Kodi Connect Advisory Board

“I joined Kodi Connect due to my deep commitment to advancing collaboration and innovation within the technology industry. Kodi Connect’s unique approach to fostering meaningful connections and facilitating knowledge exchange aligns perfectly with my professional values “
Ashwin Poojary, the Director of Engineering for Site Reliability Engineering and DevOps at NVIDIA Corporation, leads a highly skilled team responsible for the stability, scalability, and performance of critical cloud, database, and applications infrastructure. With a rich professional background that includes distinguished positions at Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc., Google Inc., Juniper Networks, and Alcatel-Lucent. Ashwin is an active member of the Silicon Valley tech community based in the SF Bay Area.

Dustin is an accomplished risk, compliance, audit, and fraud investigator with over 20 years of professional experience. His expertise lies in evaluating technology risks, fraud, and cyber threats, with a proven track record in enterprise and IT risk management, operational/compliance audit, information security assessment, and business continuity and disaster recovery. Dustin excels in IT Risk Assessment, Fraud and Operational Risk Assessment, GLBA Regulatory Compliance, Conducting Fraud Investigations (FCPA/UK Bribery Act), 3rd-party Risk Assessment, Project Management, Process Improvement, and Team Leadership. He has contributed his expertise to large banks in the US and prestigious global consulting firms, including Accenture and KPMG.

Dr. Mehrdad Heydar Zadeh, is a distinguished data scientist with a diverse career spanning various roles. He co-founded a startup deploying machine learning models on embedded computers. After pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas, specializing in machine learning and anomaly detection, Mehrdad published numerous peer-reviewed research papers.
Mehrdad’s career includes roles at GT-bionics lab at Georgia Tech, Versive (later acquired by esentire), and Expedia Group, where he focused on machine learning applications for cybersecurity, ranking, and personalization projects. As Director of Data Science at Public Storage, he spearheaded the company’s operational transformation using data science and cloud migration.
Currently, as the Vice President of Data Science at Goldman Sachs, Mehrdad leads the Tech Risk Data Science team, building AI systems for cyber defense. His extensive expertise reflects a commitment to advancing data science across various industries.

Hima, the Senior Director of Technology at Elevance Health, is a results-driven leader with a transformative impact on the organization’s digital landscapes. Recognized for crafting and executing technology strategies that enhance operational efficiency and deliver significant business outcomes, Hima’s expertise spans enterprise architecture, cloud computing, and effective leadership of high-performing teams. With a focus on aligning technology initiatives with overall business goals, driving end-to-end digital transformation, and implementing robust cybersecurity measures, Hima brings valuable skills and experience to every endeavor.

With over 17 years in software, Gaurav Shekhar, the Vice President of Technology at US Bank, excels in merging management, architecture, and coding with precision in cloud technologies, data science, and machine learning. As a strategist, Gaurav bridges complex technical processes with tangible business outcomes, leading successful projects, implementing innovative solutions, and fostering a culture of standardization and automation. His track record includes impeccable system architecture, design, and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. Seeking to transcend standards and create value, Gaurav brings expertise, innovation, and dedication to collaborative projects.

Anthony, a seasoned professional at State Street, currently serves as Program Manager for SSGA Technology & Transformation, overseeing technology deliverables for new business growth. With a background in Information Security and diverse roles, he holds a Master’s in Business Analytics, actively contributes to DEI initiatives as President of LAPG, and has received numerous accolades, including the 2022 Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers Award.

As the Global Head of Infrastructure & Cybersecurity at WMG, John has been a driving force since 2018, overseeing pivotal initiatives such as cloud migration, application consolidation, and cybersecurity enhancements. His leadership has resulted in the successful implementation of globally unified end-user compute and network solutions across 60 countries. With a strategic emphasis on achieving excellence in cloud and cybersecurity, John aims to minimize risks, optimize operational efficiencies, and foster revenue growth, drawing from his rich leadership background at Openlink Financial and AMC Networks.

Mayukh Roy is a seasoned Data Management and Engineering leader with a decade-long track record, driving transformative technology and data initiatives. With experience in leading multi-million-dollar, multi-year strategic projects, Mayukh has built core engineering and data platforms to unlock revenue streams, enhance business scalability, and reduce operational costs.
Currently serving as the SVP of Technology, leading Reference Data at PIMCO, an investment manager with over $2T in AuM, Mayukh oversees a high-performing global data engineering team. In this role, he transforms the way PIMCO consumes and manages data to achieve key business outcomes. Reference Data plays a crucial role throughout the investment management lifecycle, delivering essential data for initiatives such as launching new businesses like Systematic Hedge Funds, expanding into Alternatives, and introducing new ESG products. Simultaneously, Mayukh is driving the digitalization of PIMCO’s business and trade operations.

Mahesh Todkar, a seasoned cybersecurity leader with over two decades of experience, excels in planning, implementing, and optimizing cybersecurity solutions for global Fortune 500 companies. His visionary approach prioritizes protection of critical assets, staying ahead of emerging threats, and fostering a culture of compliance. Mahesh’s exceptional leadership and deep knowledge of the cyber threat landscape make him an ideal board advisor, ensuring organizations are well-prepared for the challenges of the digital age. In summary, he is a results-driven leader committed to cybersecurity excellence, making him an invaluable asset for organizations navigating the complexities of the digital landscape.

Amir Tabei, the Chief Information Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), is a results-oriented leader with a proven track record in driving the museum’s digital transformation and information systems. Collaborating with colleagues, he leverages innovative technologies to enhance performance and efficiencies museum-wide. In his role, Amir oversees the DMA’s information systems, digital strategy, product development, collections information, digital media, intellectual properties, and audiovisual elements. His work extends to both staff and galleries, creating engaging experiences for diverse audiences to connect with the museum’s fabulous collections. As a humble and empathetic servant leader, Amir plays a pivotal role in shaping the DMA’s technological vision and ensuring its successful execution.

Rajesh Nair is a highly experienced and award-winning professional with over 18 years of experience in the technology industry. His proficiency in Software Product and Program Management in an agile environment has enabled him to successfully manage strategic visions, define scopes, determine business requirements, prioritize roadmaps and backlogs, communicate with stakeholders, and execute large-scale cross-functional portfolios for companies such as Amazon and LinkedIn. He is an expert at detecting technology issues and providing creative and strategic solutions to solve them. He has exceptional interpersonal, communication, and diagnostic skills, and can work efficiently in high-energy environments. Moreover, Rajesh holds an MBA from the University of Washington and is currently pursuing a professional doctorate in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance at the Colorado Technical University. He is also a board member of the Product Management Community Northwest (PMCNW).

Marino Vedanayagam is a senior leader with a fervor for Tech, Risk, Cyber, and Compliance, channeling these passions to implement and enhance organizational strategy and culture. With a focus on positioning Risk as a Business Partner, Marino is dedicated to finding compliant and efficient solutions that meet high regulatory standards. With extensive experience in USA, NZ, and Australian regulatory and risk environments, Marino has successfully led teams, managed senior stakeholders, and driven global change initiatives within the banking sector. Currently serving as the Head of Business Governance, Change, and Controls, and Business Continuity Lead for Institutional and Investment Banking, Americas at ANZ Banking Group, Marino is actively involved in policy design and think tanks related to Ethics, A.I, Cybersecurity, and Machine Learning, with a specific focus on global technology risk, cyber risk, 3rd party management, and data loss. Marino’s overarching goal is to influence strategy and policy in both business and government, asserting leadership in the global Risk Management landscape.

GK is a seasoned Global Head of Information Security at HedgeServ, boasting 27 years of experience in IT and security. With a business-first mindset, he has led global teams ranging from 10 to 80 members for the past 15 years, demonstrating a successful track record in building programs, especially within regulated industries like financial services. GK’s personal expertise lies in security for hybrid and multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure), as well as in microservices architecture and containerized applications. Holding an MBA from DeSales University and an Executive Leadership certification from Harvard Business School, GK is an active member of the security community, frequently participating in industry panels. His educational background includes a Master of Computer Application (MCA) and a Bachelor of Science in Physics (BSc) from Bharathidasan University, India.

Palash is a dynamic and technically sophisticated engineer with over 17 years of progressive experience. He excels in system design, application architecture, and delivery, showcasing a proven ability to manage the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) from end-to-end. Palash's expertise extends to fraud protection and security, and his personable and engaging communication skills enable him to build consensus on complex initiatives.

Eric boasts a distinguished career marked by expertise in leading planning, staffing, budgeting, technology, and operations within the professional arena. His exceptional skills extend to cross-functional team building, leadership, organization development, and driving quality and performance improvement initiatives.

Cliff, a Computer Science graduate from Aberdeen University, embarked on his career with Marathon Oil in 1988. Over the years, he has held various roles, progressing from analyst/programmer to leadership positions. Cliff's journey took him from supporting systems in the UK North Sea's Brae field to managing Applications & Desktop support for Marathon's European Business Unit. He later took on international coordination roles for enterprise-wide IT initiatives before relocating to Houston in 2006. There, he played a pivotal role in the separation of Marathon Oil and Marathon Petroleum in 2011. Cliff now serves as the IT Director of the E&P Systems organization, overseeing Geoscience, Land, and GIS systems.

Sharada Tyagi, a seasoned Sr. Manager in Data Analytics & Reporting with over thirteen years of expertise, excels in building and supporting enterprise data frameworks, including Oracle ERP-EAM implementation. As a Sr. Cloud Data Governance Engineer, she played a pivotal role in developing modern data architecture platforms like data lakes and MPP cloud data warehousing solutions. Sharada's past roles encompassed Sr. Cloud Engineer/Business Intelligence Data Analytics, specializing in deriving business insights through complex analysis, data mining, and visualization. Certified as an AWS Solutions Architect Associate and AWS CP Professional, she actively pursues AWS Developer Associate Level Certification. Sharada's specialization spans Business Intelligence, Big Data, Emerging Technologies, Data Warehousing, Business Processes, Workflow Analysis, Enterprise Systems Management, Information Security, Decision Modeling, and IT Services and Project Management.

Gerhard is an experienced Information Technology Manager with a proven track record in the mining & metals industry. He brings a wealth of expertise in areas such as Storage Area Network (SAN), Server Architecture, WSUS, Domain Name System (DNS), Networking, and Service Desks. With a Computer Engineering Degree focused on Information Technology from Damelin, Gerhard is a strong operations professional who excels in managing IT operations within complex environments.

Tanweer is a strategic and delivery-focused senior technology leader renowned for his deep subject matter expertise. His areas of specialization include Cloud Transformation, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Governance, Risks & Compliance (GRC) management.
With an impressive track record spanning over 20 years in IT and Business, Tanweer has executed numerous leadership roles and successfully delivered large-scale complex Global Digital Transformation Programs across diverse regions. His extensive expertise encompasses Technical and Business Management, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Technologies, and Cybersecurity.
Tanweer holds an MBA in Business Development and a Bachelor's degree in Engineering with a major in Fiber Optics Telecommunication.

Vijay is the Director of R&D IT for Early Clinical Development & Early Development Program Leadership at Bristol Myers Squibb. He leads transformative initiatives in collaboration with Research & Development Centers and IT departments, driving advancements in life sciences. Serving as Site IT Head for the Brisbane, CA location, he directs technology projects supporting BMS teams in pharmaceutical research and development. With a career spanning pharmaceutical and biotechnology research to healthcare informatics, Vijay has crafted enterprise-level solutions amplifying data exploration and analysis capabilities. Notably, his leadership of the Precision Medicine IT Business Partner team at Translational Medicine IT played a crucial role in deploying innovative platforms for semantic integration of R&D and biomarker data. Prior to joining BMS, Vijay led Research Informatics Applications at City of Hope National Medical Center and held foundational technical roles at Roche Pharmaceuticals, TCS, and GE, honing skills driving technological breakthroughs in life sciences.

Keith brings over 35 years of experience in Engineering Technology and Information Security to his role as VP of Enterprise Technology and Senior Cyber Risk Consultant at Truist Financial Corporation, focusing on the Third-Party Risk Management program. With a B.S. from Kennesaw State University in Computer Science and Information Security Assurance, Keith has presented at numerous Cybersecurity Conferences and CISO-level forums, covering topics such as Network and infrastructure Security, Cloud Security, and Third-Party Risk Management. Recognized by ISACA and ISC2, Keith serves in leadership roles, contributing as a Subject Matter Expert and Writer for various certification exams. Outside of technology, he enjoys cooking, personal investing, outdoor sports, and traveling internationally with his spouse, all while advocating the importance of continuous learning and teaching in building great societies and cultures.

Scott is an accomplished IT executive with extensive experience in technology leadership and organizational change across various industries such as manufacturing, insurance, utilities, IT services, medical devices, and aviation. He obtained his Master of Information Systems from Wright State University in 2018 and is passionate about continuous improvement as a strategic IT leader. Scott excels in helping teams leverage their strengths to create and deliver measured solutions, facilitating easy justification to business executives and prioritization in business service portfolios. With a keen interest in public speaking, he has presented at international, national, and local conferences.

Shobhit, the Security & Compliance Director at Headspace, a San Francisco-based on-demand mental health company, brings over 12 years of experience in Security & Information Assurance. His career spans esteemed organizations like HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, PayPal, & Fidelity Investments, where he honed his expertise in building and maturing security and compliance programs.
Additionally, Shobhit collaborates with ISACA in developing exam questions for certifications like CISA, CISM, CGEIT and serves as a technical reviewer for CGEIT & CISA Review Manual. He's a published author for ISACA's COBIT 5 journal and an exam guide on CRISC. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring Bay Area trails, participating in ultramarathons, blogging on GRCMusings.com, and presenting at industry conferences.
Shobhit holds an MS in Cybersecurity from Northeastern University, Boston, and boasts a plethora of certifications including CISSP, CCSP, CRISC, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, HITRUST CCSFP, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, ISO 31000 Risk Management, and ITIL Foundation.

Gaurav is an accomplished leader in Data Engineering and backend systems, boasting over 20 years of expertise in database development and implementing engineering excellence across workflows and teams. With a keen focus on people development and technical expertise sharing, Gaurav contributes effectively to a wide array of topics. Recognizing the evolving landscape of data, he emphasizes the importance of investments in analytics, data storage, processing, and governance to adapt to changing enterprise needs. Gaurav's goal is to enhance the data ecosystem by implementing strategies and processes that improve data quality, support decision-making, automate processes, and ensure compliance cost-effectively, fostering a data-driven culture.

David is an accomplished IT and security professional with 15 years of experience, currently serving as Senior Manager for IT & Security at Barstool Sports. With a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from New York University, David brings a holistic perspective to technology leadership. Prior to Barstool Sports, he founded VendorITOps, a tech firm focused on modernizing IT connections. David's passion lies in enhancing technology infrastructures to boost organizational performance and user experience, demonstrated through his leadership roles and commitment to professional development. As a thought leader, David actively contributes to the industry through writing, speaking engagements, and staying updated on emerging trends, aiming to shape the future of IT strategy and cybersecurity.

James serves as the Head of Compliance Technology for Wealth Management at J.P. Morgan Chase, where he drives transformative initiatives and holds several patents for AI, FinOps, and automated testing. A sought-after conference speaker on topics like AWS migrations, James leads the common cloud components team and oversees large-scale digital transformations. With multiple awards to his name, including the American Financial Technology Award for Best Compliance Initiative, James is recognized for his expertise in RegTech and financial services IT. He holds master’s degrees in digital design from Harvard University and in finance from the City University of New York, and is certified as an AWS Solutions Architect.

Preeti is a seasoned Agile transformation leader known for her results-oriented approach and passion for agile principles. With a strong managerial background, she excels in applying agile frameworks to optimize business value and achieve business agility. Preeti is skilled in team building, resource management, and fostering a positive work environment, driving organizational culture change to support strategic goals. She has a proven track record of integrating portfolio models, renovating platforms, and implementing transformational solutions to drive cost savings, revenue growth, and business success.

Andy serves as the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Application Development at Wintrust Financial, a leading financial services holding company. With extensive experience in IT management, Andy plays a key role in driving technological innovation within the organization.