The CAIO Connect Podcast (Chief AI Officer Connect Podcast)

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.

What does it really take to make a 54,000-student university AI-ready?In this episode of CAIO Connect, Sanjay Puri speaks with Bharat Prabhakaran, VP & CDO at the University of Cincinnati, about turning AI strategy into real-world impact. From launching Bearcat GPT to governing AI at scale, this is a behind-the-scenes look at how a leading R1 institution is building secure, enterprise AI for students and faculty.This isn’t hype. It’s AI in action.

In this episode of CAIO Connect, we speak with Artur Turemka, Chief Global Growth Officer at Autopay, recorded live in Davos. We explore how AI is transforming payments, enabling the “zero-delay economy,” and what it takes to scale FinTech innovation across highly regulated global markets.

In this episode of CAIO Connect, host Sanjay Puri speaks with Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer at the UNDP, about building AI systems that truly serve people. From leading digital transformation across 170 countries to championing responsible AI in the Global South, Robert shares why inclusion, equity, and human rights must be at the center of every AI strategy—and why the real question isn’t what AI can do, but who it leaves behind.

In this episode, Kellie Romack, Chief Digital Information Officer at ServiceNow, shares how she used AI to up-skill over 85% of her team—rethinking learning, leadership, and workforce transformation in the age of AI.

How are global leaders actually building, governing, and deploying AI at scale?In this special CAIO Connect compilation episode by Knowledge Networks, we bring together standout moments from conversations recorded live at the World AI Summit and other global forums. Featuring voices from enterprise, climate innovation, AI research, and infrastructure leadership, this episode explores what it truly takes to move from AI ambition to real-world impact.From Responsible AI frameworks and cross-functional governance to AI-driven climate solutions, interdisciplinary talent, and enterprise resilience, these conversations reveal how leaders are navigating trust, ethics, and execution in an AI-powered world.This episode is part of CAIO Connect’s mission to democratize AI leadership and talent globally — spotlighting the people shaping how AI is built, deployed, and governed.🎧 Listen in to understand:• How organizations operationalize Responsible AI• Why interdisciplinary teams are critical for AI success• How AI is accelerating climate and materials innovation• What recent tech disruptions reveal about resilience and trust🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with Chief AI Officers and global AI leaders.

On this episode, we talk about moving beyond AI hype to building real AI muscle — and how leaders turn AI strategy into measurable performance across teams, systems, and organizations.

Agentic AI is rapidly reshaping how organizations design, deploy, and govern intelligent systems—but what does it really mean from a leadership perspective?In this episode of the Chief AI Officer Podcast, we explore Agentic AI through the lens of a Chief AI Officer (CAIO). We break down how agentic systems differ from traditional AI, what they mean for enterprise strategy, risk, governance, and decision-making, and how AI leaders should think about autonomy, orchestration, and accountability in modern AI systems.Whether you’re a Chief AI Officer, CIO, CTO, data leader, or AI strategist, this conversation offers practical insights into:What Agentic AI really is (beyond the buzz)How AI agents impact enterprise architecture and workflowsGovernance, risk, and trust considerations for autonomous systemsThe evolving role of the Chief AI Officer in an agentic future🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on AI leadership, enterprise AI strategy, and responsible innovation.#AgenticAI #ChiefAIOfficer #AILeadership

Welcome to the CAIO Connect Podcast – where we uncover the real stories behind enterprise AI transformation. In this episode, host Sanjay sits down with Marc Kermisch, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Protolabs, one of the world's leading digital manufacturing companies. Marc brings a refreshingly honest perspective on AI transformation, openly discussing that 8 out of 10 GenAI experiments fail while sharing practical frameworks for the 2 that succeed. From his English major background at the University of Wisconsin to leading AI initiatives across CNH Industrial, OptumRx, and now Protolabs, Marc proves you don't need a computer science degree to reach the pinnacle of technology leadership. 5 Key Takeaways: The 80% Failure Reality – Marc reveals why 8 out of 10 GenAI experiments fail and the four critical factors that separate successful AI projects from failed ones: relevant use cases, defined KPIs, organizational resilience, and committed budgets. Start with Your Vendors First – Instead of building custom LLMs from scratch, leverage AI capabilities already embedded in your existing software partners (Salesforce, Microsoft, Oracle) to experiment and learn quickly. AI Agents in Your Org Chart – The future includes listing AI agents as actual team members with provisioned access and specific responsibilities, from personal assistants writing status reports to research agents helping new graduates onboard faster. Training is the Adoption Killer – The #1 reason Copilot adoption declines after 30 days isn't the technology—it's lack of proper training in prompt engineering and change management to shift daily work behaviors. Measure What Matters – At CNH Industrial, Marc saved 10,000 developer hours with GitHub Copilot by implementing simple, anecdotal tracking methods—proving ROI measurement doesn't need to create overhead that eliminates the savings. Ready to transform your AI strategy? Hit like, drop a comment with your biggest AI challenge, and subscribe to the CAIO Connect Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with leaders building AI at scale. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kermisch/ 

This special compilation episode of Chief AI Officer Connect brings together the most powerful, thought-provoking, and game-changing insights from our leading guests so far. From enterprise AI transformation to model governance, from regulation to responsible deployment, these highlights capture the essential ideas shaping the future of AI.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept — it’s a boardroom priority.In this exclusive CAIO Connect compilation episode, Sanjay Puri sits down with the senior leaders responsible for transforming AI from strategy into business impact across highly complex global organizations.Hear actionable lessons from Chief AI Officers, global technology executives, and innovation leaders on:✔ Why AI fails — and how to execute faster✔ How to scale AI with real business value✔ Data responsibility, diversity & organizational readiness✔ Moving from experimentation to measurable outcomes✔ The shift from chatbots to AI agents and secure deployment✔ What the next era of AI leadership demandsFeaturing voices from: Qualcomm • United Nations • Schneider Electric • Lexmark • TELUS • Palo Alto Networks • Zscaler • Synopsys • Grainger • and moreIf you’re leading AI transformation — or preparing to — this is essential listening.

In this episode of CAIO Connect, we sit down with Shreya Amin, New York State’s first Chief AI Officer, to talk about what it really takes to bring AI into government at scale. From turning policy into real products to modernizing legacy systems, upskilling tens of thousands of employees, and designing practical AI governance, Shreya pulls back the curtain on the work happening behind the scenes. What you’ll learn: How to turn AI policy into workflows teams actually use How to pick high-impact use cases that deliver real time savings What it takes to reskill a massive public workforce for GenAI A simple framework for when AI can run—and when humans need to stay in the loop How to build effective AI teams and operational playbooks If this episode sparks new ideas around AI leadership, drop a comment, hit like, and subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of AI. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminshreyaa/  https://www.minsphere.com/ 

In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast, host Sanjay Puri sits down with Viral Tripathi, Chief Information Officer at C1, a global technology solutions provider serving over half of the Fortune 500. With three decades of global experience across the U.S., Europe, and India, Viral shares his unfiltered take on the evolving role of the CIO, the rise of the Chief AI Officer, and what it truly takes to lead enterprise-wide AI transformation. From failing fast to redefining ROI, this conversation dives into how leaders can turn AI initiatives into measurable business outcomes — not just buzzwords. 💡 5 Key Takeaways: 🔹 AI is Everyone’s Job: It’s a business transformation — not just a tech initiative. 🔹 Start with Outcomes: Tie AI to tangible value, not hype. 🔹 Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Build small experiments, iterate, and move with speed. 🔹 Governance & Ethics Matter: Cross-functional collaboration is key as agentic AI systems rise. 🔹 The Future is Tech-Native Leadership: Tomorrow’s CEOs will blend business acumen with AI fluency. 🎧 Tune in to explore how AI leaders are shaping the future of enterprise transformation. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viraltripathi/ 

In this episode of CAIO Connect, host Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Amarda Shehu, the inaugural Vice President and Chief AI Officer at George Mason University. Dr. Shehu’s story is one of resilience, intellect, and vision — from studying geometry by candlelight in Albania to leading one of America’s most comprehensive university-wide AI transformation strategies. She discusses the democratization of knowledge, AI literacy, and why "Humanity First" should be the guiding principle for AI leadership. 5 Key Takeaways 🔹 AI for All: How George Mason University is redefining AI education through accessible, non-technical courses that empower students from all disciplines. 🔹 Democratizing Knowledge: Why access and inclusivity in AI learning matter more than ever. 🔹 The Role of a Chief AI Officer: How academic institutions are shaping the blueprint for AI leadership across sectors. 🔹 Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: Why educators must design thoughtful integration of AI to enhance, not replace, human reasoning. 🔹 Building “Patriot AI”: How a secure, university-wide AI platform fosters safe experimentation and literacy among students, staff, and faculty. If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights from leaders redefining the role of AI in enterprise, government, and education. 🎧 Stay curious. Stay human. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarda-shehu-167a569/ 

In this episode of CAIO Connect, host Sanjay Puri sits down with Tom Andriola, former Vice Chancellor and Chief Digital Officer at UC Irvine and now at Dynatrace, to explore how universities and enterprises can scale AI responsibly. Tom—who led UC Irvine’s pioneering ZotGPT initiative—shares how he built one of the first university AI platforms in the U.S., branded business transformation, and prepared students for careers in the Age of AI. From agentic AI to the evolving role of the Chief AI Officer, this is a must-listen masterclass for leaders driving enterprise AI strategy.  5 Key Takeaways: · Branding Transformation: Why business transformation initiatives should be branded like products to drive engagement and adoption. · AI as a Coworker: How to build accountability and governance models for “silicon-based workers.” · ROI & Outcomes: How to measure AI success through organizational outcomes—not just technical metrics. · Edge, Leverage, and Trust: A framework for balancing central innovation with decentralized experimentation. · The CAIO Mindset: Why Chief AI Officers must be bridge builders, translators, and transformation leaders—not just technologists.  If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe to CAIO Connect for more insights from the world’s leading AI and digital transformation pioneers. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomandriola/ 

In this episode of CAIO Connect, host Sanjay Puri sits down with Abhishek Mittal, EVP and Chief Product & AI Officer at AML RightSource, for a deep and engaging conversation on how AI is transforming the fight against financial crime. From building AI systems that thrive on imperfect data to pioneering “digital FTEs,” Abhishek shares a pragmatic view of what it takes to make AI work in the real world — where innovation, governance, and human expertise come together to drive meaningful, enterprise-scale change. 💡 5 Key Takeaways: 🔹 AI with Imperfect Data: Why waiting for “perfect data” is a trap — and how to iterate your way to AI success.  🔹 Synthetic Data Evolution: How synthetic data is training smarter models and preparing them for unseen scenarios.  🔹 Financial Crime as a Global Issue: If financial crime were a country, it’d have the world’s 7th largest GDP — and AI could be its toughest opponent.  🔹 Digital FTEs & Agentic AI: How AI agents and human experts are working side by side to redefine efficiency and decision-making.  🔹 Innovation at Scale: Abhishek’s 5-step framework for turning bold ideas into commercial AI success. If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insights from global AI leaders shaping the future of enterprise transformation. Resources Mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-mittal-7115348/