SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Michael Bachman, Head of Research Architecture and AI Strategy, Boomi

Mike Bachman, affectionately dubbed “Bachman” by peers, is Boomi’s Head of Architecture and AI Strategy for the Boomi Technology Office. With over two decades of expertise, he has assisted executives and their teams in overcoming complex obstacles through innovative tech solutions. Bachman’s background encompasses AI R&D, data pipeline development, infrastructure planning, application integration, performance analysis, and the exploration of nascent technologies.

Currently, he delves into pioneering and groundbreaking innovations, applying them to diverse use cases and patterns, ultimately crafting inventive problem-solving approaches. Bachman’s goals extend to aiding businesses in leveraging cutting-edge advancements for addressing social and environmental concerns. A published author, voracious learner, and technology philosopher, he revels in acquiring languages, indulging in literature, keeping active, tuning into podcasts, embarking on hikes, and savoring travel adventures. Spending quality time with his family is his priority.

Bachman also possesses a penchant for bowties—spot him in person, and the likelihood of witnessing this sartorial signature is high.

Pradeep Batchu, Director, Enterprise Architecture, CNA Insurance

Pradeep Batchu is a seasoned technology leader with over two decades of experience in driving innovation and digital transformation. He has had a career that spans diverse industries, from finance to healthcare, where he has honed his expertise in leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve complex challenges. As a passionate advocate for continuous learning, he stays at the forefront of emerging trends, including AI and blockchain, to shape the future of technology. His leadership philosophy centers on collaboration, fostering high-performing teams, and delivering solutions that bridge the gap between business needs and technological possibilities. Pradeep thrives on creating positive impact and is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the digital realm.

Grant Ecker, VP, Chief Architect & Executive Coach, Danaher Corporation

Grant Ecker is the Vice President Chief Enterprise Architect at Danaher where he is partnering closely with the architects across the company to lead strategy development, establish technology standards, governance processes and to identify opportunities for modernization and transformation. Prior to Danaher, Grant was the VP, Global Head of Architecture at Walgreens Boots Alliance, and he held a similar role at Medtronic. Earlier in Grant’s career he held architecture and management roles with expanding responsibility at Lowe’s and General Mills. Grant is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, he received an MBA from University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and his BS in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis. Grant is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Chief Architect Forum, a board member of the Women in Architecture initiative and he holds various board advisory roles out of Chicago, Illinois. Please connect with Grant at www.LinkedIn.com/in/GrantEcker.

Karthik Kandamuri, Enterprise Architecture Director, AbbVie

Leader in Information Management covering Cloud and Hybrid Computing, Digital Transformation, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, AI/ML and Advanced Analytics.

Justin McDermott, VP of IT Strategy and Special Projects, Wintrust Financial

There is no better feeling than the “Ah-ha” moment when you solve a puzzle. Strategy has drawn me into a remarkable career path. What better job than to have the opportunity to solve puzzles every day, leading into progressively larger puzzles for the grand finale “Ah ha” moment. My friends would say, and I would agree, that I am an inquisitive person. I’ve taken those skills and used them in my professional life to do root cause and critical path analysis, helping me shape and develop solutions that are flexible and agile but have continuity and a north star to follow. At the same time, I love learning new things, how things work, and history. I take what I’ve learned and continuously apply that to situations, asking, “What if?”. This is all great in theory, but if you cannot communicate it, it’s just idea’s in one person’s head. I’ve spent a great deal of time refining my soft skills to help share in plain language and helping people understand topics using the target audience’s language. The Rosetta Stone of IT language to Business language.

I spent most of my early career in the United States Army stationed in Germany. I deployed to support US Central Command doing network administration and satellite communications. Afterward, I moved on to finishing out School at DePaul and spent some time advocating on the Illinois Board of Higher Education. After school, I entered the corporate world focusing on Network Security and expanded out into Security Architecture and then into IT management, culminating in IT Strategy and thought leadership.

Rashid Mohammad, Enterprise Architect, Fitch Group

Rashid Mohammad holds a master’s in computer science with a focus in artificial intelligence. He is a senior director in the architecture team at Fitch Group and has over 25 years of development experience with the last 5 years focusing on microservice design with event-driven programming using Kafka, istio based service mesh and Generative AI. He architected and oversaw an implementation of an email notifications system for the ratings, research and news that gets published and notified to Fitch Solutions customers. Recently Rashid has been focusing on democratizing technologies and promoting collaborative innovation. 

Jay Patel, Senior Engineer, Azul

Jay Patel is a high-performance Java thought leader and adviser to cloud/Internet, FinTech, Telco, MedTech technical decision makers and senior management at global leading enterprises. He has a strong background in software development and deployment, testing and tuning. With a track record of optimizing systems, Jay drives innovations, and delivers results. Currently Jay serves as a Senior Solutions Engineer at Azul Systems and is based in New York City. This year he has focused on cost optimization, so large and small businesses can trim the fat and do more with less.

Daniel Pumphrey, Sr. Director, Enterprise Domain Security Architect, Teradata

Daniel Pumphrey is an accomplished Enterprise Security Architect with a rich history at Teradata, commencing his journey with the company in 2007. He initially established himself as a subject matter expert in Information Security and subsequently ventured into leadership roles within Professional Services, Sales Technology, and Enterprise Architecture. With an unwavering passion for fortifying digital landscapes and tackling an array of security complexities, he’s dedicated to furnishing organizations with strategic business solutions through the lens of Security Architecture.

Daniel is equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Technology, an M.S. in Cyber Security, and a distinguished set of certifications, including Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified HIPAA Professional (CHP).

Anand Ramakrishnan, Director – Enterprise Architecture and Data Engineering, Rotary International

Anand Ramakrishnan is the Director for Enterprise Architecture and Data Engineering at Rotary International, a global nonprofit organization with a mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. In his role, Anand has shaped the Data and Analytics strategy at Rotary and is implementing a roadmap to fix the architectural foundation by which systems integrate with each other, establish data quality standards and governance, and modernize the legacy data platforms. His vision of providing the right data to the right people at the right time to make right decision results in Rotary transforming itself into a data driven decision making organization.

He has 35 years of experience focused in helping enterprises deliver value added outcomes. He is passionate about exploring innovative ideas in organizing and presenting data and technology that drives the business forward towards growth and efficiency.

Ryan Shober, Great Lakes Regional Lead, SnapLogic

Ryan Shober is the Great Lakes Regional Lead at SnapLogic with more than 10 years of experience helping organizations simplify and accelerate their digital transformation journey. Specializing in helping companies scale using Generative AI, Ryan uses this experience to enable business leaders to automate, integrate and orchestrate the flow of data across the enterprise.

Jason Taylor, Principal Enterprise Architect, LeanIX

Jason is Principal Enterprise Architect at LeanIX. He has spent the past three decades leading technology and architecture teams in Financial Services to deliver strategic programs and drive business outcomes. He is an authentic leader who is passionate about helping transform organizations to better leverage modern technology practices to achieve their goals. He holds dual degrees in Computer Science and Finance from the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Business. Connect with Jason at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleetaylor/

Paul Watzka, Manager, IS Enterprise Architecture, AptarGroup

Paul Watzka is the Manager of IS Enterprise Architecture at Aptar where he has worked for over 20 years.

Starting at Aptar as a lead developer, he has worked in numerous regional and global roles throughout the IS organization.

Paul has most recently focused on Enterprise Architecture and Business Process Management, he uses his wide range of experiences to find optimal solutions to digital problems within Aptar.

Paul graduated from Carroll College (University) with a double major in Computer Science and Theatre Arts. He has put both majors to good use in both his professional and personal life.

When he isn’t at Aptar, Paul enjoys being active outside and has completed two Ironman triathlons.