Increasingly we see the "Business people" (as opposed to the data and IT staff) stepping up to take on Data Governance as part of their responsibility. This is good to see, but only a small proportion of organizations are approaching data governance from this perspective. Most data governance efforts still face the challenges of justifying the resources required to be effective. 

At a minimum, senior management needs to see Data Governance in the same light as other aspects of Business Governance, like financial, legal, accounting, and HR. Beyond that goal, some organizations are starting to recognize that Data Governance is a valuable imperative for "OFFensive" initiatives (as opposed to "DEfensive") that provide competitive advantage and differentiation, in areas such as marketing analytics, the quality of manufacturing, supply chain operations, AI development, and corporate innovation. 

This panel will discuss how to move Data Governance from the back office to the Boardroom, giving it the priority and urgency that it deserves.

Moderator: Donna Burbank
Managing Director - Global Data Strategy, Ltd.

Donna Burbank is a recognized industry expert in information management with over 25 years of experience helping organizations enrich their business opportunities through data and information. She is currently the Managing Director of Global Data Strategy, Ltd., where she assists organizations around the globe in driving value from their data. She has worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies worldwide in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa and speaks regularly at industry conferences. She has co-authored several books on Data Management and is a regular contributor to industry publications. She can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow her on Twitter at: @donnaburbank.

Panelist: Laura Madsen
CEO - Moxy Analytics

Laura Madsen is a global data strategist, keynote speaker, and author. She advises data leaders in healthcare, government, manufacturing, and tech. Laura has spoken at hundreds of conferences and events inspiring organizations and individuals alike with her iconoclastic disruptor mentality. Laura is a partner in a Minneapolis-based consulting firm Moxy Analytics to converge two of her biggest passions: helping companies define and execute successful data strategies and radically challenging the status quo.

Panelist: Monika Kapoor
Head of Data Platform | Commercial IT - Philips Healthcare

Monika has over two decades of experience in CRM, Business Consulting, Data Quality, and Business Transformation for regional and global businesses. She has been in diversified roles covering extensive consulting and leadership experience in global sales, services, and marketing-related transformational programs. In her current role, she heads Global Data Quality and Governance for Philips Healthcare. She has set up a Quality Excellence Framework and provided overall Process Quality/Maturity leadership to Business, Markets, and Functions (BMF). She owns strategic planning and goal-setting process for business excellence in areas of Data Quality that align with key organizational and functional/departmental priorities. Monika has benchmarked and replicated several Industry best practices and cutting edge processes in Data Governance for Philips globally.

Panelist: Nick Brandreth
Cloud Director, Privacy & Data Governance - OneTrust

Nick Brandreth serves as Cloud Director, Privacy & Data Governance at OneTrust, the Trust Intelligence Platform, unlocking every company’s value and potential to thrive by doing what’s good for people and the planet. OneTrust connects privacy, GRC, ethics, and ESG teams, data, and processes, so all companies can collaborate seamlessly and put trust at the center of their operations and culture. In his role, Nick supports the OneTrust Privacy & Data Governance Cloud where he advises companies on how to transform privacy compliance into trusted and ethical data use. Nick earned a Masters in English at Portland State University.

Panelist: Sharad Varshney
CEO - OvalEdge

Sharad Varshney, the CEO and founder of OvalEdge, has helped many companies in establishing and enhancing their data governance program. He focuses on the pragmatic and progressive approach to data governance rather than the idealistic one.

A veteran technologist turned entrepreneur, he continually shares this knowledge through industry events, blogs, whitepapers, live sessions, and more. He has founded OvalEdge to blend his unique experience in big data technology and process management into creating a much-needed Data Management product. He has a Nuclear Engineering degree from IIT, the premier institute of technology in India. 

He lives in Atlanta, GA. He likes to play soccer with his son and explore coding concepts with his daughter.