LONG BEACH, Calif. — September 15, 2026 — Data and AI leaders from across Southern California gathered at Boathouse on the Bay in Long Beach for the CDO Magazine SoCal Executive Boardroom Dinner, an intimate evening of peer conversation presented with Reltio.

The evening’s theme, “Hotel Datafornia,” turned a familiar California reference into eight conversations worth checking into. Rather than centering the discussion on AI alone, the questions pushed executives to examine what sits underneath it: trusted data, connected systems, legacy challenges, security, real-time context and whether enterprise data foundations are actually prepared for what organizations are asking AI to do.

The premise was captured in the evening’s closing line: “The best intelligence in the room might not be artificial.”

Eight Conversations Worth Checking Into

Throughout the dinner, executives explored eight questions spanning some of the most consequential challenges facing enterprise data and AI leaders:

1. Check In
Every organization has that one data, analytics or AI headache that refuses to go away. If leaders could leave one at the front desk tonight, what would it be?

2. Mirrors on the Ceiling
AI is moving from answering questions to making decisions. When systems disagree about a customer, product or supplier, which version of the truth does AI get?

3. Such a Lovely Face
Customers, employees, partners and suppliers exist across countless systems. As AI begins acting on their behalf, how confident are organizations that it knows exactly who it is dealing with?

4. They Just Can’t Kill the Beast
Organizations modernize, migrate and transform, yet some problems refuse to die. Which legacy data challenge keeps coming back, and why hasn’t the enterprise killed it yet?

Akbar Akbari Esfahani, Central California Alliance for Health Analytics and AI Transformation Leader shares a perspective during the “Hotel Datafornia” discussion as Southern California data and AI leaders exchange ideas on the challenges shaping enterprise data strategy and AI readiness.

5. Livin’ It Up
AI is receiving investment, attention and executive mandates. But is the data foundation downstairs actually ready for what organizations are building upstairs?

6. We Are All Just Prisoners Here
Connected data creates enormous opportunity and a much bigger attack surface. How can organizations make data easier to access and use without making it easier to compromise?

7. Real Time or Real Hype?
AI is increasingly moving from recommending decisions to making them. How current does the underlying data need to be before stale context becomes a real business risk?

8. You Can Check Out…
Fast-forward to 2029: What data, analytics, AI or security practice will leaders look back on and say, “I can’t believe we were still doing that in 2026”?

Together, the questions reflected a shift occurring inside enterprises: the AI conversation is increasingly inseparable from the quality, identity, accessibility, security and timeliness of the data beneath it.

Ally Babaillis, The Bouqs Director of Data & Analytics contributes to the conversation during CDO Magazine’s SoCal Executive Boardroom Dinner in Long Beach, where leaders explored questions spanning trusted data, AI, identity, security and modernization.

A Community Worth Making the Drive For

The dinner brought together leaders representing organizations across financial services, healthcare, media, technology, life sciences, consumer businesses and other sectors.

For CDO Magazine Community Director Gerri Caveness, the evening demonstrated something beyond the subject matter itself: the strength of the Southern California data and AI community.

“Hotel Datafornia proved something: Southern California will travel for the right room. We had executives drive more than two hours to get there, which in Southern California might be the highest possible form of commitment.

Reltio didn’t just put their name on the night. They helped us create one worth making the drive for.

There’s some serious swagger in this community. People stayed late, introductions turned into conversations, and the room had that rare energy where you knew something good was happening while you were still in it. Southern California is officially one of those communities you don’t want to hear about afterward. You want to be in the room.”

Justin Ker, Reltio VP of Sales joins the peer discussion at “Hotel Datafornia,” an evening designed around candid conversations about the data realities behind enterprise AI ambitions.

Special thanks to Reltio for sponsoring the evening and helping bring the Southern California data and AI community together.

Executives attending the CDO Magazine SoCal Executive Boardroom Dinner included:

• Meetali Agarwal, MetLife Head of Data & Analytics, RIS and MDM
• Ally Babillis, The Bouqs Director of Data & Analytics
• Myra Chen*, Capital Group Director, VP, Insights and Analytics
• Krishna Chirutha, Kite Pharma Head of Kite Commercial Data and AI COE
• Edwin Covert, Marvell Technology Director, Enterprise Security Architecture and Strategy
• Akbar Akbari Esfahani, Central California Alliance for Health Analytics and AI Transformation Leader
• Krystin Kim, Post Holdings Vice President, Data and Analytics
• James Lin, Experian Head of AI/ML Innovation
• Rajeev Mehrotra, Western Dental & Orthodontics CIO (Interim)
• Manzoor Mohideen*, Beckman Coulter Director, Enterprise Data & AI Strategy
• Usman Quddoos*, formerly DIRECTV VP Data & Analytics Operations / Chief Data & Analytics Officer
• Therese Suarez, FOX Corporation Sr. Director of Analytics
• Doss Tychicus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation CIO
• Hari Krishnan Umapathy, BODi Director, Data Engineering
• Pavan Vutukuru, DIRECTV Head of Platforms AI & ML
• Justin Ker, Reltio VP of Sales
• Kevin Neach, Reltio Senior Account Executive HLS
• Michael Pearlman, Reltio Senior Account Executive
• Gerri Caveness, CDO Magazine Community Director
• Anthony Losanno, CDO Magazine Managing Director

*Myra Chen, Manzoor Mohideen and Usman Quddos are members of CDO Magazine’s Global Board.