Information Technology Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Rhonda Vetere, Board of Directors
Laureus Sport For Good USA, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Rhonda is a seasoned global leader experiencing over 23 mergers and acquisitions. She combines STEM and Sports to bring technology and joy to the world. She is a true Corporate Athlete making her the perfect match for her latest role as Board member for Laureus Sport For Good. Across Industries, Rhonda has worked in global executive positions at Herbalife Nutrition, Santander Bank, Estée Lauder Companies, AIG, HP Enterprise Services, Barclays, Bank One/JPMorgan Chase, and several telecommunications companies. Kicking off 2024, she just returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she spoke for the third year on AI, technology, innovation and leadership.
She has lived and worked internationally – in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Mumbai, and across India – and has managed teams of up to 20,000 people. She is also a two time Author. Rhonda contributes her perspective and knowledge by serving on Boards for professional and educational institutions, including Laureus Sport for Good, Longwood University Advisory Board, and George Mason University Board of Directors. In October 2022, she was inducted as the Global STEM Ambassador by Meghalaya Chief Minister and the Chancellor of the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM), India and provided the golden scroll.
Rhonda has been recognized for her leadership and influence, notably as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council in 2019 and 2020. In 2021 & 2023, she was named one of the Most Influential Businesswoman in Technology by Corporate Vision and Top CIO/CTO by the 2021 Tech Inclusion Conference. Outside of work, Rhonda is very active as an athlete — she regularly competes in IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons (among other events) and is a member of Winged Foot Golf Club. She has run over 100 races since 2016.
Committee:
Vivek Anand, Director, Advanced Analytics
Gap Inc., Austin, Texas, United States
Vivek is an accomplished Operations Research professional with over a decade of expertise in Analytics and Optimization, currently serves as the Director of Advanced Analytics at Gap Inc. Leading a team focused on optimizing inventory productivity and business outcomes through pricing and inventory analytics, Vivek plays a pivotal role in driving Gap's success.
Mattieu Fauveau, Founder
Alterable, Orlando, Florida, United States
Sagar Ganapaneni, Data Science Leader
Intuit, San Jose, California, United States
Sagar is an expert in the field of Data Science and seasoned in building data-powered products and driving enterprise-level business and marketing optimization efforts. He is currently leading data science and analytics efforts for SMB MediaLabs at Intuit. With a wealth of experience, he applies his extensive knowledge in Economics, Information Systems.
Venkata Ashok Gorantla, Associate Director
Verizon, Irving, Texas, United States
Ashok, an Associate Director at Verizon, pioneers advanced AI/ML algorithms to enhance customer experiences, driving loyalty and profitability. He has over 17 years of experience in Low-code & No-Code platforms, AI/ML, intelligent systems and driving business & technical transformations. A graduate of GeorgiaTech, he is also a published IEEE researcher.
Pankaj Gupta, Principal Data Engineer
Discover Financial Services, Morrisville, United States
Sachin Kachhawaha, COO, SAP Fieldglass
SAP America Inc, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, United States
Sachin Kachhawaha is the COO of the SAP Fieldglass Product Engineering Group and has been working with SAP since 2008. He has more than 16 years of experience in IT and technology management around the globe. He holds an MBA and an Engineering degree in IT.
Surendra Kumar Reddy Koduru, BI & Analytics Delivery Lead
Kontoor Brands, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Priyanka Koushik, VP of Engineering
Blueyonder, Irving, Texas, United States
Priyanka is a dynamic and visionary leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and delivering impactful solutions in the realm of product engineering and technology. With over 16 years of experience across leading organizations, she brings a wealth of expertise in spearheading the development of industry-leading Order Management, Centralized Inventory Management.
Hao Kuo, Senior IT Project Manager
Accurate Background, Irvine, California, United States
Hao Kuo has been with Accurate Background since 2011, after two acquisitions in the industry. He has more than 15 years of experience in the combined fields of technology, project management, and marketing. He spends his free time with his children and traveling.
Keshav Prasad Kuruva, Director of Software Development
Autodesk Inc., San Francisco, California, United States
Keshav is an experienced Director of Engineering with 18 years of leadership experience in developing and managing software in industrial, entertainment, health care, and enterprise systems. He is adept at delivering innovative solutions to complex engineering projects and has experience managing and driving growth across lean startups and large SaaS-based organizations.
Arvin Maleki, Product Designer
Futuredge Design Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Arvin, a renowned figure in industrial design, has earned gold at the A'Design Award, alongside five additional gold medals. Globally ranked 12th in Canada and 731st worldwide, he shapes the industry as a juror and author. His authoritative book and dedication to mentorship through global workshops significantly contribute to fostering innovation.
Monik Pamecha, Co-Founder & CEO
Toma Inc., New York City, New York, United States
Monik Pamecha is the co-founder and CEO of Toma which is backed by YCombinator. He has worked in the areas of distributed systems at companies like Uber, Braze, and Turing.com. Prior to that, he pursued machine learning research at UC Berkeley.
Arun Rajagopal, Sr. Director, AI/ML, Search & Optimizations
AdMarketplace Inc, New York City, New York, United States
Arun is an AI/ML leader with extensive experience in search optimizations, ad auctions, and AI-enhanced product discovery. He currently serves as Senior Director of Engineering at AdMarketplace. He is also the founder and lead contributor of YarnChain.org, promoting open data ecosystems. He also worked in data science, engineering, and AI initiatives.
Narendran Santhanam, Senior Director, Analytics
Apixio, Irvine, California, United States
Narendran Santhanam is a data-driven leader with 15+ years in healthcare, combining strong analytical skills (full-stack, ML) with product management expertise. He successfully built and led high-performing teams, delivering impactful solutions across claims, cost, and risk analytics.
Tânia Tomé, CEO & President
Ecokaya Corporate, Africa, Brazil, United States
Tania Tomé is a highly accomplished professional, recognized for her achievements as a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, performance coach, global ambassador, and author of more than seven books, including "Succenergy – Activate Your Success." With over a decade of coaching, business advisory experience, and as a successful entrepreneur.
Venkatraman Umbalacheri Ramasamy, Principal Software Engineer
Walmart, Sunnyvale, California, United States
Venkatraman, a Principal Software Engineer with over 14 years of experience, graduated with a Bachelor's from Sastra University. He possesses extensive expertise in software development, specializing in algorithms, data structures, software design patterns, and cloud technologies. Known for leading and implementing large-scale complex software solutions effectively.