Ai In Action

Today's guest is Hamid Benbrahim, Head of Data & AI at Thomas in New York. Thomas helps B2B buyers and industrial suppliers grow their businesses and their careers. They do so by providing the information, solutions and guidance they need to successfully navigate the digital industrial economy. Hamid has a strong track record of making real business impact by leveraging people, data and machine learning, advanced technology and institutional innovation. In the show, Hamid will discuss: The interesting projects he is working on at Thomas, What he role as Head of Data & AI entails, Transitioning from the Financial Sector into the Manufacturing industry, Challenges of working with Data in Manufacturing, The excitement of building a Data practice at Thomas, Important skills he looks for in hiring at Thomas, & What the future looks like & their potential impact in the industry

Today's guest is Matt Sattler, Director of Business Development & Data Science, Data & Analytics at HSBC, who are one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. They serve more than 40 million customers via three global businesses: Commercial Banking, Wealth & Personal Banking, and Global Banking & Markets. They aim to be where the growth is, connecting customers to opportunities, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and ultimately helping people to fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions. Throughout his career, Matt has specialized in design, execution & oversight of Big data science programs for commercial banking and capital markets. His responsibilities include the identification of key business priorities, solution design of data science tools plus the pairing of big data technologies to create data assets to improve current business models. Results are measurable returns from actionable insights leading to decisions f

Today's guest is Vanessa Pegueros, Chief Trust and Security Officer at OneLogin. With 18 years of experience in Cybersecurity, Vanessa is a Business leader specializing in information security, compliance, strategy development and execution. Her technical skills include wireless, mobile, security architecture and security engineering across the Telcoms, Banking, SaaS & Hospitality sectors. In the show, Vanessa will discuss: How she got into Cybersecurity, Transitioning into a Leadership role, Challenges facing the role of the CISO and Cybersecurity teams, Why a Cybersecurity function is vital to your organization, How to influence management to invest in Cybersecurity, & Hiring Cybersecurity talent in Large companies vs SMEs

Today's guest is Jinsook Han, Managing Director & Global Lead for Growth and Strategy at Accenture Applied Intelligence in New York. Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services from strategy and consulting to technology and operations with digital capabilities across all of these services. They combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With over 500,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Jinsook is responsible for developing Accenture's priority growth agenda, strategy for execution and addressable actions based on market insights, trends and emerging technologies. She is also building their ecosystem and expanding AI capabilities through acquisitions

Today's guest is Brian Ray, Global Data Science Lead at Maven Wave Partners. Maven Wave helps leading companies make the shift to digital and shorten the fuse to innovation. Maven Wave combines the expertise and discipline of top-tier consulting and the agility you would expect from a cutting-edge technology firm. This multidisciplinary blend of skills allows them to create unique digital advantages for their clients. Maven Wave’s digital solutions are agile, mobile, rooted in analytics and built in the cloud. Brian is a big picture strategist, team builder and influential top technologist with extensive expertise in agile software operations — from engineering and architecture to hands-on integration and deployment of best-in-class solutions. Best known for taking on complex projects, Brian is respected by stakeholders in his ability to steer projects throughout its entire lifecycle. He combines a visionary approach and clear communication style with standout technical experience. In the show, Brian will tel

Today's guest is Richard Nealon, who is an experienced Information Security and Risk Management Professional. Richard have worked in almost all aspects of information security (as well as associate disciplines of Operational Risk, Compliance, eDiscovery and Data Protection) over the past 30 years, mainly in financial services organisations. Richard's key differentiators are his ability to connect information and technology risk with business requirements and his broad range of experience. He is a passionate advocate for spending some time on security architecture and design so that it's built right the first time, with all requirements considered. In the show, Richard will discuss: What he enjoys about working in the Cybersecurity industry, The many ways you can get involved in Cybersecurity, What a successful security team looks like, The importance of certifications and accreditation, Ethics in Cybersecurity, How COVID-19 is impacting working in the sector, and The importance of trust and relationships

Today's guest is Justin Shenk, Co-Founder and CTO at VisioLab in Berlin. Founded in 2019, VisioLab develops state of the art solutions and products for computer vision. An exexperienced science and technology leader delivering scalable AI solutions, Justin and his team are now developing a vision-based POS solution for caterers. Justin has an interdisciplinary background as a neuroscience researcher and entrepreneur, and has been developing websites and software for scientific data since 2008. He has worked as a Machine Learning engineer for successful industrial projects since 2017 and is with comfortable with algorithm development, software architecture/implementation and project management. In the show, Justin will tell you about: Who are VisioLab and how it all came about, Interesting case studies of Computer Vision, Challenges they needed to overcome to achieve success, The process of building their product, New trends within NLP that excite him for the f

Today's guest is Shameer Khader, Senior Director of Data Science, Digital Health and Bioinformatics at AstraZeneca in New York. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Their mission is to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. They focus on three main therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease (CVMD) and Respiratory – and are also selectively active in the areas of autoimmunity, neuroscience and infection. To put themselves in the best position to push the boundaries of science, they seek to leverage a combination of capabilities, which encompass both small molecules and biologics, and include immunotherapies and developing innovative delivery devices that can offer choice to patients. In the show, Shameer will tell you about: P

Today's guest is Pieter Nel, Chief Technology Officer at Ocrolus in New York. Ocrolus is a Fintech infrastructure company that transforms documents into actionable data with over 99% accuracy. Powered by AI and a unique, human-in-the-loop data validation process, Ocrolus plugs directly into customer workflows via API, eliminating the need for manual data work. The solution includes built-in fraud detection and analytics, enabling customers to make smarter and faster business decisions with unprecedented precision. In the show, Pieter will tell you about: His journey to joining Ocrolus, The impact of Ocrolus’ innovations in the Financial market, His role in empowering automation in the business, Using the Data Flywheel concept, Why he loves working at Ocrolus, What they look for in the hiring process, & What the future holds for the organization

Today's guest is Lonnie Benavides, who is the Head of Infrastructure and Application Security at OneLogin in Phoenix, Arizona. OneLogin is the leader in Unified Access Management, Enabling Organizations to Access the World. We make it simpler and safer for organizations to access the apps and data they need anytime, everywhere. With over 20 years of experience within Cybersecurity, Lonnie is passionate about building high-performing effective security teams. He fosters operational team cultures with foundations in efficiency, openness, and accountability. He enjoys implementing smart and inexpensive security solutions that reduce the risk of a company’s most likely and impactful cyberattack costs. In the show, Lonnie will discuss: What attracted him into a Cybersecurity career Key takeaways from his fascinating experience with the National Guard Setting up the foundations for a successful career in the sector Biggest learns during his 20 years of experience in Cybersecurity Why he loves wo

Today's guest is Nimit Jain, Head of Data Science with the Analytics Centre of Excellence at Novartis. Novartis are reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company with products reaching nearly one billion people globally, Novartis use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. With years of experience in applying innovative analytics techniques in complex environments working with Big Data, Nimit is responsible to establish and grow a Data Science team to be multi-disciplinary and globally aligned with Novartis strategy. He also supports and leads initiatives to establish new capabilities and skills in the broader IT organization focusing on the intersection of data, technology and science. In the show, Nimit will tell you about: His Data Science journey before joining Novartis, The exciting work going on within Data Science at Novartis, The importance of Data Modelin

Today's guest is Malik Y. Rehman, who is a Certified Expert in Information Systems, IT Networks, Cyber Security Infrastructure and Strategies. Malik has over 16 years of solid cybersecurity experience in the APAC, MENA and EU regions, mainly within the Financial Services and Government sectors. Malik has great experience in the designing and deployment of solutions protecting networks, systems and information assets for diverse companies and organizations. His passion is to share knowledge and build security practices together and believes cybersecurity should be a human-centric approach. In the show, Malik will discuss: What Cybersecurity practices look like in other regions, Fascinating research he is doing during his PhD in Cybersecurity, The impact of Cybersecurity in online retail & delivery, How COVID-19 has disrupted the delivery sector, Challenges facing the role of the CISO in the current market, and the impact he wants to leave in the Cybersecurity community

Today's guest is Doug Hamilton, Managing Director of Artificial Intelligence at Nasdaq. Founded in 1971, Nasdaq are the leading technology and information services provider to the capital markets. Their Global Trading and Market Services business have become a significant part of their client offerings. All this can be traced to Nasdaq’s focus on synchronizing and optimizing market movement which is an essential principle in the growth of business economies. No one else provides customers with such a high level of infrastructure, tools and strategic insight. They are also acclaimed for our top-rated data offerings. In the show, Doug will tell you about: Impacting the Financial market through AI and Data Science, The challenges of transitioning into a leadership role, The evolution of automation at Nasdaq, Building an effective data team, Upcoming projects & initiatives that he is excited about, and Why you should consider a career in the Fintech industry

Today's guest is Dr. Matt Lemon, Chief Information Security Officer at Huawei Ireland. Matt has 25 years of experience delivering business value in Security and Cloud by using his broad range of consulting, technical and managerial skills working with some great companies, translating technical requirements into conversations that boards and senior executives want to have. Currently, he directs security operations for the mobile and cloud ecosystems. He manages the vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, red-teaming and, incident management functions among others. His role includes the assessment, upkeep and mitigation of security risks for cloud services in collaboration with R&D, security teams, O&M and privacy teams. In the show, Matt will discuss: How he got into Cybersecurity & his journey so far, Different routes you can take into a career in Cybersecurity, Career goals and his successes as a CISO, Biggest challenges facing the role of a CISO, Addressing the skills shortage in

Today's guest is Robert Chen, Head of AI at Compass. Founded in 2012, Compass is a real estate technology company with a powerful end-to-end platform that supports the entire buying and selling workflow. They deliver an incomparable experience to both agents and their clients all in service of the Compass mission: to help everyone find their place in the world. Robert has a deep passion is building large-scale machine learning systems that power customers and business and has previous experience working with Intel, Microsoft and Zillow Group. He is now the Director of Engineering and Head of AI at Compass, where he is working on bringing Artificial Intelligence to Agent Intelligence at Real Estate. In the show, Robert will tell you about: The impact Compass are making within real estate, Challenges they are solving with AI and Data Science, Interesting projects within search, computer vision & more, Setting up a successful team structure, How COVID-19 has impacted the team’s productivity, and What he look

Today's guest is Ian Trinder, Director of Cybersecurity, Privacy & Forensics at PwC Ireland. With over ten years of experience in the field, Ian has successfully delivered engagements in the areas of IT Governance Risk Compliance, Cyber Security Program Maturity Assessments, Third-Party Risk Management, IT Assurance and Project Assurance. In the show today, Ian will give an overview of the 3rd Party Risk Management lifecycle. He will also discuss the importance of establishing clear guidelines and frameworks that set businesses up for success and how Covid-19 has changed the landscape for Third-Party Risk Management as well as some useful tips. During the episode, Ian will also discuss: The importance of third party risk management, The role of TPRM within Cybersecurity, How the challenges of managing third parties has evolved, The impact of COVID-19 in third-party risk management, & How should companies respond to COVID-19 in a TPRM context.

Today's guest is Renee Ernst, Senior Lead Data Scientist at General Mills. Headquartered in Minneapolis, General Mills reshaping the future of food. As one of the world’s leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Old El Paso and many more. Renee is an experienced Data Science leader with extensive experience using machine learning and predictive analytics to deliver solutions that provide tangible business value. She is highly skilled in the tools needed to create productionalized machine learning models and is a continuous learner with an always-growing proficiency in Data Science technologies and methodologies. In the show, Renee will tell you about: Her journey to joining General Mills, The evolution of data science within the company, Challenges the Data Science team needed to overcome, Plans for further growth & what their future looks like, Why she enjoys working with

Today's guest is Eoin Byrne, Cluster Manager at Cyber Ireland. Cyber Ireland is an initiative to establish a national cybersecurity cluster in Ireland, which is facilitated by the Cork Institute of Technology and supported by IDA Ireland. It provides a collective voice to represent the needs of the cybersecurity sector across the country and will address key challenges including skills needs, research and the development of a national community which connects industry, academia and government. Cyber Ireland is based on cluster-style initiatives which operates across Europe and internationally, that have proven extremely successful in enhancing innovation, growth & competitiveness of regions and the companies that are part of the cluster. For the cluster to be successful, it needs to be industry-driven, fueled by third-level education and supported by the Government. With the co-operation of these three pillars, the cluster will be able to reach its full potential. In the show, Eoin will discuss: The benef

Today's guest is Dilara Ally, Head of Data Science and Computational Biology at Joyn Bio. Dilara is an experienced Technology executive living at the intersection of people, digital business strategy, and data science. She is currently responsible for all of Joyn Bio's computational biology, data science, IT infrastructure and cloud-based scientific computing. Founded in 2018 based in Boston, Joyn Bio is a joint venture between Ginkgo Bioworks and Leaps by Bayer with the mission to bring synthetic biology to the challenges facing sustainability in agriculture. Their first project is to engineer microbes that can provide plants with biological nitrogen fertilizer, decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture. In the show, Dilara will tell you about: Her day-to-day work at Joyn Bio, How they are using Computational Biology and Data Science, What attracted her to the world of Data Science, What excites her for the potential of AI in Agriculture, The impact of Data Modelling, The ch

Today's guest is  Adnan Ahmed, Chief Information Security Officer and head of ICT at Ornua. Ornua are Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide. Adnan has more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry ranging from application development, solutions architect and design, building and implementing security operations. In this episode, Adnan shares his insights on Protecting Manufacturing Sites from Cyber Attacks. Operational Technology and manufacturing sites present a unique challenge for SOC teams and failing to take proactive security measures could affect production and major financial losses. Adnan discusses these challenges as well ways to detect and mitigate complex cyber-attacks. In the show, Adnan will also tell you about: How he got into the world of Cybersecurity, The interesting work he is doing with Ornua, Differences and crossovers within IT/OT solutions in Cybersecurity, Challenges in converging IT and OT Cybersecurity together,