its mission and vision, and how you have impacted the Data and Analytics Consulting industry. As mentioned before, DBPI today is a Data and Analytics (D&A) consulting, research, and education firm. The word Institute in the firm’s name is to deliver business results based on proven best practices. DBPI sees D&A as an enabler for the 1-100 rule, which states that while it costs just $1 to proactively identify and fix the problem, the cost to fix the problem increases dramatically to $100 when it is reported by the Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives DBP-Institute.

Our values are important because they help us to grow and serve our clients with purpose. We believe in SPICE values, i.e., Simplicity, Passion, Integrity, Commitment, and Excellence. business processes into digital records Between 2010 and 2015, the attention was on leveraging D&A to measure and improve business performance Between 2015 and 2019, the objective was to improve data quality After 2019 (after Covid), the focus is on improving data culture and data literacy 20 smart, humble, and driven people who support, motivate, and inspire me. Also, a positive attitude includes taking care of yourself with exercise, sleep, spending time with friends and family, and finally, constantly upgrading yourself by learning new skills and knowledge. Ÿ Ÿ DBPI’s work culture is to offer improved value proposition to the clients with 4Es - Expertise, Execution, Excellence, and Enthusiasm in all three D&A service lines - consulting, research, and education. We do this by: Ÿ What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Data Analytics Consulting industry? The next significant change in the D&A industry will be in leveraging AI (Artificial Intelligence) for improved business performance. But you cannot separate data from AI, and you cannot separate AI from data. The end state of all AI solutions is data, and that data will be used again by AI solutions. The foundation for AI is quality data. So, we at DBPI want to be part of that change by helping organizations in improving the data quality so that their AI solutions are successful. Focusing on change and adoption by improving D&A literacy. Reusing solutions by productizing and focusing on 12 D&A services in all four phases of the D&A life cycle – data capture, data integration, data science, and decision science. Reducing rework or waste by assigning specialists to projects. Our network-based consulting model aggregates proven senior, independent, and experienced consultants who believe in our values and mission under the DBPI umbrella. Delivering small and fast with rapid prototyping. We call this Proof of Value (PoV). Apart from my “3P” leadership lessons, entrepreneurship is also about BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and Networking. A BHAG will inspire and motivate you and your team to push the boundaries to go to the next level. On networking, they say, “Your network is your net worth.” As an entrepreneur, you cannot do all the work by yourself. You need to collaborate with smart, humble, and driven people who have strengths that complement yours. Ÿ DBPI helps companies leverage data and technology for improved customer intimacy, cash ow, and protability using our “power of one” methodology. Ÿ Ÿ What are the lessons you have learned in your professional and personal journey? Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for DBP-Institute? Zig Ziglar, a World War II veteran, motivational speaker, and trainer, once said, “When you focus on problems, you get more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you have more opportunities.” In this regard, below are my “3P” leadership lessons. Ÿ DBPI’s 2025 vision is to be the first option for medium- sized businesses to create their digital, data, and analytics future. We have identified seven areas, and I am working with the DBPI’s advisory team on building these capabilities so that we can offer more value to our clients. What methodologies do you implement that contribute to new growth opportunities? In this regard, DBPI brings together data culture, data quality, and data literacy, along with technology and governance in our consulting offerings. We see five key components in D&A solutions. We strive to improve the level of data culture in our clients with KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and measurement frameworks like Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and Goal-Question- Metric (GQM). Most companies have very low levels of data quality. We offer ten practical and proven solutions for remediating and sustaining data quality. D&A solutions enable change, and this change is only successful if people are educated. So, we strive to improve data literacy in our clients by educating them on 15 key competencies. Patience. Every meaningful or growth initiative starts small and takes time to get built. But in this growth or change process, you often feel uncomfortable as you are letting go of some old habits and developing new ones. This discomfort is typically an integral part of growth as it acts like a catalyst for you to stretch and adapt. Fundamentally, D&A is about measurement and performance improvement. DBPI helps companies leverage data and technology for improved customer intimacy, cash flow, and profitability using our “power of one” methodology. The “power of one” methodology is to incrementally improve the business performance by one unit in every one iteration. This one unit could be a 1% increase in price, 1 day reduction in the CCC (Cash Conversion Cycle), a 1% reduction in COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), a 1% improvement in the customer’s NPS (Net Promoter Score), and so on. The one iteration is typically 6 to 12 weeks. Ÿ Personally, I am working on two key projects in 2023. Firstly, my third book, “Data Quality: Empowering Businesses with Analytics and AI,” published by Wiley, will be in the market in February 2023. I am planning a roadshow in at least ten cities to promote the book and highlight the importance of data quality in the business. Secondly, I am working on training over 1000 business leaders in D&A in 2023 as I believe business professionals who are closer to data and business are in the best position to leverage D&A for improved business performance. Persistence. Henry Ford wrote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” A lot of what you attempt depends on your mindset. Grit or persistence helps you to do or achieve something regardless of any setbacks. I stay persistent by having a written goal and reviewing the progress regularly. Ÿ What change would you like to bring to the Data Analytics Consulting industry if given a chance? What, according to you, could be the next significant change in the D&A Consulting industry? How is DBP- Institute preparing to be a part of that change? Positive Attitude. It is believing in yourself and being optimistic about situations. They say, “You cannot control what life throws at you, but you can control how you respond to it!” I believe a positive attitude comes from being grateful for what you have and using past accomplishments as support. In addition, I always surround myself with about 15 to Today most D&A consulting is centered on implementing technologies. While technology brings speed, scale, and security, we at DBPI believe it is not a foundational element in implementing D&A solutions. We conducted field research and found that the three foundational elements to realizing value from D&A are data culture, data quality, and data literacy. Ÿ I see the evolution of the D&A industry in 4 main phases. Pre-2010, the focus was on digitalization, i.e., data capture by converting manual and paper-based Ÿ

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Kashif Dafedar Epitome of Sheer Determination P P Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. What qualities and aspects make it stand out as a leading organization in the modern architecture sector? rior to working as a digital technology specialist, Kashif Dafedar saw the opportunity to work on many planning and architectural projects. His exposure to the diverse collection of project types was critical in his current understanding of design and technological interventions in the AEC industry. Kashif Dafedar CRTKL CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design practice that began over seven decades ago and has evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive outcomes in our communities. Our team addresses the imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology and their influence on the built environment through a human-centric design approach. While he has always been adept at digital technologies and would easily understand concepts like BIM, visual scripting and programming, this affinity towards digital, coupled with my experience on complex design projects, pushed him towards a career in design technology. Ours is a multicultural, multi-generational team situated across 22 offices worldwide. It combines diverse skills that advance project outcomes and improves their social and environmental impact. As curious thinkers and change makers, we face the challenges of this world and are ready to ask the questions that hold others back. One of the key factors in his reaching the horizon of success today is the guidance and support of the CRTKL leadership. While most design managers encourage digital tinkering, few understand how to translate prototypical ideas into viable design delivery. He goes beyond that at the firm and has always been fortunate to work with enthusiastic mentors about digital integration; here, he is encouraged to innovate and push the boundaries of conventional design practices. Our team addresses the imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology and their influence on the built environment through a human- centric design approach. The journey here has been quite exhilarating, especially because these are relatively new sets of responsibilities within the AEC industry, and the frontier for digital innovation is extremely complex. The learning never stops, as opportunities to learn from one's own failures are balanced with occasional epiphanies and successes that make it all worthwhile. In this interview with CIOLook, Kashif shares valuable facts highlighting his professional tenure in the niche. 16 17 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

Development initiatives across the globe captivate our imaginations – we know what is possible and seek to build a more equitable future for our people and planet. This is perhaps the best time to invest in integrated practices. The plethora of tools available in the market at the moment has the potential to transform the AEC industry for the better, and it is up to us to seize the opportunity. I am proud to be part of the team leading that effort at CRTKL. we know what is possible and seek to build a more equitable future for our people and our planet. implementation of these concepts will lead to big changes in all facets of the architecture industry. We embrace digital transformation and all it can do to enhance our design. With strong in-house capabilities and pioneering research and development programs, we harness its power with incredible speed and efficiency to offer the best solutions to our clients' complex challenges. By themselves, these concepts are already improving other businesses and have profitable benefits in AEC as well. Where the bigger change will come is when you merge these together, and that is exactly what we are working towards at CRTKL. Along with our research into these ideas, we are constantly looking for opportunities to test and integrate these technologies to form hybrid tools that improve our overall design, process, and delivery while generating increased value for our clients. We embrace digital transformation and all it can do to enhance our design. With strong in-house capabilities and pioneering research and development programs, we harness its power with incredible speed and efficiency to offer the best solutions to our clients' complex challenges. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. What, according to you, could be the next significant change in your sector? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design practice that began over seven decades ago and has evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive outcomes in our communities. Our team addresses the imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology and their influence on the built environment through a human-centric design approach. Enlighten us on how you have been transforming the modern architecture industry through your significant expertise in emerging technologies. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for CallisonRTKL? In short, with the use of AI tools for design, we understand that this technology has a very high disruptive potential. Data has become the most valuable commodity in the world. It is no different in the AEC industry, with a huge amount of data generated throughout the lifecycle of the project. Unfortunately, conventional design processes are not built to leverage this data effectively. Architectural design processes are very classical – while we use computers, the overall process is still very analog. CRTKL's vision fully commits to sustainability and establishes a digital-first culture where technology and data empower our people, and research-based insights enrich our internal processes and client-facing solutions. I am very fortunate to be working alongside individuals who align with these values and are committed to improving the profession and how we live, work and play with the help of technology. The digital transformation initiatives at CRTKL empower us with the tools and knowledge needed to deliver on this and instill in us a desire to do and build better. Ours is a multicultural, multi-generational team situated across 22 offices worldwide. It brings together diverse skills that advance project outcomes and improve their social and environmental impact. As curious thinkers and change makers, we face the challenges of this world and are ready to ask the questions that hold others back. I am happy to share that CRTKL has been working with ML and AI technologies for the past 2 years. Since tools like Pix2Pix were created, we identified and researched the best use for these tools for design, analysis, and documentation. If something seemed difficult to achieve in-house, we sought partnership opportunities with firms that use AI technology to improve design and delivery. With access to ML and AI tools, it has become possible to analyze every growing dataset, train custom ML models, and generate innovative tools based on AI predictions. CRTKL is researching on tools that learn from our legacy projects and help guide us into the future. The use of AI is relatively new, and the ethical and liability concerns of using AI are just surfacing. We want to ensure we do not jeopardize our clients and users over premature innovation. Hence many of our AI efforts are still in research, and only when we are completely confident that it does not cause any problems with our vested partners do we integrate it on projects. Development initiatives in the Middle East, Europe and across the globe captivate our collective imaginations – Design professions have always been a little difficult to disrupt; the visual nature of the profession prevented it from being challenged in the past, and with development in computer vision, ML and AI, disruption in the design industry is inevitable. We can start to see this with the launch of AI tools like Stable Diffuse and Chat GPT. Basic chat prompts are enough for the computer to create mesmerizing and visually stunning conceptual ideas. I see CRTKL as a cultural agency that can provide specialized design solutions that prioritize health and well-being without compromising quality, sustainability, cost, or time. There is still much to be done to reach the goals and ambitions we've laid out here, and I see myself as an integral part of this process and the ongoing integration of digital technology in design. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the architecture industry? However, not all are great; many aspects of AI-driven workflows have not yet been vetted. The design technology team at CRTKL do not shy away from being critical about using AI technology; it's like playing the devil's advocate. There are still many questions about the ethical use of this technology and its legal implications. We will implement it on live projects only when we are sure not to cause unforeseen complications for our clients. Where many in the industry still rely on conventional delivery formats like CADs, PDFs, and in a few instances, BIM models, at CRTKL, we are conscious of the benefits of integrating design data into our projects. Apart from the building data that can be found in our BIM, we also provide custom tools that help understand contextual, climatic and post-occupancy usage data. We are fortunate to work with clients who understand the importance of this insight and the value to be gained by it throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects. Good architecture and design are exceptionally important to the health and well-being of our planet. The requirements for conscious and responsible designs are extremely dire. Any aspiring to work within the design sector should take seriously the responsibility we have to correct and transform the built environment into a vehicle for positive environmental and societal change. Technology and digital innovation will be key to this, so upskill in these areas if you want to effect change and future-proof your position in the sector. In short, don't wait. We have dedicated teams and allocated resources to explore and implement other technologies like mixed reality in visualization, digital twins in data integration, and generative problem solving. The widespread 18 19 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

Shumon A Zaman Thriving with Astounding Traits and Values C companies and fantastic people that shaped his career. He moved to the UAE after completing several global technology transformation projects and entrepreneurial ventures in the US and Europe. ommencing his journey in London, UK, Shumon A Zaman, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Ali & Sons Holding LLC worked with several any challenge no matter how big or small in order to reach their goal. I think the ability to develop powerful teams is what has led me to reach my current position and the success that has created is what has brought me to Ali & Sons. Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. From humble beginnings, he quickly adapted to change by navigating through a competitive market, efficiently managing his teams, and people, making tough decisions, and adjusting to varying business environments, experiences that helped him reach the top. • Ali & Sons Holding (ASH) is a Forbes-listed top family conglomerate in the UAE with major interests in Automotive, Oil & Gas, Construction, Real Estate, Retail, and Investments. We are home to some of the world’s best known car brands such as Porsche, Audi, VW, Skoda and MG and work with industry leaders such as ADNOC in the Oil & Gas sector. In an interview with CIOLook, Shumon shares his professional experience in the industry and highlights his significant achievements as well as the challenges encountered on the business scene.Below are the excerpts from the interview: • From humble beginnings the group has been a pillar of success over four decades helping the UAE economy to grow. Would you give our audience a view about your journey as a business leader and your current position at Ali & Sons. What challenges did you have to overcome to reach where you are today? • Our mission is to keep supporting the growth of the UAE by enhancing the lives and experiences of our stakeholders by solving their problems through economical and innovative solutions. • Our overall vision is to be a sustainable group recognized for leveraging its capabilities in the UAEs continuous development. Today, everything around us is rapidly changing; digitalization is shaping new industries and removing barriers to competition. Every single industry is being disrupted in some manner – no one is immune to this. The challenge that business leaders are facing now is how to continually adapt and survive in this competitive environment. Enlighten us on how you have impacted the venture capital niche through your expertise in the market. Prior to joining ASH – I setup start-ups working with Silicon Valley partners that have been developed into niche sectors aiming to become unicorns. From a young age, I have developed startups in a range of sectors that have required VC or Angel investors. To overcome these challenges, I had to learn, adapt, and have the courage to make bold decisions with ‘a can-do’ attitude, never giving up. However, the one most single ingredient to success for me personally is developing a ‘ninja’ team that is ready, willing, and able to overcome 20 21 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

helping the environment. ““ VC is not for everyone and has high risks but equally high rewards assuming you can identify startups that have the potential to grow and scale. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. ASH is a family conglomerate where everyone is treated as part of the family. We work hard together; we learn every day on how to improve and make better and wiser decisions that help us to succeed and grow our group. We are working with our global partners in helping them to deliver even better products and services to our future generation Z customers, who are more focused on sustainability, sharing and Respect, trust, honesty, and integrity are what drives our people and creates a winning culture. Our passion for what we do is also another key differentiator. We have great people working at ASH combined with new talent coming through our Emiratisation program called Al Massar and this is what is providing our business with a greater competitive advantage. We believe people is what creates competitive advantage! I think investing in early startups has many risks but equally rewards. The potential to pick the right investment is obviously the key. From my own experience having developed startups with Silicon Valley partners. It’s important to understand the problem a business is trying to fix and ensure you understand how big and pressing that problem is. Investment strategy: Developing a clear investment strategy that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance is essential for making sound investment decisions. Ÿ Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? electrification of cars. We see this sector going through rapid change and disruption. Many of our top brands are now focusing more on electric vehicles (EVs). This will have a significant impact on the Automotive sector in the region. Due diligence: Conducting thorough due diligence on potential investments is critical to mitigating risk and making informed investment decisions. Portfolio management: Once you've made investments, managing your portfolio of companies is important for maximizing returns and mitigating risk. Ÿ Our Board under the guidance of our Chairman and Founder, have a great track record of investing in industries and advanced technologies ahead of our competition. Bold decision-making and investments in the right industries and technologies have helped our organization to develop a sustainable positive, growth trajectory. Understanding that can then unlock how you fix that problem and the business model you would use to monetize the solution. VC is not for the faint-hearted, the risks are stacked up against the early startups. Here are some key things to consider when considering the VC route: Ÿ We are working with our global partners in helping them to deliver even better products and services to our current and future customers, who are more focused on sustainability, sharing and helping the environment. Regulatory and legal considerations: Venture capital is a highly regulated industry, so understanding the legal and regulatory requirements for investing and fundraising is important for operating within the law and avoiding compliance issues. Ÿ We are making significant investments into technology and digitalization to firstly disrupt the status quo and to also arm ourselves to withstand and even take advantage of the disruption that is now the norm in many industries. Investing in things like new digital start-ups, providing seed capital and also changing business models in existing businesses is what will power our sustainability and future growth. Expertise and experience: Successful venture capitalists often have a background in entrepreneurship, finance, or technology. Having experience in these areas can help you identify promising startups and provide value to portfolio companies. Ÿ Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Ali & Sons? At ASH, we expect to keep growing our business and perhaps invest more in sustainability and environmentally friendly sectors. We view environmental challenges as a shared responsibility, and we are determined to make a positive contribution to this area in every facet of our business. What would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs who aspire to become venture capitalists? Network: Building a strong network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts is crucial for finding investment opportunities and sourcing deals. Ÿ What, according to you, could be the next significant change in your sector? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? One area that perhaps everyone can relate to is the 22 23 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

Venkata Duvvuri O abreast of these changes. Innovative educators are, at their heart, courageous. They savor opportunities to learn new things and are not afraid to take risks in their learning and teaching. They do not view mistakes as failures but as opportunities to grow and try again. Their courage is inspiring! Above all these attributes, an educator is committed to life-long learning. They comprehend that firm commitment is vital to be truly innovative and provide their students with the best educational experience possible. Innovative educators are also committed to reflective practice. They recognize the value reflection has on improving their teaching. An Epitome of Quality Education ur educational landscape is changing at a rapid pace, and in order to meet the ever-evolving needs of our students, educators need to stay Software Engineering Principles and Operating Systems. Venkata Duvvuri Adjunct Professor Northeastern University During this process, I learnt the art of dealing with students. My professor looked forward to me providing grades and solutions. I eventually learnt to curve and other techniques important. I also learned the art of hand-holding some segments of the class who needed help. This helped me prepare for what’s next after several years. In 2016, Northeastern university knocked on my door for a surprising teaching gig at a data science boot camp. I was initially thrilled and confident of my abilities to do the job. Later I realized this helped me sharpen my teaching skills. Over the next two years while at the boot camp, I taught a variety of classes including R, Statistics and Predictive modelling. Not only that my students were from non-Computer science backgrounds. Standing out with these significantly admirable qualities is Venkata Duvvuri, Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University. Our solutions use cutting-edge AI offerings and are hosted in Cloud like AWS. We optimize business workflows and add to conventional Enterprise software with AI add-ons. ““““ This challenged me to look at novel ways to guide them. From office hours to personal coaching, I got them abreast, and my prior teaching experience was readily helpful. Finally, I was proud when several of my students came to be admitted to a master’s in data science program all over the country. My next stop was as an adjunct faculty at Northeastern university which I continue to hold even today. At Northeastern University, Prof. Duvvuritaught for several years and launched several students’ careers, whether in industry, further studies, or even revisiting their home country’s needs. He strives to provide quality education and impart his experience to them. In an interview with CIOLook, Prof. Duvvuri shares valuable facts that highlight his professional tenure and his odyssey of excellence in the education sector. Lately, I’ve taught in my home country in India in IIM – Tiruchirappalli in the topics of Web mining to graduates who want to be more technical. India has great strengths in technical topics, and the management is ever open to technical topics. Additionally, I’ve also been associated with the alumni board at UC Davis graduate school. This engagement helps me shape the future of my alma mater and MBA program in the way I can. Below are the excerpts from the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as an academician until your current position at Northeastern University. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today? I’ve been fortunate to have a teaching background right since my graduate school days. I was a teaching assistant to graduates on a couple of important topics: Finally, my first heart is even green for UMass Amherst, where I learnt how to excel in technical and 24 25 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

architectural software engineering. As a machine learning software architect in my professional life, I cherish this experience. As an entrepreneur in my later life, I cherish my MBA at UC Davis. Not but not least, my daughter seems to have taken up my footsteps by teaching AI in her high school. years gave me enough context to understand what the needs of the market were. I transformed several big companies into leaders in their verticals by innovating in this space by innovating in Oracle or VIPTone. know what the information is used for but can get most answers to match humans based on statistical relations between the prior usage. This has huge potential in productivity software, which could be the next wave of optimizations. My latest efforts as a Founder at SiriusMindShare, with our new product, containing Enterprise AI, has specifically been the champion behind digitizing small to mid-sized businesses optimizing their business workflows in Marketing, Sales, Ecommerce, Product etc., with AI. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Northeastern University? Tell us something more about your educational institute and its mission and vision. What are the qualities and aspects that make it stand out as a leading educational organization in the modern education sector? I’m a dedicated professor and adjunct faculty at Northeastern. Additionally, I serve as a subject matter expert for CompTIA data science certifications and a few data & AI start-ups. My intention has been to marry Northeastern talent with industry right from the beginning. Many of my students have interned with me or researched with me with few publications to our credit. My vision for Northeastern is to improve applied research practices with industry-related offerings and programs including doctorates. There is quite a bit of industry research that goes unnoticed when not tapped by academia in their thesis. Finally, Northeastern is a cross-departmental collaborative behemoth. So, I envision cross-disciplinary papers and outcomes. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your institution. Northeastern university is primarily focused on giving experiential learning. The experience of the instructor and the university ecosystem counts and passes on real-world skills to the students. Northeastern University is a collaborative platform for professors and students alike. Students like to shine in various hackathons, research and networking events, while professors are adept at passing on practical practicum and research. Northeastern values experimentation and innovation. Our whole College of Professional Studies is a testament to this phenomenon. The school now boast several campuses across the country including Seattle, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Toronto etc. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? As a practitioner, I fit right in. My background would be adaptable to several classes like Data mining, Business Intelligence and Capstone offerings. These not only helped students but strengthened the university curriculum. Enlighten us on how you have been transforming the modern industry through your significant expertise in emerging technologies. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry and develop integrated AI solutions and empower perpetual betterments? fuelled by Northeastern students. I get to pick the brightest and put their minds into solving research problems like cancer detection or real-world software that solves enterprise problems with AI for multitudes of small and mid-sized businesses. I’m on the cutting edge of innovation in the Enterprise software space. Having been in the industry for 7+ SiriusMindShare is a Research and development lab Entrepreneurship is an impromptu action when you see an opportunity that is worth pursuing. As I say, “Like a Train if you miss one, it’s a while till you wait for the next start-up opportunity.” I’ve been cognizant of this fact and have been delving into Enterprise AI with vigour, hoping to bring a change. Our solutions use cutting-edge AI offerings and are hosted in Cloud like AWS. We optimize business workflows and add to conventional Enterprise software with AI add-ons. Our reception in the market has been tested in the big industry space but not so much in the small mass markets. We are working to innovate and offer the solution at a price point convenient to small businesses as a subscription. Budding entrepreneurs have to take the risk, but also be aware that execution matters, and 90% of startups fail not due the poor idea but execution. I myself know of this risk and hope to make my idea count in some way. What, according to you, could be the next significant change in your sector? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? Finally, AI is far from done. It’s in the middle stages where too much of it is untested but something of it gets a good return for investment for sure. Thus, in my business, I encourage every small to mid-business to leverage AI so that they can benefit from low hanging fruit of AI. ChatGPT and generative AI have changed the way to leverage unstructured information. These tools help to learn from tons of amorphous formations and present knowledge and insights just like humans. They may not 26 27 www.ciolook.com | January 2023| www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |

The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow, January 2023 - CIO Look

The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow, January 2023 - CIO Look

Presentation Transcript

The 10 Most Influential Leaders in Business 2019

The 10 Most Influential Businesswomen to Follow in 2020

The 10 Most Influential Leaders to Follow in 2022

The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow, 2023-compressed

Most Inspiring Business Leaders To Follow In 2023

The 10 Most Influential Leaders in Medtech- 2023

World’s Most Influential Leaders Inspiring the Tech World, 2023

The Most Influential Women Leaders to Watch in 2023

The Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow,2024