In this episode of The Intelligent Leader Podcast, host Shashank Garg sits down with Kabir Patel, Global Head of IT at AstraZeneca, to explore the rapidly evolving world of agentic AI. Kabir unpacks what truly sets agentic AI apart from traditional automation, RPA, and generative models—highlighting its ability to reason, act, and learn autonomously. Drawing on years of experience in pharma tech and digital operations, he shares a clear framework for building these systems, from memory and context to reasoning engines and tool integration. With real-world use cases like self-healing supply chains and autonomous service management, Kabir paints a compelling picture of how agentic AI can reshape industries by embedding intelligence directly into workflows.

The conversation also addresses the practical challenges of scaling AI across the enterprise. Shashank and Kabir discuss how organizations should start with assistive AI in low-risk domains like IT and HR before evolving toward more complex, autonomous systems. They explore the growing ecosystem of agentic AI platforms, the strategic decisions enterprises face in choosing between building, buying, or integrating, and the importance of reimagining business processes—not just layering AI on top. Whether you're a tech leader, AI strategist, or simply curious about the future of intelligent systems, this episode offers both a roadmap and a reality check for what's coming next.

Time Stamps:

[00:22] Kabir's Background and Role at AstraZeneca

[02:07] Understanding Agent AI

[06:19] Building Blocks of Agent AI

[08:06] Use Cases in Pharma and Beyond

[15:32] Scaling AI in Enterprises

[24:00] What is the Future of Agentic AI and Beyond?

Links:

Connect with Kabir

Lean More about AstraZeneca

Connect with Shashank Garg

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In this episode of The Intelligent Leader Podcast, host Shashank Garg sits down with Prateek Shrivastava, Advanced Analytics Manager at Cummins and a seasoned data scientist passionate about solving complex supply chain challenges. Prateek shares how his early fascination with math and computers evolved into a career that has taken him from business intelligence to pioneering data-driven solutions at companies like 84.51° and now Cummins. From forecasting surging grocery pickup orders during COVID-19 to predicting truck failures before they happen, he breaks down the real-world impact of AI in ways that go beyond buzzwords. With a mix of technical depth and business pragmatism, Prateek explains why data scientists today must shift from building models in silos to embedding AI into business workflows—where the real magic happens.

The conversation also dives into the latest trends shaping the future of AI and supply chain management. Shashank and Prateek explore how automation, predictive analytics, and even generative AI are transforming operations, making supply chains more resilient in the face of disruptions like tariffs and compliance regulations. They discuss the importance of explainable AI, the rapid evolution of platforms like Databricks, and how companies can scale AI successfully without losing business buy-in. Whether you're a data science leader, a supply chain professional, or just someone curious about the intersection of AI and business, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Key Quote: 

“With AutoML, what has happened is you don't have to migrate or move your data from one system to another system. You can just put your data all together in one place, and try out all the models that are already there, it will do a lot of feature engineering for you as well. The data science role has gone from is building models to actually knowing what data is. So if there are any external parameters that you think that will help the system and that has increased a lot of productivity,”

• Prateek Shrivastava

Time Stamps:

• (01:03) Prateek's Journey into Data Science
• (03:29) Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions
• (11:26) Technological Advancements in Data Science
• (27:43) Future Trends in Data Science and Supply Chain

Links:

Connect with Prateek

Learn More About Cummins

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

What happens when the groundbreaking potential of AI collides with the steadfast utility of business intelligence (BI)? That’s the spark ignited in this episode of The Intelligent Leader with host Shashank Garg and guest Suvajit Basu.Suvajit, Entrepreneur, CIO, and IT leader at top CPG firms demystifies the interplay between these technologies, showing how AI’s predictive and generative capabilities are poised not to replace but enhance traditional BI—breathing life into static dashboards and transforming eye-candy visuals into actionable insights.

The two also delve into real-world applications with vivid examples, from revolutionizing Monday morning executive summaries to reshaping retail strategies with contextualized planograms. Suvajit and Shashank explore cutting-edge advancements in data platforms, predictive analytics, and the crucial role of human-AI collaboration. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or an enthusiast, Suvajit’s insights reveal the vast opportunities lying in the sweet spot where AI, BI, and human expertise intersect.

This episode is a treasure trove for leaders navigating the shifting sands of enterprise data strategies. From practical advice—like building cross-functional teams and ensuring robust data governance—to thought-provoking predictions about AI’s future role in decision-making, the discussion is as engaging as it is enlightening. Tune in to discover how intelligent leaders can embrace AI and BI as complementary forces driving the next wave of innovation.

Key Quote: 

“The next-gen stuff which we have been using are all based on AI models and that's basically predicting here is a lateral movement or here is a bad actor or here is a breach, right?  The best tools are the ones who are using AI technology at its core to understand that a breach potentially, can happen or has happened and then giving you an alert, an intelligent alert, right? And that is huge. Imagine the value of that. That's almost, limitless value.”

• Suvajit Basu

Key Moments

• (01:34) Suvajit’s Professional Journey
• (04:47) The Evolution of BI and AI
• (08:25) AI and BI: Complementary Technologies
• (17:46) The Power of AI Synergy in Personalization
• (22:59) Technological Shifts and Innovations
• (29:58) Advice for AI Adoption

Links:

Connect with Suvajit Basu

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

In this episode of The Intelligent Leader, host Shashank Garg sits down with Megan Brown, the Director for the Global Center of Excellence for Advanced Analytics and Data Science at Starbucks. With two decades of experience in analytics, Megan brings a wealth of knowledge in applying machine learning, statistical methods, and cognitive psychology principles to data-driven business strategies. She shares insights into how Starbucks navigates the complexities of international data systems, balances efficiency with trust, and the ways data and AI are reshaping business decision-making.

Megan delves into the challenges and opportunities surrounding data infrastructure, explaining how managing multiple data platforms without a unified view can create trust and usability issues. She discusses the importance of maintaining clear, accessible data for decision-making and illustrates how a slow, cautious approach toward adopting generative AI is helping Starbucks streamline routine processes. Megan also highlights the cultural shift required to integrate AI into business operations and underscores the significance of bringing stakeholders on board throughout this transformation.

Looking ahead, Megan offers practical advice for AI readiness, stressing the need for foundational data trust and responsible AI usage that aligns with Starbucks' mission and values. She advocates for starting with manageable AI projects that support efficiency before advancing to broader, business-facing applications. Megan's final thoughts encourage listeners to keep an open mind and adopt a balanced, optimistic view on AI's role in evolving the future of work.

Key Quote: 

“You're not going to have one bot to rule them all. You're going to have a bunch of little bots doing their specific jobs. Maybe at some point you'll have a secondary layer, a tertiary layer, great, cool. But you need to build those little bots first, and you need to figure out if they need to talk to each other, how you need to track them, like, how you're maintaining them, all of these basic tech things that we don't know yet, right? And so you need that in place. Whatever AIOps is going to be, , before you really have thousands of agents talking to each other, potentially making, , prescriptive decisions for your company, right? Like, where's your checks and balances in that?”

• Megan Brown

Time Stamps:

• (01:11) Megan's Role and Responsibilities
• (03:41) Navigating the Hype Cycle in Data Science
• (07:06) Building Trust in Data and Analytics
• (15:02) Generative AI and Future Trends
• (24:54) Advice for Data and Business Professionals

Links:

Connect with Megan Brown

Learn More About Starbucks

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

In this episode of The Intelligent Leader, host Shashank Garg is joined by Fady Boctor, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Petros Pharmaceuticals, to explore the transformative role of technology in the pharmaceutical industry. Fady delves into how data and AI are reshaping healthcare by empowering consumers with self-service platforms, enabling them to make more informed decisions. He also addresses the delicate balance between leveraging technology for patient education and maintaining human oversight to ensure AI models are both accurate and unbiased.

Fady highlights the importance of adapting existing technologies from other industries to streamline change management in healthcare organizations. With the evolving healthcare landscape, increased access to personal health data is driving a shift towards consumer-driven solutions. He discusses how these changes, coupled with innovation-friendly regulations from the FDA, are opening up new possibilities for pharmaceutical companies to enhance patient engagement and outcomes.

The conversation wraps up with future trends, where Fady predicts that empowering consumers with better tools and knowledge will lead to improved self-care and overall health outcomes. Staying ahead of industry developments and responsibly integrating AI and data analytics will be crucial for companies looking to thrive in this rapidly evolving space.

Key Quotes: 

"Now we're starting to bring the consumer into the picture of healthcare delivery, where we're starting to rely less and less potentially on primary care practitioners for the more transient, relatively easy to diagnose, relatively easy to treat conditions. And now we're starting to empower consumers to make those decisions and seek those treatments for themselves, leveraging their own custom healthcare data."  -Fady Boctor 

"We always talk about giving the right data at the right time, in the hands of the right stakeholders, and that achieves certain outcomes. But now, to be able to take the same data, marry it with technologies, regulations, and create an entirely different ecosystem where you can serve many more, and we're starting to see many such transformations happen across the industry ."  -Shashank Garg

“In many respects, we have high bets, high bets on technology, the infusion and the conversions of technology led by way of artificial intelligence, but so much more.” – Fady Boctor 

Time Stamps:

• (00:44) The Role of Technology and AI in Pharma
• (02:50) FDA's Support and Market Landscape
• (06:42) Building a Self-Service Platform
• (09:45) Patient Education and Engagement
• (17:21) Challenges and Oversight in AI Implementation
• (25:22) Future Trends in Healthcare and Technology

Links:

Connect with Fady Boctor 

Learn More About Petros Pharmaceuticals 

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

In the premiere episode of The Intelligent Leader, we welcome Pete Cherecwich, Chief Operating Officer at Northern Trust. We explore the critical role of data and AI in the financial services sector, distinguishing between data used as a product and data used to run the company. 

Pete shares his approach to staying ahead of technological advancements through continuous learning from peer networking to YouTube. He also discusses significant challenges such as data capture and the lack of industry standards, highlighting the transformative potential of advanced technologies like OCR and machine learning in decision-making and client relationship management.

We further discuss the impact of AI and generative AI on financial services at Northern Trust. Discover how AI is automating quality control processes, such as verifying stock splits and ETF tracking, while balancing rapid adoption with stringent regulatory compliance. Pete provides insights into AI's role in enhancing customer engagement, fraud protection, and operational efficiency. We also touch on the early stages of AI-driven productivity tools for senior roles, including the use of Microsoft Copilot for drafting emails, and projects aimed at integrating AI into risk management and decision-making processes. This episode is packed with practical examples and strategic insights that both business and tech leaders will find invaluable.

Key Quote: 

“In one sense, I need to go as fast as I can, because if someone gets to it, the finish line before I do, they're going to be able to do this cheaper and better The other side, I can't go so fast because if we make a mistake and we have a problem and all of our client's data goes, out to the web. That's a big issue, right? So trying to sort of thread that needle of going as fast as you can versus not so fast is our biggest challenge right now.”

• Pete Cherecwich

Time Stamps:

• (00:52) The Role of Data and AI in Financial Services
• (04:51) Challenges in Data Utilization
• (08:40) Solutions and Success Stories
• (12:55) The Future of AI in Financial Services
• (25:01) Emerging Tech Trends and Final Thoughts

Links:

Connect with Pete Cherecwich

Learn More About Northern Trust 

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

Welcome to “The Intelligent Leader,” a podcast that equips modern business leaders with the insights needed to navigate the ever-changing world of data & analytics to drive their organizations forward.  

In each episode, we'll explore the strategies top companies use to tackle their key challenges, from AI trends to big data. Our guests include a diverse lineup of industry experts, tech innovators and business leaders who share their experiences in leveraging data to drive growth.

Whether you're a data pro or just starting out, “The Intelligent Leader” delivers actionable insights to lead your organization confidently into the data-driven future. Brought to you by Infocepts, improving business results through more effective use of data, AI & user-friendly analytics.

Hosted By: Shashank Garg, Founder & CEO – Infocepts

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