Voices

Vijay Gurbaxani

Founding Director of the Center for Digital Transformation
The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine

GurbaxaniVijay Gurbaxani is the Taco Bell Endowed Professor in Technology Management and the Founding Director of the Center for Digital Transformation at The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine.  A distinguished scholar and expert on digital transformation, the strategic impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business, and the economics of technology, Vijay has devoted his academic career to advancing understanding of the digital economy and guiding business leaders through the opportunities and challenges of technological innovation.

With a deep commitment to research and education, Vijay’s work examines how organizations can harness technology to create value and adapt to the profound shifts in the digital economy. His insights have influenced leaders worldwide, encouraging thoughtful adoption of technology to capitalize on its potential and remain competitive.

A skilled communicator and trusted advisor, Vijay excels in demystifying complex ideas and inspiring executives to act with purpose. His thought-provoking presentations and advisory work blend rigorous academic research with practical applications, equipping business leaders and boards with the tools to make informed decisions in an AI-driven world.

Vijay also spearheads a prominent conference on strategy in the age of AI, convening leading thinkers from academia and industry to discuss the transformative role of AI and identify strategies for innovation and growth.

Through his research, teaching, and advisory work, Vijay remains dedicated to fostering responsible leadership in an era defined by rapid technological progress. He offers a compelling and inspiring vision for the future of business, helping organizations adapt and thrive in a constantly evolving and competitive landscape.

Kristian Hammond

Bill and Cathy Osborn Professor of Computer Science
Northwestern University

 Hammond Kristian Hammond is the Bill and Cathy Osborn Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University and the co-founder of the Artificial Intelligence company Narrative Science (recently acquired by Salesforce). He has spent most of his career focused on the problem of making machines smarter. His research is aimed at bridging the human/machine communication gap between the data we gather and the information that is locked within it.

Since the fall of 2016, he has been the faculty lead of Northwestern’s CS + X initiative, exploring how computational thinking can be used to transform fields such as law, medicine, and education. He also directs Northwestern’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) as well as the Center for Advancing Safety of Machine Intelligence (CASMI). In January of 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).

He believes in humanizing computers with the aim of stopping the process of mechanizing people. Kris received his PhD from Yale.

Dr. Keri Pearlson, D.B.A.

Executive Director, Cybersecurity
MIT Sloan School of Management

 Pearlson Dr. Pearlson is an expert in managing and using information, specializing in cybersecurity leadership. Her current position is Executive Director of CAMS, a research consortium at MIT Sloan focused on the leadership, governance, and management of cybersecurity. Dr. Pearlson is a thought leader in cybersecurity culture, resilience, supply chain, and board leadership. Her work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, the Wall Street Journal, and many academic outlets. She is also the coauthor of a popular textbook on information systems management and the founding President of the Austin, Texas chapter of SIM. She has a doctorate from Harvard Business School and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Stanford.

Thomas Phelps IV

SVP of Corporate Strategy & CIO
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 PhelpsBio coming soon!