Board of Directors

Peter is a cloud technology executive, and leads the AWS technical team responsible for Financial Services Partners worldwide. His team sets the cloud transformation strategy that helps global banks and insurers innovate in the cloud through software and consulting providers. Peter’s experience enabling organizational and technical change within financial services organizations spans over twenty-five years, and includes leading Risk Technology and Trading Technology for banks and insurers including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, RBS, and AIG. Peter has a BS in Computer Science Engineering from Columbia University.

Ari Marcus is a Managing Director in Citigroup’s Institutional Clients Group Operations and Technology, with over 20 years of experience in Finance.

Prior to joining Citi, Ari held senior reference data and program management positions at Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers.

Ari earned an MBA in Finance & Accounting from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA in International Relations from Colgate University.

Drew is currently an Executive Director of Data Risk Management at DTCC, responsible for Data Governance, Data Controls and Validation, as well as Metrics and Reporting. Prior to that, Drew created and led a global Data Stewardship team for 8 years within DTCC's Financial Risk Management division.

Drew has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University with concentration in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. He held a variety of data management related roles throughout a 22-year career at Merrill Lynch, ultimately Bank of America, before joining DTCC in 2012.

Scott Preiss is Senior Vice President and Global Head of CUSIP Global Services (CGS) at FactSet Research Systems, Inc. Preiss is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and growth of the CUSIP franchise, which includes the global reference data standard and all related data feeds and technology solutions built using the CUSIP system. He also oversees the partnership between FactSet and the American Bankers Association (ABA), which created and owns the CUSIP standard.

Among key industry initiatives spearheaded by Preiss in his tenure at CGS have been the rapid expansion of CUSIP’s geographic footprint, capabilities, and strategic alliances. This includes the development of near real-time data feeds and APIs, and expansion into dozens of new asset classes and markets ranging from syndicated loans to blockchain-based tokenized asset offerings. Preiss previously held the role of Vice President, S&P Global Settlement Services, where he was a collaborator on a patent for the groundbreaking S&P Entity Crosswalk service, which allows financial firms to monitor their risk exposure by identifying linkages between securities, issuers, affiliates and subsidiaries. and prior to that, Vice President of Investment Products and Distribution at Citigroup.

Preiss has served as Chairman of the ANNA Service Bureau (ASB) Advisory Board and currently serves on the boards of the Derivatives Service Bureau (DSB) for OTC derivatives, the Enterprise Data Management Council (EDM), and the Financial Information Services Division of the SIIA.

Preiss became a member of the New York, and New Jersey Bar Associations in 1996 and has a B.B.A. in Business/Finance from Pace University and a J.D. from New York Law School. Preiss has also completed Executive Leadership certification at the Darden School of Business, Columbia Business School, and Insead, France.

Tom is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, in the Data Engineering group. He serves as head of the firmwide data governance office and is also the Chief Data Officer for Engineering.

During his more than 20 years of experience in Finance, Tom has led global teams responsible for data stewardship, data platforms, and data governance.

Chaitanya (Chai) Pydimukkala is a seasoned product executive with over two decades of experience in the data analytics field. He currently leads all aspects of data governance, integration, security, and compliance in Data Analytics at Google Cloud. Prior to this role Chai established the Data Integration pillar at Google and led Data Fusion, Datastream and
Database Migration Service.

Prior to joining Google, Chai held product leadership roles at Oracle, where he spearheaded the data integration and
governance portfolio and was instrumental in the launch of multiple cloud services. Prior to that at Informatica, where Chai drove innovation around real-time data integration and data quality. His deep expertise in database technologies stems
from his early work as a core engineer at Sybase (now SAP), where he contributed to the development of Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise and Sybase PowerBuilder.

Coming from a technical background, Tom has focused throughout his career in tier 1 Banks on understanding the business strategy and environment and developing solutions and organizations that are commercially appropriate and in looking to introduce industry trends and emerging technologies to achieve sustainable and leading outcomes. Extensive experience in leading cross divisional initiatives at executive level. These have included delivering an enterprise big data analytics platform, revenue and client focussed machine learning and AI programs, global Data Architecture and Governance and Implementation of GDPR.

Currently at HSBC, Tom is responsible for the implementation of the HSBC data strategy in 63 markets. Prior to this, Tom held senior data management roles for Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan

Emma York is the Corporate CDO and Head of Enterprise Information Governance at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). With a wealth of experience in data, Emma has been instrumental in shaping and implementing data strategies that drive business value and ensure regulatory compliance. She leads a diverse team of data professionals across multiple locations, including London, New York, Bengaluru, and Malabe.
 
Emma's expertise spans various aspects of data management, including data quality, records management, culture, literacy, and data strategy. She has a proven track record of successfully managing complex data projects and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making within the organization.
 
Before joining LSEG, Emma held several non-data and data-related roles at Morgan Stanley, including COO for Data Operations, establishing a Data Governance Function, and within the Enterprise Data CoE.

Andrew Foster, C.F.A., is the Chief Data Officer at M&T Bank. As CDO, he leads data strategy and governance, as well as the development and delivery of platforms, tools, and methodologies to enable M&T to harness the full potential of its data to continuously meet the evolving needs of customers and communities. He also partners with multidisciplinary teams across the organization to drive data-driven outcomes to support customer experience, business resilience, performance optimization, and growth.

Foster brings over 20 years of experience leading data, automation, and innovation organizations in the financial services industry, most recently as Deputy Chief Data Officer (Americas) and Head of Data Governance at Deutsche Bank in New York. He previously held leadership positions at Europe Arab Bank (EAB) PLC and Arab Bank PLC, both in London.

Committed to pursuing greater inclusion in the fields of data and technology, Foster has consistently advocated for women in data management, serving in volunteer leadership and outreach roles for Women Data Professionals, the gender diversity arm of EDM Council, a leading global trade association for data and analytics management.

A native of South Africa whose career has taken him through London and New York, Foster works at M&T Bank’s Tech Hub at Seneca One in Buffalo, New York. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Science, specializing in Finance, from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and has participated in executive leadership programs through the London Business School.

Julian is responsible for the delivery of data capability at M&G and supporting the Prudential business with the main areas of focus including Data Content Management, Valuations (c.£270bn), Market Data Services, Data Governance and Data Services.

He has been at M&G for 18 years undertaking a number of roles including Head of Front Office Operations and Global Market Data responsibilities. Julian has sponsored a number of key projects including developing Data Governance Policy and standards for both M&G and the Prudential globally; the implementation of a consolidated data sourcing and the implementation of systems to increasing efficiency and consistency of data across the organisation.

He has completed the M&G Cornerstone Leadership Program – Ashridge and Prudential Global Agility Leadership Program – Oxford Saïd Business School.

David Hirschfeld is Marsh’s Chief Data Officer, having joined the firm in 2021. Current priorities include Analytics, Data Governance, Reference Data, Data Masters, and building a new data platform for the firm. Prior to joining Marsh, he was the Chief Architect & Head of Data and Analytics for the Real Estate Division of Blackstone.

David has held senior roles in trading, data management, operations, and technology with Nasdaq, Tudor Investment, Citadel Investment, Thomson Reuters, Morgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch. He holds a BA from Duke University and an MA from the University of Chicago in Economics.

Liezel McCord, a financial technology executive, joined Morgan Stanley in Febrary 2019 to improve the quality and management of the firm’s data through a new strategy.

Liezel works within the Data Center of Excellence to boost data innovation, security and efficiency of the bank’s businesses. She will help define principles and procedures for Morgan Stanley to manage its data and work on the creation and implementation a new firm-wide data policy.

Karen Hiers has over 20 years of practical experience on how to navigate an organization to find the right balance in technology, business processes, policies, and data management. Karen is responsible for championing data literacy, enabling end to end data management throughout the organization, driving delivery of data through a data modernization program, and developing high value insights and models using advanced analytics.

Karen started her career as the first official Data Steward at Capital One back in 2001. She has been a practitioner, pioneer, and champion of Data Management practices at Capital One, Citizens Bank, USAA, and now Northern Trust. Over the years she has gained vast experience establishing Data Management programs, growing best in class Data Governance teams, and reducing data risk through process management and control implementation.

Kristine Pfeiler is VP of Enterprise Data Strategy and Governance at RBC. In this role, Kristine leads Shared Data Management Services and Governance and is responsible for defining and delivering shared data management services and automation to support and enable the businesses and corporate functions. Kristine joined RBC in November 2023.

Prior to RBC, Kristine was Managing Director and head of data management with Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking. In this role, Kristine was responsible for defining the strategy and delivering a global operating model for data management and governance. With over 25 years’ experience in financial services, Kristine also held positions in product strategy, technology, management consulting and research at Accenture, Peoplesoft, and Gartner.

Kristine earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. She also holds two patents that help manage financial services counterparty information. Kristine is a fund advisor for a donor fund focused on mental health and is active in charitable organizations focused on food and housing insecurity.

Abhishek Tomar is the Chief Data Officer at S&P Global Market Intelligence and a member of the division’s Operating Committee. In his current role, Abhishek is responsible for the overall management, strategy, transformation and governance of the division’s data assets with an aim to identify data driven business growth and opportunities.

In addition to his role as Chief Data Officer, Abhishek is a strategic advisor to the leadership teams in Argentina, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

He is also spearheading the India Leadership Council comprising of S&P Global and CRISIL, with an aim to discover new pathways to connect strategies and business development opportunities across the region. In a career spanning 21 years, Abhishek has worked in multiple roles in data analytics and operations management and has held senior management and leadership roles in the financial industry.

In his previous role, Abhishek was the Managing Director - India Operations at S&P Global where he was responsible for over 8,000 employees with a focus on delivering strong business results.

Abhishek is an active member of the National Executive Board of American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University and an MBA from NIILM - Centre for Management Studies.

Over 15 Years at Schneider Electric and currently Group Chief Data Officer, SVP Data & Performance

Since joining SG in 2009, he has held a range of positions. Currently, he is the Chief Data Officer, SG Americas, with responsibility for data management and governance within the Region. This function is responsible for implementing the requirements of BCBS 239, establishing sound data governance framework that meets Group needs and local supervisory expectations and creating a solid platform for the data to be leveraged for strategic business decisions. SG roles before that include, Head of the Project Management Office for the SG US Transformation project, Deputy CFO of the Americas Region and Head of Finance Offshoring in SG Bangalore.
Prior to joining SG, Bala was with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) for fourteen years in a range of positions in Toronto and New York. As Senior Vice President of the Wholesale North America Finance, he headed up the controllership function for CIBC’s World Markets and Treasury & Risk Management Strategic Business Units within North America. Prior to that, he also had stints as the business-line controller for the Bank's US origination businesses (Corporate Lending, Investment Banking, Merchant Banking, Structured Finance and High Yield), as well as the 2/ic to the Chief Accountant, with responsibility for consolidated financial, management and regulatory reporting at the corporate level.
Born and brought up in Mumbai India, Bala has a degree in mathematics from the University of Mumbai and holds professional accounting qualifications from both India and the United States. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey, is married with two children and enjoys long-distance running.

Mayank Sharma is senior vice president/senior management director who has over two decades of experience in data and technology leadership.
He is head of enterprise data for State Street overseeing governance, strategy, platforms and initiatives.

Prior to joining State Street, Mayank held various data leadership positions in Bank of America and Goldman Sachs around data governance, data management and data strategy.

Mayank studied engineering at University of Mumbai, India and completed his Executive MBA from USA.

Lafir Thassim is Managing Director and Head of Group Data Management at UBS. In this role, he is responsible for the development and implementation of Data Strategy for the Group, driving sustained transformation across the firm's multiple business divisions and Functions and leading the UBS's Data Management Program. He has over 20 years of experience in the Financial Services industry, covering Balance Sheet and Revenue Control, Data Management, Cash & Liquidity management, Foreign Exchange and OTC Derivatives.

Lafir holds a Double Major in Finance and Accounting, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Kalyani Sekar leads Verizon’s Artificial Intelligence & Data organization, focused on leveraging the power of data and AI across the enterprise. Kalyani is responsible for a broad range of disciplines, from an AI Center of Excellence, to Data Governance, Data Architecture and Engineering, to AI Ethics and Industrialization.

Prior to this role, Kalyani served as VP of Data Engineering and Industrialization, with responsibility for driving data usability, building data products/digital twins across the enterprise, and implementing the data,/ML/experimentation platform strategy. Kalyani joined Verizon in 2002 as an Architect and has held various leadership roles of increasing responsibility across portfolios in Verizon.

Kalyani holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science and she has deep expertise in leadership, technology strategy, building resilient & scalable solutions and process excellence. Her domain knowledge spans the constantly broadening communication technology space. Verizon is a global leader delivering innovative communications and technology solutions that improve the way our customers live, work and play. Verizon operates America’s most reliable wireless network. Headquartered in New York, the
company also provides communications and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customer