Today’s guest is Jiaxi Zhu, Head of Analytics & Insights at Google. Jiaxi joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how enterprises can strengthen data security and governance as customer analytics increasingly relies on both structured and unstructured data. As organizations expand their use of sources like call transcripts, social media posts, and third-party platforms, traditional data protection models are no longer sufficient. Jiaxi explains how modernizing data governance with comprehensive data dictionaries and metadata management is essential for understanding data lineage and ensuring compliance. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

Today’s guest is Chris Tapley, Vice President and Head of Financial Services Consulting for North America at EPAM Systems. EPAM is a global digital engineering company that provides software development and consulting services across industries, including financial services, healthcare, and media. With deep experience guiding AI adoption in regulated industries, Chris joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show today to unpack the foundational challenges facing financial institutions as they move from experimentation to production. He explores the technical and organizational barriers that often stall AI projects, from legacy systems and cloud limitations to gaps in data strategy and executive alignment. Chris shares lessons from EPAM’s recent market research on AI maturity in financial services — including how long it typically takes to establish enterprise-ready AI governance and why business leaders must prioritize infrastructure, collaboration, and oversight well before model deployment. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! This episode is sponsored by EPAM. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Shreyas Becker, Head of AI & Data Products, Manufacturing & Supply at Sanofi. Shreyas joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to discuss the practical application of AI in life sciences, focusing on tools that are already improving supply chain resilience and manufacturing efficiency. He explains how AI helps navigate geopolitical disruptions, optimize production workflows, and ensure the reliable delivery of critical medications. The conversation also covers the evolution of AI systems developed during the pandemic and their role in shaping future innovations. For pharma and life sciences professionals, Shreyas provides valuable insights into where AI is delivering impact today and the continuing importance of human expertise in these processes. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! This episode is sponsored by Arkestro. Learn more about Arkestro’s upcoming Advisory Council event here. Find out more about sponsored content and how to engage with the Emerj audience at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Daniel Ferrante, AI Leader in R&D and Data Strategy at Deloitte. Daniel joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today’s show to delve into the intersection of AI, data strategy, and research and development across industries such as agriculture, life sciences, and materials science. Ferrante breaks down the core challenges organizations face in harnessing data to unlock AI’s potential and drive efficiencies in R&D processes. Ferrante also emphasizes the importance of contextualizing data through a multimodal framework — Deloitte’s Atlas — to bridge gaps between disparate datasets and ontologies. He outlines how AI models, including large language models (LLMs), can be leveraged to label and map complex data landscapes. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

Today’s guest is Greg Cucino, Managing Director at RoundTable Strategy Advisors. RoundTable is a leading firm specializing in CFO and NetSuite services that help businesses boost financial management and operational efficiency. Greg joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the podcast to share his perspective on how AI is redefining the CFO role. As AI automates manual finance and accounting workflows, executives are shifting focus from historical data to forward-looking strategy. Greg also explores emerging AI technologies, including agentic AI, and how they’re set to transform financial operations and M&A activity across industries. If you want to understand the practical applications of AI in finance and what CFOs and business leaders can expect next, this episode is packed with insights. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! This episode is sponsored by RoundTable Strategy Advisors. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Sidharth Ojha, Head of Process Optimization in Data and AI at AXA XL, a global commercial insurance and reinsurance company and subsidiary of AXA. Sidharth joins Emerj Managing Editor Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI is being applied across commercial insurance workflows with real, measurable impact. He explains how machine learning is enhancing underwriting efficiency, portfolio decision-making, and risk assessment. The conversation also covers key enablers for scaling AI, including data quality, governance, and change management. For insurance professionals and data leaders, Sidharth offers practical insights on where AI is driving results today and what it takes to implement it responsibly. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! If you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

As the financial industry moves deeper into the generative AI era, compliance teams are navigating the tension between modernization and risk oversight. In this episode, Kandie Ibaka, Vice President and Sanctions Control Officer at Citi, returns to the ‘AI in Business’ podcast to discuss the real-world challenges of balancing legacy tech stacks with emerging technologies across global compliance operations. Throughout the episode, Kandie and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello explore how institutions can approach AI adoption without losing sight of regulatory expectations or institutional memory. Moving away from chatbot disappointments to meaningful orchestration across systems, she offers firsthand insight into what it takes to move beyond scattered tools and build a connected, risk-aware compliance infrastructure. This episode is sponsored by Searce. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

In this episode of the ‘AI in Business’ podcast, Nathaniel Bell, Data Management Director at Wells Fargo, returns to discuss the evolving role of AI in risk management, compliance, and enterprise automation in banking. Host and Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello and Nathaniel explore how financial institutions can balance innovation with caution as deterministic, generative, and agentic AI technologies move from experimentation to production. He goes on to outline how simple automation and deterministic models are already creating meaningful efficiencies in audit workflows and compliance reporting—areas where rules-based logic remains dominant. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! This episode is sponsored by Automation Anywhere. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Kandie Ibaka, Vice President and Sanctions Control Officer for International Investigations and Emerging Sanctions in Advisory Controls and Executions at Citi. Kanide joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how compliance leaders are navigating today’s rapidly shifting regulatory landscape. With global sanctions evolving at an unprecedented pace, Kandie shares how financial institutions are moving beyond basic monitoring to real-time risk interpretation, operational alignment, and strategic response. This episode is sponsored by MindBridge. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

In this episode of the ‘AI in Business’ podcast, Deep Srivastav, Chief AI Officer at Franklin Templeton, shares a candid view into the evolving role of AI in wealth and asset management — and how enterprises can move beyond isolated use cases to reshape core business capabilities. Deep unpacks the unique challenges financial firms face when implementing AI, from managing high-stakes accuracy and regulatory demands to harmonizing siloed data systems and building long-term ROI. He outlines Franklin Templeton’s own approach to building a successful AI roadmap, highlighting how cross-functional collaboration and a focus on transforming full business processes — rather than piecemeal experimentation — have proven key to sustained impact. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! This episode is sponsored by FE fundinfo. FE fundinfo is a leading financial data company connecting the investment industry in the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific through a single integrated platform. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.