Regency Ballroom
Regency Ballroom
Regency Ballroom
What will it take to power the AI era at scale? And how will organizations balance unprecedented demand for compute with the realities of energy, talent, and resource efficiency?
In this keynote, Anand Sanghi explores the rapid growth of data centers and AI, grounded in Vertiv’s Ohio roots and expanding global impact. He will address how new power and cooling technologies are helping to accelerate adoption, highlight changes in workforce needs, and showcase innovations improving efficiency.
From hyperscale to edge and AI inferencing, join us as Anand outlines how physical infrastructure is enabling the future and expanding access to compute.
Regency & Delaware Ballrooms
This panel brings together business and technology leaders to examine the future of innovation from multiple perspectives - strategic, operational, and technical.
Discussion will explore how organizations are aligning expectations between business and IT, what emerging technologies like AI mean in practice, and where the greatest opportunities and vulnerabilities are beginning to surface.
This conversation brings together leaders across business and technology to explore how data is shaping modern organizations beyond just insight and analytics.
Panelists will discuss how expectations around privacy, transparency, and governance are evolving, how AI is changing the way data is created and used, and where organizations are being challenged to rethink long-standing assumptions about ownership and control.
Regency & Delaware Ballrooms
Overflow to Franklin C/D & Fairfield
Building on the panel conversation, this session shifts from ideas to application. Participants will work through a real-world scenario shaped by the challenges and opportunities discussed.
Together, we’ll explore how to evaluate trade-offs, identify risks early, and make informed decisions when implementing emerging technologies inside complex organizations.
This session moves from panel discussion into real-world tension points. Participants will work through a guided scenario that surfaces competing priorities around data use—speed vs. oversight, access vs. security, innovation vs. accountability.
Through facilitated discussion, we’ll examine how organizations can establish clear principles, navigate ambiguity, and make decisions that build long-term trust while still enabling progress.
Regency Ballroom
In this forward-looking keynote, Guru Vasudeva challenges the fear-driven narrative around AI and technological disruption, arguing that moments of change expand possibility rather than diminish it.
Drawing on lessons from transformation, tough decisions, and modernization, he shows how strong leadership helps people adapt, create value, and move toward new demand. This is a talk about choosing curiosity over cynicism—and why the best chapter of leadership, work, and technology is still ahead.
Regency Ballroom
Regency Ballroom
About Tech Tomorrow
Anand Sanghi assumed the role of President, Americas for Vertiv on July 1, 2023, with responsibility for North America and Latin America business development and operations. He was previously president for Vertiv Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and India (ASI), starting in January of 2019.
He has spent more than 29 years in the technology and engineering space in the Asia-Pacific region. He joined Emerson Network Power (now Vertiv) in 2001 as director of planning and achieved positions of increasing responsibility before being appointed president, Emerson Network Power Asia market in 2011. Prior to joining Emerson Network Power, Anand led a start-up business and held roles with Emerson Electric and Copeland Corporation.
Anand earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management.
Guru Vasudeva is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Property & Casualty Technology at Nationwide, one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the U.S.
In this role, he leads a workforce of 3,000 associates and contractors who build and maintain technology solutions that support Nationwide’s Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Excess & Surplus/Specialty, and Agribusiness business units. Guru is also accountable for driving transformational programs spanning simplification, digital enablement, and data and advanced analytics.
Prior to his current role, Guru held several senior leadership positions at Nationwide including Senior Vice President and CTO of Infrastructure & Operations, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Program & Application Services and Chief Architect. In these roles, he led functions including IT strategy, enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, large program management, and application development and maintenance.
Before joining Nationwide, Guru spent six years at IBM as an executive architect where he focused on conceptualizing, selling, and delivering large internet-based business solutions for insurance, retail, and government organizations. He has also worked for AT&T and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Guru serves on the United Way of Central Ohio Board of Trustees.
He resides in Hilliard, Ohio, and is married with two children.
Mikaela Hunt is a communications executive, storyteller, and community connector known for turning complex ideas into clear, actionable narratives. She spent nearly 17 years in television news, with much of her time at NBC4 in Columbus as a producer, reporter, and anchor. That experience shaped her ability to lead and communicate in high-stakes, fast-moving environments.
Today, she serves as Chief Communications Officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, where she leads statewide strategy at the intersection of business, technology, consumer protection, and public trust. Her work focuses on helping people understand and navigate change, especially as innovation reshapes industries and everyday life. Her team has been recognized by PRSA and PR Daily for excellence in communications and brand storytelling.
Mikaela also co-hosts Cbuzz, the Columbus Chamber’s podcast highlighting Central Ohio’s business leaders and innovators. Through that work, she continues her passion for elevating meaningful conversations and connecting people across sectors.
A graduate and current board member of Leadership Ohio, she was also named one of Columbus Business First’s 40 Under 40. She remains actively involved in the community through the Hilliard Environmental Sustainability Commission and as host of Amazon Girls Tech Day.
Mikaela lives in Hilliard with her husband and two sons and brings both heart and strategic insight to every conversation. She is especially energized by conversations about what is next and how leaders can communicate, adapt, and build trust in a rapidly changing world.
Katrina Flory is an accomplished IT professional with extensive experience in State government. As the state chief information officer (CIO) and assistant director of DAS, she oversees the DAS Office of Information Technology and sets the IT direction for the State of Ohio.
State CIO Flory is an original architect and leader of two transformational Ohio IT Initiatives, the now completed IT Optimization effort and the ongoing IT Innovation initiative. IT Optimization provided the standardization necessary to drive economies of scale through infrastructure consolidation (server, storage, mainframe, and network). The next step, IT innovation, streamlines and modernizes State IT through a focus on digital experience, data analytics, enterprise shared services, on premise or in public clouds, and collaboration.
In her roles as State CIO, Flory is committed to delivering IT services and solutions that will support state agencies, boards and commissions in their efforts to provide vital services to Ohioans. The use of state technology assets to increase the well-being of Ohioans and their health, property, security, livelihood, and prosperity is essential.
Prior to becoming State CIO, Katrina Flory served in the deputy state CIO role for approximately 10 years. She led efforts to establish DAS OIT strategic direction and oversaw enterprise shared service operations such as the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS), InnovateOhio Platform, Ohio Business Gateway (OBG), and the eLicense system.
Since joining DAS in 2000, she has been directly involved in driving the technology agendas of four Governors and seven State CIOs. Before her service at DAS, State CIO Flory was with the Ohio Department of Taxation and Franklin County.
State CIO Flory has a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.