2024 MACC Conference Keynote Speakers and Expert Panel
Architecting for AI: A New Paradigm in Business Value
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MORNING KEYNOTE:
David Yunger, CEO of Vaital
10 Keys to a Winning AI Strategy, the Five Levels of AI, and the Importance of Fostering a Collaborative, Human-centric AI Ecosystem
Enterprise transformer David Yunger is on a mission to solve the number one problem in business today: every leader and business is running at light speed on AI urgency yet only 14% have the capability. His keynote will address the burning question on the mind of every leader: “how can AI improve my business?” David brings crucial clarity and refreshing simplicity to illuminate every organization’s AI journey. Drawing on his experience guiding thousands of CXOs and Vaital's groundbreaking advancements, David will offer MACC attendees a rich understanding of AI's current impact and its potential to revolutionize business operations. Yunger will highlight the 10 Keys to a Winning AI Strategy, the 5 levels of AI, and the importance of fostering a collaborative human-centric AI ecosystem. Attendees will take away practical insights for leveraging AI to drive innovation and growth.David Yunger is CEO of Vaital, a global AI strategy and software services consultancy. David and his team are on a mission to transform data into growth for every industry.
A 25-year innovator across technology, learning, and workforce development, Yunger has consulted with more than 1,000 CXOs on strategic use of AI to improve business operations and accelerate their growth.
David previously served as Vice President at Pearson, leading the company’s strategic alliance with Microsoft – and driving Pearson’s digital transformation to the cloud. He and his colleagues created employability for millions of learners annually via thousands of channel partners in 180 countries. Yunger has engaged as a consultant to the Fortune 50, most notably with Microsoft's Worldwide Public Sector organization, having brokered policy dialogues and architected solutions with governments and corporations across the globe. At Microsoft, he served as Senior Manager in the Unlimited Potential Group, launched by Bill Gates as part of his "Creative Capitalism" mandate: to both deliver profits and serve the world's poor. At UPG, David created products and services enabling new businesses which drove economic opportunity for the next 6 billion people – through affordable, sustainable, and scalable technology.
David is a member of Forbes Technology Council and a contributing author and speaker on AI. A former educator and Fulbright Scholar, Yunger holds an MBA from Seattle University. He resides in Bellevue, Washington.
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE:
Dr. Rajeev Bukralia, Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Transforming AI Strategy to Enhance Business Value with Small Language Models
Discover how integrating Small Language Models (SLMs) into your AI strategy can drive business value and foster innovation. Offering capabilities that can match Large Language Models (LLMs) in many use cases, SLMs empower businesses to reduce operational costs, accelerate deployment, and remain flexible—all while protecting business process privacy.In this interactive session, we’ll explore real-world use cases for SLMs and guide you through best practices for selecting, customizing, and integrating them into your systems. We’ll address key challenges and limitations, including data privacy, scalability, maintaining accuracy, and handling complex tasks. Join us to gain practical insights that will boost your AI initiatives and elevate your business strategy to the next level!
A thought leader and influencer in artificial intelligence and data science, Dr. Rajeev Bukralia has over two decades of experience working on complex technology projects in senior leadership roles, including as a CIO. Dr. Bukralia is a tenured associate professor and graduate faculty in the Computer Information Science (CIS) Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is the founding director for the MS in Data Science program and serves as the faculty founder and advisor of DREAM (Data Resources for Eager & Analytical Minds), an award-winning student organization dedicated to data science and artificial intelligence (AI), boasting over 300 student members.
His research interests include data science, artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Responsible AI, and IT strategy. He has extensive experience working with the industry on IT and AI projects.
Previously, Dr. Bukralia served as the director of data science outreach, and associate provost, and CIO at UW-Green Bay. At Black Hills State University, he held the position of dean of Educational Outreach and dean of Libraries. He is a recipient of many awards including the faculty award from the South Dakota Board of Regents and the Outstanding Educator award from the Minnesota State Board of Trustees. His work and insights have been featured in media including articles in various newspapers magazines, and academic journals.
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