Data & AI Leadership from Fortune 500 Executives

The Intelligent Leader

Insights from executives who are actually implementing AI at scale

The Intelligent Leader is a thought leadership podcast hosted by Shashank Garg, Founder & CEO of Infocepts, featuring C-suite executives from Fortune 500 companies like Instacart, AstraZeneca, Starbucks, and Northern Trust.

Each episode explores:

  • Real Implementation Strategies: How enterprises operationalize data and AI beyond pilots
  • Governance Frameworks: Approaches to responsible AI, compliance, and decision-making
  • Business Outcomes: Measurable impact from AI investments
  • Industry-Specific Insights: Solutions for retail media, life sciences, supply chain, financial services, healthcare

All Episodes

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Episode 7 What Retail and Media Leaders Can Learn from Instacart’s AI Playbook
June 6, 2025
41:16 min
Episode 7: What Retail and Media Leaders Can Learn from Instacart’s AI Playbook

Ali Miller, VP of Ads at Instacart, and Shashank explore how data, AI, and collaboration are transforming retail media. Ali shares Instacart’s move toward automated, predictive solutions like Carrot Ads and highlights the need for trust and omnichannel strategies. Shashank adds insights on leveraging agentic AI to optimize campaign budgets and drive real-time efficiencies, emphasizing the blend of human expertise and AI to power the next phase of retail media…

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Episode 6 Assistive vs. Agentic AI in Life Sciences Use Cases & Learnings
April 9, 2025
29:56 min
Episode 6: Assistive vs. Agentic AI in Life Sciences: Use Cases & Learnings

In this episode, Kabir Patel and Shashank Garg explore the emergence of Agentic AI—intelligent systems capable of autonomous decision-making—and its transformative impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Kabir highlights how AI is evolving beyond automation, enabling autonomous decision-making and breakthrough innovations in drug discovery and materials science. They also explore how AI is shifting from standardization to hyper-personalization, making tailored…

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Episode 5 From Data to Action The Evolving Role of Data Science & AI in Supply Chain
March 17, 2025
31:55 min
Episode 5: From Data to Action: The Evolving Role of Data Science & AI in Supply Chain

In this episode, Prateek Shrivastava, Advanced Analytics Manager at Cummins and Shashank Garg discuss the transformative impact of AI and data science on supply chains. They discuss how businesses are using AI to proactively address challenges, from predicting truck failures to preventing inventory shortages. Prateek also explores the shift from traditional BI to AI-driven insights and how smart tools are strengthening Cummins' supply chain resilience. Tune…

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February 21, 2025
35:03 min
Episode 4: Is BI Dead? Will Generative AI Make Traditional Reporting Obsolete?

Suvajit Basu, Entrepreneur, CIO, and IT leader at top CPG firms, joins Shashank Garg for an insightful conversation on how Generative AI is shaking up Business Intelligence. They dive into how AI is pushing past traditional static dashboards and transforming decision-making with real-time, dynamic insights. Suvajit shares why solid data foundations are crucial and why businesses need to embrace an AI-first mindset to stay ahead. It’s not just about replacing…

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Episode-03_Starbucks 4Final
December 11, 2024
40:04 min
Episode 3: Behind the Buzz—How Starbucks Approaches AI

Megan, Director, Global Center of Excellence for advanced analytics and data science at Starbucks, shares her insights on the power of data, technology, and change management in driving personalization and segmented marketing, while shedding light on both opportunities and challenges faced within Starbucks. She also discusses how AI, especially Generative AI, is shaping the future of analytics at Starbucks, touching on its influence on forecasting and SKU …

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November 27, 2024
31:16 min
Episode 2: The New Era of Healthcare: AI, Data, and Consumer Empowerment

Fady Boctor, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Petros Pharmaceuticals, joins host Shashank Garg to explore technology's transformative impact on healthcare. He discusses how data empowers consumers through self-service platforms and emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach, combining technological innovation with human oversight. Fady also discusses how FDA-friendly regulations can further drive patient engagement.

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November 12, 2024
28:41 min
Episode 1: Navigating Financial Risk with Data and AI

Pete Cherecwich, Chief Operating Officer at Northern Trust, joins host Shashank Garg for an in-depth discussion on the transformative role of data and AI in financial services. They explore how these technologies are enhancing client relationships, automating quality control, and strengthening fraud protection. Through practical examples and actionable insights, Pete shares how Northern Trust is integrating AI into risk management and decision-making processes…

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Host

Shashank Garg

Shashank Garg

Co-Founder & CEO,
Infocepts

Guests

Ali MIller

Ali Miller

VP of Ads Product,
Instacart

Kabir Patel

Kabir Patel

Global Head of IT,
AstraZeneca

Prateek Shrivastava

Prateek Shrivastava

Advanced Analytics
Manager, Cummins

Suvajit Basu

Suvajit Basu

Entrepreneur, CIO, IT
Leader, CPG Firms

Megan Brown

Megan Brown

Global Analytics & Data
Science Leader, Starbucks

Fady Boctor

Fady Boctor

President and CCO,
Petros Pharmaceuticals

Pete Cherecwich

Pete Cherecwich

Chief Operating Officer,
Northern Trust

About the Host

Shashank Garg, Founder & CEO, Infocepts

With 20+ years building enterprise data and AI systems, Shashank leads conversations on how Fortune 500 companies move from data ambition to measurable business outcomes.

His focus: Data Foundation First, AI Second – the principle that enterprises must establish governance, quality, and architecture before deploying AI systems.

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