Most enterprise data architectures were not designed for what is happening now. They were designed for stability, not for constant reinvention. As AI accelerates, autonomous agents emerge, and data ecosystems grow more complex, one uncomfortable question is surfacing across boardrooms:

Is your data architecture built for what’s next, or just what worked before?

That question sits at the center of the panel “The Blueprint: Engineering Data Architecture for What’s Coming Next,” one of the most anticipated sessions at the CDO Magazine Columbus Leadership Summit. Senior data, analytics, and AI leaders will gather on April 16, 2026, at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, for a candid discussion that goes beyond frameworks and into real operating challenges.

The session everyone will be talking about

This is not a theoretical conversation. It is a reality check.

Three enterprise leaders, each operating from a different vantage point, will break down what is actually happening inside organizations trying to modernize data architecture under pressure from AI, regulation, and business demand.

• Suman Gummudala, Global Supply Chain & AI Transformation, Ashland
• Kishore Ravilla, CTO, Premier Health Partners
• Drew Smith, Former CDAO, OhioHealth, IKEA, Little Caesars

What makes this session different is its premise: Every organization has a blueprint. Very few have one built for what is coming next.

Why this conversation matters now

The pressure is mounting across industries:

• AI initiatives are outpacing legacy data foundations
• Regulatory expectations are tightening
• Data architectures are being asked to support real-time, decision-grade intelligence
• And leaders are realizing that technical redesign alone is not enough

This panel goes straight at the friction points most organizations are quietly struggling with:

1. Architecture is a leadership problem first

The organizations moving fastest are not necessarily those with the most advanced tools. They are the ones where leaders are willing to commit to a direction and enforce it across the enterprise.

2. Static blueprints are already obsolete

From model context protocols (MCP) to agent-driven workflows, the pace of change is outstripping traditional roadmap cycles. If your architecture is not designed to evolve, it is already falling behind.

3. The real bottleneck is change management

The hardest part of modern data architecture is not technical integration. It is aligning people, processes, and incentives. This is the layer most organizations underestimate. And it is where most transformations fail.

A closed-door, candid exchange

What sets this session apart is its format. Unlike a polished keynote, it is a frank, closed-room conversation where leaders speak openly about what is working, what is breaking, and what they would do differently. What’s said in this room stays in this room.

The leaders in the room

The Columbus Leadership Summit is not just about one panel. It is about the caliber of conversations happening across the day. The event will bring together senior data, analytics, and AI leaders from organizations including:

• JPMorganChase
• Cardinal Health
• Cleveland Clinic
• The Ohio State University
• ABB
• Eaton

Along with other enterprises spanning banking, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. This is where cross-industry perspectives collide, and where leaders benchmark how others are navigating the same challenges under different constraints.

“Events like the Columbus Leadership Summit are where senior data and AI leaders step out of their day-to-day and engage in the kind of candid, peer-level conversations that rarely happen elsewhere. If you want to understand how others are navigating similar challenges and where the industry is really heading, this is the room to be in,” says Corey Maxner, Sr. Director, Community & Operations, CDO Magazine.

What you will walk away with

• A clearer view of where modern data architectures are failing under AI pressure
• Practical insight into designing for adaptability, not just optimization
• A sharper understanding of how leadership decisions shape architecture outcomes
• Real-world lessons from leaders operating at enterprise scale

Seats are limited, and sessions like this tend to reach capacity quickly. If you want to understand what your data architecture needs to become over the next 12–24 months, this is where that conversation is happening.

Event: CDO Magazine Columbus Leadership Summit
Date: April 16, 2026
Venue: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, OH 43215