Strategic AI Integration: Mastering Efficiency & Revenue Growth

Date: Friday, November 8, 2024
Start Time: 5:30 pm
Location: EY - 100 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H 0B3

Sponsored Venue: We're excited to host this event at the EY Canada Office, a generous contribution from EY, supporting our vision of nurturing senior leadership.

Join us for an interactive event designed to equip business leaders with actionable strategies for AI integration and process optimization. The event begins with a panel discussion featuring industry experts exploring AI's role from both business and technical perspectives. Following the panel, engage in a hands-on workshop demonstrating practical, day-to-day AI use cases, such as automating document and contract reviews, personalizing emails, and aggregating research. Real-life examples from the legal, consulting, retail, and financial sectors will highlight how AI transforms these industries to drive efficiency and growth.

Moderator:
Armughan Ahmad - Former CEO at Appen & Managing Partner at KPMG

Speaker:

• Minaz Merali - Vice President, Product Management - IBM Data & AI

• Ali Asaria - CEO at Tulip

Workshop Lead:

• Temi Odesanya - Director of Responsible AI Automation, Thomson Reuters
• Aaqib Azeem - AI & Machine Learning Customer Engineer, Country SME at Google

THE MAX AI & BEYOND PROGRAM will be the catalyst for mid-senior Muslim professionals in driving AI-powered innovation and transformation across various industries, fostering a culture of responsible leadership and sustainable growth in the era of AI disruption.

The program has been established to empower experienced mid-to-senior level professionals with a comprehensive understanding of AI technologies and their disruptive potential, enabling them to navigate the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities that AI brings to their organizations. By offering an industry-focused, practical program that combines strategic insights and hands-on experiences, we aim to cultivate a network of forward-thinking professionals who can confidently steer their businesses toward innovation, competitive advantage, and long-term success in a rapidly evolving landscape.

By participating in the MAX AI & beyond program, you will obtain the following benefits:

• Understand AI Disruption: Explore how AI and related technologies are transforming industries, altering business models, and reshaping competitive landscapes.
• Strategic Adaptation to AI: Equip participants with the strategies to lead their organizations through the adoption and integration of AI, focusing on maintaining competitive advantages in a disrupted market.
• Innovation and AI Implementation: Encourage innovation by teaching how to identify disruptive AI applications that can create new value propositions and business opportunities.
• Leadership in a Disrupted Era: Strengthen leadership skills tailored to managing change and driving innovation in organizations affected by AI technologies.
• Networking and Ecosystem Building: Foster a network of forward-thinking professionals, AI innovators, and industry leaders to share disruptive strategies and collaborate on new ventures.
• Hands-on Disruption: Provide real-world experiences through projects that challenge participants to apply AI in disruptive ways within their own industries.

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

The program includes 6 sessions, over two years with each session focusing on a specific aspect of AI. The sessions are held both online and in person to cater to a wider audience.

The program is:

• Focused on Business Disruption: Unlike general AI programs, this curriculum emphasizes the disruptive impact of AI on business, preparing leaders to navigate and capitalize on these changes.
• Strategic Leadership Emphasis: Tailored for mid-senior professionals, the program blends strategic insight with practical leadership skills in the context of AI-driven business transformation (key area: cost optimization, top-line growth).
• Collaborative Innovation Network: Offers exclusive access to a community of peers and experts, facilitating the exchange of disruptive ideas and strategies.
• Industry-Relevant Disruption: Delivers insights and case studies on how AI is specifically disrupting various sectors, ensuring applicability and strategic foresight.

Note: Attendees can register for sessions based on their area of interest, these are independent sessions and not a continuing series

Armughan Ahmad - Global Tech Executive, Former CEO at Appen AI & President at KPMG and Dell

Armughan Ahmad is a business leader with his most recent roles being CEO of Appen and President & Managing Partner, Digital & Innovation at KPMG. Armughan’s teams have developed award-winning innovative offerings using Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud, Web3, and Metaverse technologies for industry sector-driven outcomes for Fortune 500 organizations.

Minaz Merali - Vice President, Product Management - IBM Data & AI

Minaz Merali is an Executive at IBM with over 15 years of experience leading global strategic projects in the areas of Cloud, Data & AI, and Application Modernization for IBM Z. She has been awarded for her innovation and successful execution of strategy to transform businesses

Ali Asaria - CEO at Tulip

Ali Asaria is a Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of Tulip Retail, a cloud-based retail platform that helps retailers to manage their operations and provide a seamless shopping experience to their customers.
Asaria was born in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He studied Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, where he developed an interest in entrepreneurship and technology. After graduating, he worked at Microsoft as a software engineer for a few years before deciding to start his own company.
In 2013, Asaria founded Tulip Retail with the goal of helping retailers to better connect with their customers and provide them with a personalized shopping experience. The company’s platform allows retailers to manage their inventory, process transactions, and gather data on customer behavior. This data can then be used to create targeted marketing campaigns and improve the overall customer experience.
Under Asaria’s leadership, Tulip Retail has grown rapidly and now serves some of the world’s largest retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Kate Spade, and Coach. The company has raised over $100 million in funding from top venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Asaria is also an active member of the Canadian tech community and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Globe and Mail. He is passionate about promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in Canada and often speaks at industry events and conferences.
In addition to his work at Tulip Retail, Asaria is also an investor and advisor to several early-stage startups in the retail and technology sectors. He is committed to helping other entrepreneurs succeed and is always looking for new opportunities to make an impact in the industry.

Temi Odesanya | Director of Responsible AI Automation, Thomson Reuters

Temi Odesanya serves as the Director of Responsible AI Automation at Thomson Reuters. She is responsible for building innovative platforms and spearheading automation initiatives that ensure strict adherence to regulations and ethical standards across global operations. She has led teams in strategic planning, execution, and the launch of pioneering technologies; including artificial intelligence, automation, and metaverse initiatives. She has spearheaded data literacy programs, passionately promoting the integration of automation and machine learning tools within various sectors to drive innovation and efficiency.

In her role as an educator, Temi imparts her knowledge on machine learning and responsible AI through her teaching engagements at several Canadian post-graduate institutions, namely Durham College, Conestoga College, and Concordia University. Her commitment to education extends beyond the classroom as she regularly shares her insights on global stages, including The Globe and Mail, Evanta—a Gartner Company, CoriniumIntelligence, Black Professionals in Tech etc.

Aaqib Azeem | AI & ML Customer Engineer - Country SME, Google

Aaqib Azeem is an AI strategist and product leader, where he currently serves as the subject matter expert for all things AI/ML at Google. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role at Wysdom.AI, a leading Conversational AI company. As the leader of their Strategy and Innovation team, Aaqib spearheaded initiatives that drove significant growth and efficiency, culminating in the development of a groundbreaking SaaS analytics product. This success played a key role in Wysdom.AI's acquisition by Calabrio, a Thoma Bravo company. Prior to his work in the Conversational AI space, Aaqib honed his expertise at Deloitte, where he advised Fortune 500 executives on AI strategy and data transformation. Aaqib also holds a Master's in AI Management from Queen's University and a Bachelor's in Mechatronic Engineering from Ontario Tech University.

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For any members who may have financial needs and require a sponsored membership, or for any questions or comments please contact:

Nadiah Nida | Lead, MAX AI & Beyond | [email protected]

Hunain Amir | Co - Lead, MAX AI & Beyond | [email protected]

Website: onemax.org | LinkedIn: MAX | Twitter: @max_gala | Instagram: @onemax.ca

Host or Publisher The MAX Executive Team