In this episode, we welcome Sravan Kasarla, a seasoned Chief Data Officer whose journey through the echelons of data leadership at companies like Fidelity and Thrivent has redefined what it means to drive business outcomes through data. With over two decades of experience, Sravan shares his insights on building a strong data foundation, the evolution of data analytics into AI, and how to harness the power of data to fuel business strategies and customer experiences. From navigating the complexities of data ecosystems to the future of AI in business and everyday life, this episode is paced with invaluable wisdom for data professionals and business leaders alike, illustrating the profound impact of data analytics on transforming businesses and paving the way for innovation.
Transcript
VZC Guest:
Sravan Kasarla
Chief Data Officer
Thrivent
Sravan Kasarla is an accomplished Data Analytics and AI leader. He was most recently the Chief Data Officer and Head of Data Analytics at Thrivent, a Fortune 500 financial services company. He has over 25 years of experience in data and analytics leadership roles across the insurance, healthcare, and technology industries.
At Thrivent, Sravan has focused on establishing a trusted data foundation and modern analytics architecture to drive business insights and outcomes. He has enabled new AI and machine learning capabilities for improving customer experiences, marketing targeting, and business process optimization.
Previously, Sravan served as Head of Data Architecture and Strategy at Fidelity Investments, where he developed shared data management practices. He has also held Chief Data/Information Architect positions at companies like MassMutual and GE.
Throughout his career, Sravan has been passionate about the strategic power of data and using analytics to transform business outcomes. He aims to promote a “data culture” focused on measurement and trusted information.
VZC Host:
Mark Potts
Vice President of Global Services
VirtualZ Computing
Mark is VirtualZ’s vice president of global services, helping our clients leverage Lozen™, PropelZ, and Zaac™ to unlock business agility, value, and cost savings. Mark brings over 17 years of experience at Accenture to VirtualZ and focuses on helping our customers modernize their data access systems. Mark served as global managing director at Accenture, leading the comprehensive strategy for their mainframe modernization offering, including developing sales and delivery assets, developing capability, determining acquisition targets, and managing the global mainframe modernization pipeline. Prior to that, Mark led Accenture’s IBM and Red Hat partnership, working closely with the Accenture, IBM, and Red Hat senior leadership teams focusing on hybrid cloud, mainframe modernization, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and quantum computing. Mark also has over 15 years of software engineering delivery experience.