IT for Financial Services in the Age of GenAI - with Craig Mackereth of Rimini Street

Today’s guest is Julie Winkler, Chief Commercial Officer of the CME Group. CME Group is a Chicago-based financial services firm that operates derivative exchanges including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade. Julie joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today’s program to pull apart new trends in AI adoption for financial services with a focus on data and security challenges. Later in the program, she offers strategic advice on prioritizing different AI initiatives in the enterprise and subsequent lessons for leadership. 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!

Today’s guest is Matt Berseth, Co-founder and Chief Information Officer of NLP Logix. NLP Logix is a fast-growing AI services firm based in Florida that serves both the public and private sectors. Matt joins us on today’s program to talk about the last decade in AI development and how natural language processing became such a central driver of adoption for so many industries over that period. This episode is sponsored by NLP Logix. Find out more about sponsored content and how to engage with the Emerj audience at emerj.com/ad1.

Today’s guest is Bill Armstrong, Chief Innovation Officer at Moss Adams. Moss Adams is one of the 15 largest public accounting firms in the US, providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to public and private middle-market enterprises across industries. Bill joins Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello on today’s program to discuss the impact of AI on hiring practices and what the future of human resources departments will look like as these technologies become more commonplace in every kind of enterprise. To discover more AI use cases, best practice guides, white papers, frameworks, and more, join Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today’s guests are Arkestro Founder & Chief Strategy Officer Edmund Zagorin and Johnson & Johnson Chief Procurement Officer Len DeCandia. Arkestro is an AI-driven startup in the procurement space with broad partnerships across the automotive, construction, and manufacturing sectors, including Johnson & Johnson and Koch Industries. Together, the two discuss procurement from a distinct leadership perspective and the broad range of challenges, from keeping talent ahead of scaling to the post-pandemic realities of recovering supply chains. 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!

Today’s guest is Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Despite the disparity in the predictions about self-driving cars that were made a decade ago, the era of automated transportation is close at hand. Chris joins the podcast today to discuss the enormous implications of the transition for numerous industries, from consumer goods to manufacturing and retail, and every industry that touches on transportation. To access Emerj’s frameworks for AI readiness, ROI, and strategy, visit Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today’s guest is Dr. John Almasan, Head of AI & Emerging Technologies at TIAA. TIAA, or the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, is a US-based insurance provider specializing in retirement services in areas like academia, research, healthcare, and government. Dr. Almasan joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today’s podcast to discuss AI in insurance with a focus on governance, talent, and innovation. Together, they cover practical use cases in customer experience, fraud detection, and marketing throughout the episode. 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!

Today’s guest is Shreyas Becker, Head of AI & Data Products, Manufacturing & Supply at Sanofi. Shreyas joins Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello on today’s podcast to talk about alleviating pain points for supply chain leaders in life sciences spaces. From building systems that deliver “real world evidence” to the subject matter experts and managers who need it to the pros and cons of sharing sensorial data with big tech data storage platforms like Amazon Web Services – Shreyas helps the executive podcast audience understand how problems are both viewed and solved through the lens of data, from no matter where they arise. 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!

Today’s guest is Daniel Ferrante, AI Leader in R&D and Data Strategy at Deloitte. Together with Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella, they delve into the complex challenges in AI adoption that major pharmaceutical firms encounter with cultural shifts, technological complexities, and the difficulties in monetizing data and aligning teams efficiently. Additionally, the pair explores the future landscape of phenotypical drug discovery, drawing insights from the context of COVID-19. Their focus underscores the critical importance of collecting and analyzing data to yield actionable insights, especially in the healthcare sector and amidst global health crises. 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!

Today’s guest is Bikalpa Neupane, Head of AI/GenAI and Natural Language Processing at Takeda. Bikalpa returns to the program to talk about the difference between a legacy enterprise culture and a data-based enterprise culture, showing how legacy leaders in sectors as diverse as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and beyond can make the transition in today’s AI-driven global economy along the way. Later, he and Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello pull apart challenges for large enterprises as more open-source AI tools become available to individuals, eroding the traditional and structural advantages legacy firms have long held in the marketplace. 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!

Today’s guest is Craig Mackereth, Executive Vice President of Global Service Delivery at Rimini Street. Rimini Street is a publicly traded company specializing in third-party support for mission-critical systems for financial services organizations and beyond. Craig joins Emerj Senior Matthew DeMello on today’s program to discuss the most significant challenges currently facing financial services leaders when it comes to driving the IT systems and infrastructure necessary to take advantage of data-heavy generative AI use cases. To discover more AI use cases, best practice guides, white papers, frameworks, and more, join Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.