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Daniel Faggella

The AI in Business Podcast is for non-technical business leaders who need to find AI opportunities, align AI capabilities with strategy, and deliver ROI.

Each week, Emerj research staff and journalists interview top AI executives from Fortune 2000 firms and unicorn startups - uncovering trends, use-cases, and best practices for practical AI adoption.

Visit our advertising page to learn more about reaching our executive audience of Fortune 2000 AI adopters: https://emerj.com/advertise

The AI in Business Podcast

Today’s guest is Xiong Liu, Director of Data Science and AI at Novartis. Novartis is among the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, pioneering data and advanced analytics in the pursuit of new medicines and patient outcomes. Xiong joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how generative AI and foundation models are transforming R&D, clinical workflows, and research collaboration across the life sciences. The discussion highlights how domain-specific data strategies, improved data quality, and shared benchmarks are accelerating discovery and operationalizing AI for measurable ROI in biopharma. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! 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!

Building AI-Ready Cultures in Life Sciences R&D - with Xiong Liu of Novartis

Today’s guest is Mathias Cousin, Managing Director at Deloitte. With extensive experience in R&D transformation and regulated industry data strategy, Mathias joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to unpack what it really takes for enterprise leaders to deliver ROI from AI and data initiatives. Mathias also shares actionable guidance on building effective “string of pearls” use cases, investing in data quality and AI-native talent, and adopting practical change management to embed AI in workflows for measurable gains in efficiency and long-term competitive edge. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

Rethinking How Life Sciences Organizations Approach AI - Mathias Cousin of Deloitte

Today’s guest is Sandro Venturini, Executive Director and Consultant at UBS. Specializing in cross-border fund structuring and regulatory strategy, he holds years of experience guiding financial institutions through complex launches across jurisdictions for the world’s largest private bank. Sandro joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show today to explore the role of AI in reducing legal and business costs, ensuring alignment across stakeholders, and creating a single source of truth for fund launches. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

Streamlining Fund Compliance with AI-Ready Data - Sandro Venturini of UBS

Today’s guest is Christo Siebrits, Senior Associate and General Counsel at AbbVie. With over 20 years of experience in global pharmaceutical legal and compliance leadership, Siebrits leads AbbVie’s AI initiatives and provides strategic guidance on AI-related legal and regulatory matters. Christo joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise legal teams can adopt generative AI safely, balance internal versus external data use, and implement human-in-the-loop workflows to manage risk. Siebrits also shares practical strategies for matter-centric processes, measuring AI-driven efficiencies, and making informed decisions on AI investments across internal and external legal operations. We’d like to note for our audience that the views expressed by Christo on today’s program do not reflect those of AbbVie or its leadership. Have a story about AI adoption you’re ready to share with fellow enterprise leaders? Visit emerj.com/expert2 to explore the opportunity to be a featured guest on the ‘AI in Business podcast’. This episode is sponsored by Clarivate. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

From Tool Sprawl to Defensible Value in AI for Legal - with Christo Siebrits of AbbVie

When finance leaders push for measurable savings and supply chain leaders prioritize continuity and resilience, technology adoption often gets caught in the middle. Procurement teams, operating with risk-averse cultures and outdated tools, face growing complexity while pressure mounts from both sides of the business. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Rob DeSantis — CEO and Co-founder of Arkestro, Co-founder of Ariba, and early LinkedIn executive — explains to Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella why AI represents more than incremental change for procurement. Instead of simply digitizing old workflows, AI enables re-imagined processes that deliver step-function value, often translating into 20 to 30 percent savings directly impacting earnings per share. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! 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! This episode is sponsored by Arkestro. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Enabling Strategic Procurement with AI, From Frustration to Foresight - with Rob DeSantis of Arkestro

On this episode of the AI in Business podcast, Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello speaks with Ben Ninio, Principal in Strategy at Deloitte, about how enterprises are rethinking the fundamentals of scientific discovery in the AI era. Ben explains why language itself has become the “hack” for unifying frameworks across R&D domains—from pharmaceuticals to agriculture to industrial chemistry—allowing organizations to move beyond the limits of brute-force computation. He illustrates how large language models and knowledge graphs can help identify new molecular, biological, and cross-domain insights that were previously impossible to surface. This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast! 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! This episode is sponsored by Deloitte. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Connecting the Dots Across Discovery - with Ben Ninio of Deloitte

Today’s guest is Steve Taczala, VP of Service Operations at Impact Networking. Impact Networking is a managed service provider founded in 1999, with more than 20 US offices, supporting organizations in IT, cybersecurity, and applying AI to business operations. Taczala brings extensive experience in managing MSP service operations and improving IT workflows. Steve joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise teams can reduce ticket noise, prioritize actionable incidents, and prepare service desks for AI-driven operations. Steve also shares practical strategies for staging platform migrations, implementing intelligent ticket routing, and using AI to enhance team efficiency and the overall customer experience. This episode is sponsored by Xurrent. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Fixing Ticket Noise with AI in Enterprise MSP Operations - with Steve Taczala of Impact Networking

Today’s guest is Sunitha Rao, SVP and General Manager for Hybrid Cloud Business at Hitachi Vantara. Hitachi Vantara is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. that provides data infrastructure foundations that help leading innovators manage and leverage their data at scale. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management, and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. Sunitha joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the show to break down how enterprises across industries can modernize their data infrastructure, scale AI deployments, and align IT investments with their sustainability goals. This episode is sponsored by Hitachi Vantara. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Data Volume, Quality, and Model Degradation for AI at Scale - with Sunitha Rao of Hitachi Vantara

Today’s guest is Padma Hari, Chief Digital Officer at Nestlé Purina. With over 20 years of experience shaping digital strategy and driving enterprise-wide transformations, Padma has leveraged AI, analytics, and data-driven insights to deliver measurable business impact at scale. Padma joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise leaders can move from siloed decision-making to end-to-end synchronized planning using data and AI. Padma also shares practical takeaways, including how to harmonize goals across business functions, run mock sessions to test new planning processes, and utilize AI to enable faster and more effective decision-making, which boosts operational efficiency and ROI. This episode is sponsored by Crisp. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Are you shaping AI adoption at your organization? Share your experience with fellow executives on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast. Apply to be a future guest at emerj.com/expert2. Watch Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello and Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com’s conversation on our new YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@EmerjAIResearch.

The Future of AI Agents in Consumer Goods Operations - with Padma Hari of Nestlé Purina

Today’s guest is Kevin Ahlstrom, Associate General Counsel in Patents at Meta. Kevin brings extensive expertise in navigating intellectual property challenges in the rapidly evolving technology sector. He joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss the evolving role of patent strategy in the age of AI innovation. Kevin also shares practical insights on streamlining legal workflows and aligning intellectual property management with AI development to drive greater innovation, efficiency, and ROI. Today’s episode is sponsored by Filevine. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business’ podcast!

Practical AI for In-House Patent Legal - with Kevin Ahlstrom of Meta

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Shub Agarwal, author of Successful AI Product Creation: A 9-Step Framework available from Wiley and a professor of the University of Southern California teaching AI and Generative AI product management to graduate students. He is also Senior Vice President of Product Management for AI and Generative AI at U.S. Bank. Shub joins Emerj’s Managing Editor Matthew DeMello on the show today to offer his perspective on what responsible AI adoption truly looks like in a regulated environment - and why method matters more than models. With over 15 years of experience bringing enterprise-grade AI products to life, he explains why “AI is the new UX” - and what that means for the future of digital interaction in banking and beyond. He also dives into the nuances of responsible AI adoption - not as a buzzword but as a framework rooted in decades of data governance and enterprise rigor. The opinions that Shub expresses in today’s show are his own and do not reflect that of U.S. Bank, the University of Southern California, or their respective leadership. This episode is sponsored by Searce. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

How Responsible AI is Shaping the Future of Banking and Finance - with Shub Agarwal of U.S. Bank and USC

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