Put a GPT on the panel—literally—and let it go first. Then watch two veteran practitioners critique, calibrate, and challenge its decisions in real time. This high-stakes, high-energy session runs through four governance flashpoints:

• A regulated decision made under deadline pressure
• A fraud model paying the cost of false positives
• A synthetic-data shortcut that might backfire
• An automation pitch that skips risk review

After each LLM response, the experts weigh in—and the room votes: Ship / Ship with Guardrails / Block. Together, we’ll reveal the proof points that matter most: end-to-end data lineage, error-cost math, model drift + rollback triggers, explainability under audit, and where to place humans in the loop.

You’ll walk away with a practical rubric: when to trust the model, when to intervene, and what evidence flips risk into readiness. Come for the debate, leave with a Monday-ready playbook to govern real-world AI at scale.

Speaker: Priya Sarathy, Founder, Wheel Data Strategies

Dr. Priya Sarathy is a data strategy and AI leadership expert who turns analytics into business results. Over three decades across finance, healthcare, retail, and B2B services, she helps organizations build resilient, data-driven operating models. As Founder and Principal of Wheel Data Strategies, Priya advises executives on aligning data and AI portfolios to enterprise outcomes; recent programs cut analytics go-to-market time by 50% through modular feature engineering and cloud modernization. She authored AI Leadership Compass: 7 Moves for Your AI Success—an Amazon #6 bestseller in Knowledge Capital—and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader. Signature sessions include “AI for Business Leaders,” “Building Trustworthy AI Systems,” and “Designing for Responsible AI.” Priya serves on the boards of DAMA Georgia, INFORMS Georgia, and the INFORMS Analytics Society. Her focus: equip decision-makers to lead with clarity, manage risk, and scale value from AI—bridging technical innovation and strategic leadership with pragmatic, accountable execution.

Speaker: Lakshmi Devulapalli, Enterprise Data Architect, Limoneira Company

Lakshmi Devulapalli leads data engineering, analytics, and GenAI strategy for a publicly-traded company in a highly regulated industry. Specializing in compliant GenAI adoption and governance, she brings over 20 years of experience spanning Fortune 50 to mid-market environments. She focuses on building robust frameworks that enable rapid innovation while strictly managing regulatory risk and audit-readiness.

Committed to developing the next generation of data talent, she serves as the founder of the Interview Mastery Hub and the lead for Women in Data (LA). In these roles, she is dedicated to elevating the standard of data leadership and nurturing a diverse, executive-ready talent pipeline through intentional mentorship and community building.

Speaker: Peter Vennel, Global Head of Data Governance, Finastra

Peter is a transformational leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning strategic and hands-on data management and governance. He has partnered closely with C-suite executives and external stakeholders to drive enterprise data initiatives that deliver measurable business value. With a strong track record of building high-performing IT and business teams, managing vendor relationships, standardizing enterprise practices, and delivering cost-effective solutions, Peter has contributed across industries including fintech, telecommunications, oil and gas, insurance, automotive, and risk management.

He currently serves as Vice President for DAMA International and Global Head of Data Governance at Finastra, a global fintech operating in over 125 countries. He is also the Founding President and current Treasurer of DAMA Georgia and serves on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia’s Data Governance Society, advancing the profession through leadership and advocacy.

Peter holds multiple industry certifications, including CIPM, CDMP, TOGAF, CBIP, and SSBBP, and is a Collibra Certified Ranger and 2022 Ranger of the Year.