DAMA Days 2026
Agenda
Friday, October 9, 2026
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration / Breakfast / Exhibition Hall
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Welcome / Opening
Dee Nelson & LMU
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Intro
Peter Aiken, PhD (Assoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDO)
Peter Aiken, PhDPresident, DAMA InternationalAssoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDOAn acknowledged Data Management authority who has worked with hundreds of data management practices in 30 countries. Author of 12 books — including the first on CDOs — focusing on data monetization, modern strategic data thinking, and data literacy. Hosts the longest-running data management webinar series.
Peter Aiken, PhDPresident, DAMA InternationalAssoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDOAn acknowledged Data Management authority who has worked with hundreds of data management practices in 30 countries. Author of 12 books — including the first on CDOs — focusing on data monetization, modern strategic data thinking, and data literacy. Hosts the longest-running data management webinar series. 10:00 AM – 10:35 AM
Agents in Data Governance & Stewardship
Eric McGee (truData Solutions)
Eric McGeeVP Data and AnalyticstruData SolutionsData engineering and business intelligence executive focused on IT transformations that move organizations toward data-driven decision making., Sarvesh Chinnappa (truData Solutions)
Sarvesh ChinnappaVP Cloud Engineering and AI/MLtruData SolutionsTwenty years of experience in technology services, architecting scalable cloud platforms and AI/ML solutions that drive business transformations.
Eric McGeeVP Data and AnalyticstruData SolutionsData engineering and business intelligence executive focused on IT transformations that move organizations toward data-driven decision making., Sarvesh Chinnappa (truData Solutions)Sarvesh ChinnappaVP Cloud Engineering and AI/MLtruData SolutionsTwenty years of experience in technology services, architecting scalable cloud platforms and AI/ML solutions that drive business transformations. 10:35 AM – 11:10 AM
Token Illiteracy Is the New Data Illiteracy
Karen Pfeifer (20+ yrs — Pythian, Audacy, Disney, Hulu, Comcast/NBCU, DIRECTV/AT&T)
Karen PfeiferChief AI Officer, CDO & Data + AI Executive20+ yrs — Pythian, Audacy, Disney, Hulu, Comcast/NBCU, DIRECTV/AT&TSenior leader at Pythian, Audacy, Disney, Hulu, Comcast/NBCU, and DIRECTV/AT&T. Focuses on value-based, business-driven measures of success — deep expertise in data strategies, products, services, and outcomes tightly aligned to creating value from trusted data products.
Karen PfeiferChief AI Officer, CDO & Data + AI Executive20+ yrs — Pythian, Audacy, Disney, Hulu, Comcast/NBCU, DIRECTV/AT&TSenior leader at Pythian, Audacy, Disney, Hulu, Comcast/NBCU, and DIRECTV/AT&T. Focuses on value-based, business-driven measures of success — deep expertise in data strategies, products, services, and outcomes tightly aligned to creating value from trusted data products. 11:10 AM – 11:25 AM
Break
11:25 AM – 12:00 PM
Data Strategy Drives the Success of Any Data Initiative, Including Using AI
Marilu Lopez (Author, "Data Strategies for Data Governance")
Marilu LopezData Strategist & Data Management ConsultantAuthor, "Data Strategies for Data Governance"32 years of experience in the financial sector designing resources to apply Data Management practices: Data Governance, Data Architecture, Metadata Management, and Data Quality. Currently leads the DAMA International Council of Chapter Presidents worldwide.
Marilu LopezData Strategist & Data Management ConsultantAuthor, "Data Strategies for Data Governance"32 years of experience in the financial sector designing resources to apply Data Management practices: Data Governance, Data Architecture, Metadata Management, and Data Quality. Currently leads the DAMA International Council of Chapter Presidents worldwide. 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM
Fireside Chat: Data Curation, Unstructured Data & the Future Economics of AI
Richard W. Kroon (Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR))
Richard W. KroonSenior Director of Technical Operations, EIDREntertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR)Senior leader at the Motion Picture Association of America, Technicolor, MovieLabs and Southbay Motion Picture Technologies. Award-winning videographer, author of "A/V A to Z" and "3D A-to-Z." Honored with the 2024 Technology Leadership Award from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG)., Curt Mayers (Founder & Editor, myRobotFrenemy.com)
Curt MayersAI Cognitive Systems ArchitectFounder & Editor, myRobotFrenemy.comOrchestrating Generative AI for Enterprise Decision Intelligence.
Richard W. KroonSenior Director of Technical Operations, EIDREntertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR)Senior leader at the Motion Picture Association of America, Technicolor, MovieLabs and Southbay Motion Picture Technologies. Award-winning videographer, author of "A/V A to Z" and "3D A-to-Z." Honored with the 2024 Technology Leadership Award from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG)., Curt Mayers (Founder & Editor, myRobotFrenemy.com)Curt MayersAI Cognitive Systems ArchitectFounder & Editor, myRobotFrenemy.comOrchestrating Generative AI for Enterprise Decision Intelligence. 12:40 PM – 1:25 PM
Lunch Break
1:25 PM – 2:25 PM
CDO Panel Discussion: The Future of Data in the Age of AI
Facilitator: Peter Aiken. CDO Panel: André Vargas, Flavia Lan, Sowgandhika Dusa, Albert Duntugan.
Peter Aiken, PhD (Assoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDO)Peter Aiken, PhDPresident, DAMA InternationalAssoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDOAn acknowledged Data Management authority who has worked with hundreds of data management practices in 30 countries. Author of 12 books — including the first on CDOs — focusing on data monetization, modern strategic data thinking, and data literacy. Hosts the longest-running data management webinar series., André Vargas (Data iQ Top 100 · Digital Edge Award)
André VargasChief Data Officer, Creative Artists AgencyData iQ Top 100 · Digital Edge Award25 years of experience in data strategies, consulting, and program management, with a focus on analytics, data science, and business intelligence leveraging data as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage., Flavia Lan (InsightBox Inc.)
Flavia LanFounder, CEO & CDOInsightBox Inc.Visionary executive and founder of InsightBox, Inc. experienced in transforming business outcomes through innovative technology, data science, machine learning/AI delivering tailored, actionable offers aligned with unique business needs., Sowgandhika Dusa (Cadent)
Sowgandhika DusaChief of Data and AICadentExecutive leader at Cadent, TD, Comcast, BDP International advancing organizations through interoperable data, agentic technologies, enterprise architecture, data strategy and data science., Albert Duntugan (UCLA Health Services)
Albert DuntuganChief Data & Analytics OfficerUCLA Health ServicesExecutive leadership on data governance, architecture, and engineering that unify and structure data to facilitate organizational analytics, so teams can search, understand, and trust information for traditional, self-service, and advanced analytics.
Peter Aiken, PhDPresident, DAMA InternationalAssoc Prof, VCU · Assoc Director, MIT ISCDOAn acknowledged Data Management authority who has worked with hundreds of data management practices in 30 countries. Author of 12 books — including the first on CDOs — focusing on data monetization, modern strategic data thinking, and data literacy. Hosts the longest-running data management webinar series., André Vargas (Data iQ Top 100 · Digital Edge Award)André VargasChief Data Officer, Creative Artists AgencyData iQ Top 100 · Digital Edge Award25 years of experience in data strategies, consulting, and program management, with a focus on analytics, data science, and business intelligence leveraging data as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage., Flavia Lan (InsightBox Inc.)Flavia LanFounder, CEO & CDOInsightBox Inc.Visionary executive and founder of InsightBox, Inc. experienced in transforming business outcomes through innovative technology, data science, machine learning/AI delivering tailored, actionable offers aligned with unique business needs., Sowgandhika Dusa (Cadent)Sowgandhika DusaChief of Data and AICadentExecutive leader at Cadent, TD, Comcast, BDP International advancing organizations through interoperable data, agentic technologies, enterprise architecture, data strategy and data science., Albert Duntugan (UCLA Health Services)Albert DuntuganChief Data & Analytics OfficerUCLA Health ServicesExecutive leadership on data governance, architecture, and engineering that unify and structure data to facilitate organizational analytics, so teams can search, understand, and trust information for traditional, self-service, and advanced analytics. 2:25 PM – 3:00 PM
Leading the Human Side of AI Changes
Aakriti Agrawal Kim (Founder, Girls Code Lincoln & The Nonprofiting Org)
Aakriti Agrawal KimData Management Leader, Fortune 100Founder, Girls Code Lincoln & The Nonprofiting OrgHelps internal departments manage data effectively at a Fortune 100 company. Author of "Data Governance Change Management." Founded two grassroots nonprofits and speaks frequently on Data Governance, Change Management, nonprofits, and entrepreneurship.
Aakriti Agrawal KimData Management Leader, Fortune 100Founder, Girls Code Lincoln & The Nonprofiting OrgHelps internal departments manage data effectively at a Fortune 100 company. Author of "Data Governance Change Management." Founded two grassroots nonprofits and speaks frequently on Data Governance, Change Management, nonprofits, and entrepreneurship. 3:00 PM – 3:35 PM
Grounding the Agentic Workforce: Architecting Data Governance and Context for Enterprise AI
Joshua "JT" Thomas (OutSystems)
Joshua "JT" ThomasEnterprise Sales LeaderOutSystemsEnterprise Sales Leader at OutSystems, helping data and technology leaders modernize legacy systems and put governed, production-grade AI to work on their own data. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, JT got his start implementing mission-critical systems for the Department of War and Homeland Security before leading go-to-market at world-class startups like ProfitWell, Superhuman, and Deputy.
Joshua "JT" ThomasEnterprise Sales LeaderOutSystemsEnterprise Sales Leader at OutSystems, helping data and technology leaders modernize legacy systems and put governed, production-grade AI to work on their own data. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, JT got his start implementing mission-critical systems for the Department of War and Homeland Security before leading go-to-market at world-class startups like ProfitWell, Superhuman, and Deputy. 3:35 PM – 3:50 PM
Break
3:50 PM – 4:25 PM
Agentifying the Enterprise for Real Transformation
Tamara Sipes, Ph.D. (Enterprise AI Strategy & Scaled Growth · AI Transformation)
Tamara Sipes, Ph.D.AI CTO, CognizantEnterprise AI Strategy & Scaled Growth · AI TransformationA seasoned leader in Artificial Intelligence dedicating over two decades to the art and science of leveraging data and AI technologies to propel organizations, from startups to Fortune 5 companies, toward measurable business outcomes.
Tamara Sipes, Ph.D.AI CTO, CognizantEnterprise AI Strategy & Scaled Growth · AI TransformationA seasoned leader in Artificial Intelligence dedicating over two decades to the art and science of leveraging data and AI technologies to propel organizations, from startups to Fortune 5 companies, toward measurable business outcomes. 4:25 PM – 5:00 PM
From MDM to Measurable AI Value: A Practical Workshop for Building Trusted Business Context
Kinshuk Dutta (ON EBX)
Kinshuk DuttaHead of Americas Go-to-MarketON EBXHead of Go-to-Market for the Americas at ON EBX, helping enterprises build the data foundations required for governance, resilience, and AI readiness. Kinshuk has spent his career at the intersection of enterprise data, customer outcomes, and business execution. Across product, go-to-market, and transformation leadership roles, he has seen that AI only creates lasting value when it is built on governed, trusted, enterprise-ready data. He is a data and AI author, speaker, and host of the ON Data podcast.
Kinshuk DuttaHead of Americas Go-to-MarketON EBXHead of Go-to-Market for the Americas at ON EBX, helping enterprises build the data foundations required for governance, resilience, and AI readiness. Kinshuk has spent his career at the intersection of enterprise data, customer outcomes, and business execution. Across product, go-to-market, and transformation leadership roles, he has seen that AI only creates lasting value when it is built on governed, trusted, enterprise-ready data. He is a data and AI author, speaker, and host of the ON Data podcast. 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Event Wrap Up / Event Survey / Book Raffle
Tatyana Esmaelian
5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
After Event
Preparation for CDMP Exam
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
After Event
Social Hour
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
After Event
CDMP Pay if You Pass Event