Southern California CDAO Community
Executive Summit
June 25, 2026 | The Waterfront Beach Resort
June 25, 2026
The Waterfront Beach Resort
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Southern California's top CDAOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CDAOs today:
Defining and delivering value with AI
Driving a data-first culture
Building governance that supports auditability, bias mitigation and real-time remediation
Southern California CDAO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CDAOs, For CDAOs™.
Governing Body Co-Chairs
Meetali Agarwal
MetLife
Head of Data & Analytics RIS & MDM
Das Dasgupta
McDonald's
CDAIO
Prachi Priya
HP Inc.
Global Head of Digital Products
What to Expect
Interactive Sessions
Hear from CDAO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.
Community Networking
Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Southern California CDAO community.
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
Agenda
Executive Boardroom Sessions
AI for Meaningful Outcomes
Many organizations implement AI as an end goal, often resulting in limited solutions like chatbots. Real value is realized when AI initiatives are directly tied to business objectives and measurable outcomes. What are the successes, failures, and critical lessons learned along the way?
Join this session to discuss:
- Prioritizing business outcomes over AI adoption
- Leveraging AI to solve real challenges
- Focusing on measurable results, not technology hype
Open Data Infrastructure — Next-Gen Data Architecture
Open Data Infrastructure is essential for organizations in the AI era, helping leaders scale analytics and AI while maintaining control. CDAOs must balance innovation, flexibility and cost as data platforms expand.
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Designing interoperable architectures to avoid lock-in
- Applying openness to semantics, metadata and governance
- Enabling AI and operations with flexibility and cost transparency
Navigating AI Regulation
With rapid advancements in AI technology, understanding the dynamic regulatory landscape is crucial. CDAOs are tasked with developing ethical AI frameworks and best practices that align with business goals. They must also ensure data privacy and security is at the forefront to build trust with stakeholders.
Join this boardroom conversation to discuss:
- Navigating the evolving AI regulatory landscape
- Ethical AI deployment and governance
- Data privacy, security and trust
Keynote Session
Telling Your Data Story
The way we talk about data is holding the industry back so it’s time to rework your “data speak”. Are you struggling with leadership support, craving stakeholder engagement and begging for proper funding? Even though you may create Gen AI wonders with your data, it won’t matter unless you explain the value in practical business terms.
Join The Data Whisperer’s rollicking and riotous review of current buzzwords and some practical tips and tricks on what you can do about it including:
- Differentiating between a data management narrative and other data storytelling and data literacy efforts
- Developing strategies to secure sponsorship and funding
- Executing a simple storytelling approach
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Southern California CDAO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
The Waterfront Beach ResortA block of rooms has been reserved at the The Waterfront Beach Resort at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 714-845-8000. Please mention SCES26 to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $429 USD (plus tax) is June 1, 2026.
Your Community Sponsors
Global Thought Leader
Key Sponsors
Program Sponsors
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
