As enterprises race to deploy generative AI, the real question is no longer what AI can do — but what your data can handle. At the upcoming CDO Magazine Columbus Leadership Summit on November 5, 2025, technology and business leaders will gather at the Hyatt Regency – Columbus Downtown to examine the foundations that make AI initiatives scalable, adaptable, and resilient.

AI promises exponential value, but only when built on data platforms that can evolve with it. This headline session, “Is Your Data AI-Ready? Building Active, Adaptable Platforms for Durable Enterprise Value,” brings together leading voices from across industries to explore how organizations can create architectures designed for flexibility, governance, and sustainable business outcomes.

Top participating organizations include: Wells Fargo, Nationwide, Humana, Liberty Mutual, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Cardinal Health, Huntington Bank, USAA, JPMorganChase

Panel lineup

• Susan Carroll-Boser, CIO, White Castle
• Suman Gummudala, SAP SCM Specialist, Ashland Inc.
• Dinesh Kumar, VP BI & Data Analytics, Centria Healthcare
• Drew Smith, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, OhioHealth

Moderator: Tim Padilla, VP, Sales & Consulting, Datavid North America

Together, these panelists will uncover what it takes to transform static, siloed systems into living, learning data ecosystems that power real-world AI impact — from semantic enrichment and real-time integration to adaptive governance frameworks that evolve with regulation and technology.

Why this conversation matters

2025 marks a turning point: Enterprises that invested in AI without data readiness are now paying the price in inefficiency and mistrust. Building an AI-ready data foundation means more than just integrating APIs or cleaning data; it’s about designing a continuously learning platform that can absorb new data, adapt to new models, and comply with emerging ethical standards.

Attendees can expect practical frameworks and lessons learned from real transformation journeys — including how leaders are:

• Creating adaptive data architectures that enable faster AI experimentation.
• Embedding governance and lineage as part of every model lifecycle.
• Ensuring sustained enterprise value through resilient, future-proof data strategies.

“We’re seeing incredible momentum from leaders who are not just adopting AI, but building the data backbone to make it thrive,” said Lisa Runkle, Global Event Manager, CDO Magazine. “This session in Columbus brings that momentum to life — it’s where strategic vision meets practical execution. It’s a can’t-miss event for any data and AI leader looking ahead to 2025 and beyond.”

Why you should attend

Join hundreds of your peers — CIOs, CDOs, CAIOs, CISOs, and senior technology executives — to exchange ideas, benchmark progress, and discover what it truly means to build data foundations for durable AI value. Whether you’re modernizing data architecture or scaling GenAI use cases responsibly, this summit delivers actionable insights to stay ahead of the curve.