The CAIO Connect Podcast (Chief AI Officer Connect Podcast)

What should Chief AI Officers invest in as AI models and agents evolve? Sanjay Puri sits down with Vijay Krishnan, Founder & CTO of Turing, to unpack why rigorous AI evaluations—or “evals”—are becoming essential for enterprise AI. They explore AI agents, synthetic vs. human data, RL environments, model economics, and how leaders can identify the right use cases and choose AI systems based on quality, cost, speed, and business value.

How is Mars using AI to transform marketing, product innovation, supply chains, and enterprise operations?In this episode, recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Shashank, who leads Enterprise Data Science and AI at Mars Snacking, about building an AI-first culture through experimentation, innovation, and disciplined execution.From AI-powered marketing and digital twins to generative AI, AI agents, governance, and ROI, Shashank shares practical lessons on taking AI from experimentation to real-world impact—and knowing when to stop a pilot.A conversation about what enterprise AI looks like when innovation meets execution.

How do you build AI that can operate reliably in the environments where failure isn’t an option? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Ajay Chakravarthy, Chief AI Officer at Thales UK, about Frugal AI, Trusted AI, AI agents, and autonomous systems in defense. The conversation explores AI at the edge, mission-critical deployment, AI governance, human oversight, data sovereignty, and why the future of AI isn’t just about more powerful models—but building systems that are reliable, efficient, and trusted.

How is AI transforming financial markets and the future of the Bloomberg Terminal? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Emanuel Bettelheim, a senior product and AI leader at Bloomberg, about AI agents, generative AI, financial data, and how Bloomberg is using AI to transform financial research and decision-making. The conversation explores trustworthy AI, knowledge graphs, AI governance, model selection, AI costs, BQL, MCP, and why human judgment remains essential in financial markets.

How is AI transforming higher education, and what does the future CIO look like in an AI-first world? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Lin Zhou, CIO and Executive Director of AI & Quantum Computing at Texas Tech University, about CIO 3.0, AI agents, hybrid AI infrastructure, AI governance, and the future of education and work. The conversation explores how universities can adopt AI while balancing privacy, security, cost, and human skills—and why education must evolve beyond knowledge transfer in the age of AI.

How is AI transforming lending, customer service, fraud detection, and financial inclusion? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Manoj Mathew, CTO & CRO at LendingUSA, about deploying AI agents in highly regulated financial environments. The conversation explores AI governance, accountability, explainability, AI-powered lending, fraud detection, financial inclusion, and why Agentic AI may be overhyped.

How is AI transforming manufacturing, supply chains, and the future of enterprise work? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Lutz Beck, CIO of Daimler Truck North America, about AI agents, automation, data governance, AI sovereignty, and scaling AI across a global organization. The conversation explores how enterprises can encourage AI innovation while balancing security, cost, governance, and business value.

How can enterprises move from AI experimentation to real-world transformation? Recorded live at AI4 2026, Sanjay Puri speaks with Derek Holt, CEO of Digital.ai, about AI agents, enterprise transformation, governance, cybersecurity, shadow AI, and the future of the Chief AI Officer. Derek shares practical lessons on moving AI from pilots to production while balancing speed, security, change management, and trust.

How is AI transforming the world's largest restaurant companies? Sanjay Puri speaks with Karthik, Director of Data Strategy, MDM and Data Governance at Yum! Brands, about AI across more than 65,000 restaurants in 120+ countries. The conversation explores AI-powered drive-throughs, self-healing restaurant systems, Agentic AI, AI governance, data quality, personalization, and how Yum! is measuring AI's real business impact.

How do you secure AI agents without slowing innovation? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Krista Arndt, Associate CISO at St. Luke’s University Health Network, about AI security, governance, non-human identities, data protection, shadow AI, and the challenges of deploying AI safely in healthcare. The conversation explores how CISOs can enable AI innovation while building the security, trust, and governance needed for an AI-first enterprise.

How can banks safely deploy AI agents while balancing innovation, privacy, compliance, and trust? Sanjay Puri speaks with Ron Whitener, Chief Privacy Officer at Truist Financial, about AI governance, privacy by design, AI compliance, third-party risk, and the challenges of deploying autonomous AI in highly regulated industries.

How do organizations move from talking about responsible AI to actually putting it into practice?Recorded live at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Sanjay Puri speaks with Rebecca Finlay, CEO of Partnership on AI, about turning responsible AI principles into real-world governance. They discuss AI agents, enterprise adoption, workforce transformation, public trust, multilingual AI, and the practical frameworks organizations need to innovate responsibly while managing risk.

Recorded live at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Sanjay Puri speaks with Enrica Porcari, CERN's first Chief Information Officer, about leading AI and digital transformation at one of the world's most innovative scientific organizations. Discover practical lessons on AI leadership, cybersecurity, open science, data governance, and how enterprise leaders can balance innovation with trust in the age of artificial intelligence.

As AI agents become more autonomous, who is legally responsible when they make the wrong decision? Recorded live at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Sanjay Puri speaks with Cloudflare Chief Legal Officer Alissa Starzak about AI liability, regulation, copyright, cybersecurity, sovereign AI, and how governments and enterprises can prepare for the next era of artificial intelligence.

In this episode of the Chief AI Officer Podcast, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Raj Suri, Global Head of Enterprise AI at HP, about why trust—not intelligence—is the defining challenge for AI agents. They explore AI governance, enterprise risk, ROI, Shadow AI, workforce transformation, and why organizations must redesign business processes instead of simply adding AI. A must-listen for Chief AI Officers, CIOs, and enterprise leaders building the next generation of AI-powered organizations.

Enterprise AI isn't failing because of the technology—it's failing because of governance.In this episode, Sanjay Puri speaks with Srikanth Akkiraju, Chief Transformation Officer at ServiceNow and former Global CIO at Philips, about AI sprawl, governing AI agents at scale, avoiding vendor lock-in, redesigning business processes, and building enterprise AI strategies that are secure, responsible, and built to last. A must-listen for Chief AI Officers, CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and enterprise leaders navigating AI transformation.

Doug Moody, Corporate Outreach Officer for the City of San José, joins Sanjay Puri to explore why Silicon Valley remains the world's leading innovation hub. They discuss AI's impact on entrepreneurship, the future of work, government adoption, and what it takes to build the next generation of AI-driven innovation.

Zscaler Founder and CEO Jay Chaudhry joins Sanjay Puri to discuss how AI is reshaping cybersecurity. From Project Mythos and Zero Trust to AI agents, governance, and the future of enterprise security, this conversation explores the strategies leaders need to stay ahead of AI-powered threats.

In this episode, Sanjay Puri speaks with Katya Andresen, Executive Vice President and Chief Data, Digital and AI Officer at The Cigna Group., about building enterprise AI at scale in one of the world's most complex and highly regulated industries. Katya shares how Cigna is leveraging AI across healthcare, why governance is the foundation of successful AI adoption, and what leaders can learn from her unconventional journey from journalist to AI executive. A compelling conversation on AI strategy, healthcare innovation, change management, and the future of responsible AI.

Recorded live at Zenith Live 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Sam Curry, Global VP & CISO at Zscaler, about the evolving relationship between AI leadership and cybersecurity. From Agentic AI and AI governance to cyber risk, AI ROI, workforce transformation, and the future of software development, Sam shares practical insights on how Chief AI Officers, CISOs, and business leaders can prepare for the next wave of AI-driven change.

Recorded live at Zenith Live in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Swami Kocherlakota, EVP of Agentic AI Engineering at Zscaler, about the rapidly evolving intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation. Swami shares insights on agentic AI, AI governance, shadow AI, Zero Trust security, AI accountability, and the critical role leaders must play in securing autonomous systems at scale. A must-listen for Chief AI Officers, CIOs, CISOs, and technology executives navigating the future of AI.

Recorded live at Zenith Live in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dhaval Sharma, Executive Vice President of Product Strategy at Zscaler, about AI agents, Zero Trust security, Shadow AI, enterprise governance, and the future of cybersecurity. Dhaval shares practical insights on securing autonomous AI systems and what technology leaders must do to prepare for the next wave of AI-driven transformation.

In this episode of the Chief AI Officer Connect Podcast, recorded live at Zenith Live 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Nathan Howe, Global Vice President of Innovation at Zscaler, about AI agents, Zero Trust security, machine-speed cyberattacks, AI governance, and the future of enterprise cybersecurity in an increasingly autonomous world.

What does it take to build AI accountability at the highest levels of government?In this episode of CAIO Connect, Sanjay Puri sits down with Taka Ariga, former Chief AI Officer, Chief Data Officer, and Responsible AI Official at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and creator of the GAO AI Accountability Framework. They discuss AI governance, agentic AI, data readiness, innovation inside government, and why most organizations are still struggling to create meaningful AI impact.This version is optimized for Spotify: concise, searchable, and focused on the strongest themes of the conversation.

Recorded LIVE at TechX San Jose, Will Hankla, Vice President of Transformation at The Hershey Company, joins the Chief AI Officer Podcast to discuss AI, digital transformation, and driving innovation at enterprise scale. From operational excellence and scalable digital strategies to AI adoption and business modernization, this conversation explores how global organizations can build future-ready businesses in an era of rapid technological change.

Recorded LIVE at TechX San Jose, Michael Calderin, Chief Information Security Officer at Barnes Aerospace, joins Chief AI Officer Connect to explore AI, cybersecurity, enterprise security strategy, and responsible innovation. From managing cyber risk and resilience to AI governance, manufacturing transformation, and the future of security leadership, this conversation examines how organizations can navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI in an increasingly connected world.

Recorded LIVE at TechX San Jose, Robbie Beyer, Director – Data Science & AI at RSM US LLP, joins us to discuss what it really takes to deploy AI successfully at scale. From AI adoption challenges and ROI to governance, consulting transformation, agentic AI, and building enterprise AI strategies that work, this episode explores the practical realities of leading AI transformation in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Recorded LIVE at TechX Miami, GS Jha, Global CIO, CISO & Chief AI Officer at QuantumScape, joins the Chief AI Officer Podcast to discuss AI leadership, cybersecurity, enterprise transformation, governance, and innovation. From securing AI systems to building scalable AI strategies, this conversation explores how leaders can drive responsible AI adoption while balancing security, innovation, and business outcomes.

Recorded LIVE at TechX, Anjali Arora Mehra, Director, AI Strategy & Transformation at eBay, joins us for a conversation on Democratic AI Governance, responsible AI, enterprise AI strategy, trust, regulation, and building AI systems that remain transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values. We explore AI ROI, agentic AI, scaling enterprise adoption, and what it takes to build AI responsibly in a rapidly changing world.

What does AI at real clinical scale actually look like — and what risks are hiding in plain sight?In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Nina Kottler, Chief Medical AI Officer at Mosaic Clinical Technologies, the AI arm of Radiology Partners.From infrastructure bottlenecks and agentic AI to automation bias, legal accountability, and the future of radiology, Nina breaks down what it actually takes to deploy AI across 53 million+ radiology exams a year — and why the real challenge is no longer the models themselves.A deep dive into the future of healthcare AI, clinical governance, and human-machine collaboration.

Sanjay Puri speaks with Anton Bonifacio — the Philippines’ first Chief AI Officer and leader of AI, cybersecurity, and data at Globe Telecom. The conversation explores Globe’s 90% AI adoption journey, the importance of cybersecurity before AI transformation, agentic AI governance, and what it takes to scale AI across a 57-million-customer enterprise.

Sanjay Puri speaks with Sam Fankuchen, CEO of Golden — powering 50,000+ organizations across 100+ countries. From AI Coach Goldie to global recognition by the Gates Foundation and Fast Company, this episode explores building AI that scales real-world impact.

From shaping post-9/11 homeland security policy to leading cybersecurity strategy at Mastercard, Kiersten Todt has been at the center of how nations and companies defend themselves.In this episode, she unpacks how Mastercard uses AI to assess transaction risk in milliseconds, why identity-based fraud is now the biggest threat, and how the role of the CISO is evolving. A sharp look at cybersecurity in a world of AI, geopolitics, and constant risk.

Recorded live at eMerge Americas, this episode of CAIO Connect brings together two leading voices shaping the future of AI, cybersecurity, and quantum risk: Steve Suarez and Rebecca Kramer.From the urgent need for CAIO–CISO alignment to the hidden risks of agentic AI, they unpack what organizations must do now to stay secure in a world where technology is outpacing policy. The conversation dives into shadow AI, human-in-the-loop systems, sovereign AI strategies, and the looming reality of Q Day — where a single quantum breach could trigger trillions in cascading losses.This isn’t theoretical. It’s a practical blueprint for leaders navigating AI at scale.

Recorded live at eMerge Americas, this episode of CAIO Connect features Taylor Stockton on the frontlines of AI, policy, and workforce transformation.From making AI literacy accessible to millions — even via simple text messages — to building real-time visibility into how jobs and skills are shifting, Taylor breaks down how the U.S. Department of Labor is preparing the workforce for an AI-driven economy.This conversation cuts through the noise: the real challenge isn’t job loss — it’s the speed of change.

In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, host Sanjay Puri speaks with Vijay Vijayasankar, Global Agentic AI Officer at Genpact, about what it takes to deploy agentic AI that delivers real, outcome-based results.Drawing on 25 years of experience across SAP, MongoDB, and IBM Consulting, Vijay breaks down the shift from experimentation to production — from process intelligence and zero-trust systems to the risks of agent sprawl.If you want to understand where enterprise AI is actually headed — beyond the buzzwords — this conversation is a must-listen.

What if the most innovative AI work isn’t happening in Silicon Valley—but at City Hall?In this episode, Sanjay Puri speaks with Denver’s Chief AI and Information Officer, Suma Nallapati, on building real-world AI—from a 72-language resident assistant to responsible procurement with bias checks built in.A sharp look at ROI, governance, and why great AI doesn’t wait for perfect data.

In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, host Sanjay Puri speaks with David B. Cross, CISO at Atlassian, about what it truly means to build and govern AI-native enterprises.A US Navy veteran, cryptography patent holder, and investor in cutting-edge AI security startups, David brings a rare perspective from the frontlines of AI innovation and cybersecurity. From Atlassian’s Rovo platform auto-remediating AI-generated code to rethinking AI agents as governed identities, this conversation explores the real shift from experimentation to transformation.Tune in for insights on AI governance, security as a service function, and what separates companies that are truly mastering AI from those just getting started.

In this episode of CAIO Connect, Sanjay Puri speaks with Richard Wiedenbeck, Chief AI Officer at Avatar Solutions and CIO Hall of Fame inductee.From leading global enterprises to becoming one of the first CAIOs in corporate America, Richard shares a contrarian take: AI leadership isn’t about technology — it’s about driving real business value.They explore agentic transformation, AI ROI, data myths, and why most organizations are still not ready for what’s coming.

What separates companies experimenting with AI from those truly transforming with it? 🎙️ In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, Bret Greenstein joins Sanjay Puri to unpack the real playbook for enterprise AI. Drawing on leadership roles at IBM, Cognizant, PwC, and now West Monroe, Bret explains why AI success is less about technology and more about re-engineering how businesses work. From agentic AI and governance to measuring outcomes that actually matter, this conversation cuts through the hype to reveal what it really takes to build an AI-driven organization. 🚀🤖

At the India AI Impact Summit, *Alexi Thomas, Partner at EY*, joins us to discuss how enterprises can move beyond AI experimentation to real business impact.From leadership and governance to scaling responsible AI, the conversation explores why many AI initiatives stall — and what it takes for organizations to turn AI into meaningful transformation.

In this special International Women’s Day episode of *CAIO Connect, Sanjay Puri speaks with **Jena Zangs, Chief Data & AI Officer at the University of St. Thomas*, the first person to hold this role in Minnesota higher education. Jena shares her unconventional journey from planning alumni events to leading university-wide AI strategy, and discusses how universities are building practical AI systems—from in-house chatbots to agentic AI—while navigating governance, vendor ecosystems, and the future of work in higher education.

In this special International Women’s Day episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Sarah Bird, Chief Product Officer of Responsible AI at Microsoft. From designing processor chips for Xbox at 19 to leading the safety systems behind Microsoft’s AI products, Dr. Bird shares insights on responsible AI, evaluation as the next critical software discipline, agentic AI risks, and why addressing present AI harms matters as much as future ones. A powerful conversation on leadership, ethics, and the future of trustworthy AI.

In this episode, we’re joined by Abhinav Johri, Partner & Principal at Ernst & Young (EY), to unpack what real digital transformation looks like inside today’s enterprises.From industry cloud to AI-led reinvention, Abhinav shares how leaders can move beyond tech hype and build scalable, value-driven transformation strategies that actually impact the bottom line.Practical. Strategic. No buzzwords.

On this episode of CAIO Connect, Sanjay Puri sits down with Joshua Fecteau, Chief Data & AI Officer at Teradata, to unpack what it really takes to lead AI at enterprise scale.From boardroom ROI pressure and agentic AI governance to Teradata’s bold “Customer Zero” strategy, Joshua shares hard-earned lessons on architecture as competitive moat, workforce transformation, and why “You + AI” is the new advantage.If you’re building, buying, or betting on enterprise AI — this one’s essential.

Recorded live at the India AI Summit, this episode of CAIO Connect features Ambika Rajgopalan, Chief AI & Data Officer at Michelin.In this candid conversation, Ambika breaks down what it truly takes to scale AI inside a global enterprise — from data foundations and governance to culture, ROI, and execution discipline. She shares insights on embedding AI into business strategy, navigating transformation at scale, and leading responsibly in an era of accelerated innovation. This is a masterclass in enterprise AI leadership — grounded, practical, and future-focused.

Live from the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Amanda Brock, CEO of OpenUK, joins Chief AI Officer Connect to explore open source, digital sovereignty, and the governance of AI as critical infrastructure.As AI reshapes economies, is openness the real strategic advantage?Tune in.

Live from the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Hari Balaji, Partner – Technology Consulting at EY, joins Chief AI Officer Connect to discuss scaling AI beyond pilots and into real enterprise impact. In the era of Agentic AI, what separates experimentation from execution?Tune in.

Live from the Indian AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Prith Banerjee, SVP of Innovation, Synopsys joins Chief AI Officer Connect to unpack what real AI leadership demands today.From scaling innovation inside large enterprises to redefining the mandate of the Chief AI Officer, this conversation explores how AI moves from ambition to measurable impact.Less hype. More execution.

Live from the Indian AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Chief AI Officer Connect welcomes Owen Larter, Head of Frontier AI Policy & Public Affairs at Google DeepMind.In this conversation, we dig into how we govern intelligence at the edge — from building global AI policy frameworks to aligning innovation with safety, trust and real-world responsibility.What does it take to shape the rules of AI’s future while the future is being built?Tune in.