Analysts And Consultants
At the Analyst + Consultant Advisory Network (ACAN), we are passionate about leveraging the power of data, analytics and AI to drive business success. Our mission is to facilitate knowledge-sharing between sponsors and our team of expert analysts and consultants who are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge advisory insights that empower businesses to achieve growth and success. ACAN’s experts collaborate with sponsoring vendors to increase market awareness, differentiate competitive approaches and validate overall product strategy.
Meet Our Experts
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Andrew Brust
Andrew Brust is founder and CEO of Blue Badge Insights, advising data and analytics ISVs on winning in the market, solution providers on their service offerings and customers on their analytics strategy. He writes about big data for The New Stack and co-chairs the Visual Studio Live! series of developer conferences. Andrew is an entrepreneur, a consulting veteran, an analyst and former research director. He’s also an influencer in the Microsoft ecosystem, recognized as both a Microsoft Regional Director and Data Platform MVP.
Donna Burbank
Donna Burbank is a recognized industry expert with more than 25 years of experience in data management and enterprise architecture. She currently is the Managing Director of Global Data Strategy Ltd, an international data management consulting company, and has worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies worldwide in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her background is multi-faceted across consulting, product development, product management, brand strategy, marketing, and business leadership. As an active contributor to the data management community, she is a long time DAMA International member, TDWI faculty member, past president and advisor to the DAMA Rocky Mountain chapter, and was awarded the Excellence in Data Management Award from DAMA International. She speaks regularly at industry conferences and has co-authored several books on data management.
Gary Cokins
Gary Cokins is an internationally recognized expert, speaker, and author in enterprise and corporate performance management (EPM/CPM) improvement methods and business analytics. He is the founder of Analytics-Based Performance Management, an advisory firm located in Cary, North Carolina. Gary received a BS degree with honors in industrial engineering and operations research from Cornell University in 1971. He received his MBA with honors from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 1974. His three most recent books are Performance Management: Integrating Strategy Execution, Methodologies, Risk, and Analytics, Predictive Business Analytics, and Supply Chain Costing and Performance Management.
Wayne Eckerson
Wayne Eckerson is President of Eckerson Group and has been a thought leader in the business intelligence and analytics field since the early 1990s. He is a sought-after consultant, noted speaker and bestselling author who thinks critically, writes clearly and presents persuasively about complex topics. Eckerson has written two books: The Secrets of Analytical Leaders: Insights from Information Insiders (2012) and Performance Dashboards: Measuring, Monitoring, and Managing Your Business (2005/2010), as well as dozens of reports and hundreds of articles during his 25 years in the field.
Donald Farmer
Donald Farmer is the principal of TreeHive Strategy, advising software vendors, enterprises and investors on data and advanced analytics strategy. Donald has worked on some of the leading data technologies in the market and in award-winning startups. He previously led design and innovation teams at Microsoft and Qlik. He has written several books and a popular blog.
Mike Ferguson
Mike Ferguson is CEO and Head of Research at Intelligent Business Strategies. As an independent IT industry analyst and consultant, he specializes in data management, analytics, and AI. With over 40 years of IT experience in this field, Mike has consulted for dozens of companies on all aspects of data management and analytics including data and AI strategy, modern data architecture, data and AI governance, data fabric, data products, technology selection and detailed implementation. He is also conference chair of Big Data LDN, the largest data and analytics conference in Europe and a member of the EDM Council CDMC Executive Advisory Board. He has keynoted events all over the world and written many articles. Formerly he was Chief Architect at Teradata on the Teradata DBMS and principal and co-founder of Codd and Date – the inventors of the Relational Model which caused the birth of relational databases and the SQL language. He teaches popular master classes in many countries on Data and AI Strategy, Modern Data Architecture, Data Catalogs, Practical Guidelines for Implementing a Data Mesh, How to Govern Data Across a Distributed Data Estate, Data Warehouse Modernization, and Embedded Analytics, Intelligent Apps and AI Automation.
John Foley
John Foley is Editor of the Cloud Database Report, former Editor of InformationWeek magazine, and a communications leader who has served in senior roles at Oracle, IBM, and MongoDB. John’s background in enterprise technology spans databases, AI, analytics, open systems, cloud, SaaS, and data centers. His articles have been widely published in the Cloud Database Report, Cloud Wars, Forbes, InformationWeek, Open Systems Today, CommunicationsWeek, and other media. John works with clients to develop and drive strategic communications and thought leadership programs.
Cher Fox
Cher Fox, aka The Datanista, is an international leader in data strategy, quality assurance and mergers & acquisitions. As the President & Founder of Fox Consulting, she brings nearly four decades of experience guiding global organizations through complex data challenges, product development and enabling successful enterprise-wide transformations.Cher's work is defined by her ability to bridge the gap between business and technology. She empowers organizations to align data strategies with business goals to drive impactful change. With a proven track record in healthcare, finance, and multiple Fortune 500 companies, Cher excels in leading teams to deliver value from data while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
She is widely recognized for her thought leadership, including speaking engagements, webinars, and publications, as well as her podcast hosting of Insight Jam’s “The Jam Session” series. Her work continues to inspire executives and practitioners to implement best practices and think differently about the role of data in business transformation.
Rick Greenwald
Rick Greenwald is a former Gartner Analyst who has been in the software industry for more than 20 years. Prior to Gartner, he worked for Data General, Cognos, Gupta Technologies and Oracle. Rick has more than 10 years in marketing and competitive analysis and has written 12 books on technology and technical selling. He has worked in the field as a sales consultant, managed sales consultants, and developed and delivered training and lectures around the world.
Richard Hackathorn
Dr. Richard Hackathorn is the founder of Bolder Technology, Inc., a consulting and education firm in Boulder, CO that focuses on business intelligence and analytics. Richard has extensive experience in the information technology industry as a well-known industry analyst, technology innovator, and international educator. He has pioneered many innovations in database management, decision support, client-server computing, database connectivity, associative link analysis, and data warehousing. His focus areas include business value of timely data, real-time business intelligence, data warehouse appliances, and ethics in business intelligence.
Dr. Christine Haskell is a collaborative advisor, educator, and author with nearly three decades of experience in Information Management and Social Science, specializing in data-driven innovation, strategy, and governance. While at Microsoft in the early 2000s, Christine led data-driven innovation initiatives, including the company's initial move to Big Data and Cloud Computing. Her work on predictive data solutions in 2010 helped set the stage for Microsoft's early AI strategy. In Driving Data Projects, she advises leaders on data transformations, helping them bridge the divide between human and data skills. Dr. Haskell teaches graduate courses in information management, innovation, and leadership at prominent institutions, focusing her research on values-based leadership, ethical governance, and the human advantage of data skills in organizational success.
Norbert Kremer
Norbert Kremer is a data scientist and Google cloud expert for WinterCorp. His hands-on expertise with scalable database and cloud platforms is used to create big data and data warehouse solutions in healthcare, life sciences, financial, retail and digital media. Dr. Kremer's skill and implementation experience have resulted in major successes for clients in these and other fields.
Krish Krishnan
Krish Krishnan is CEO and Founder of Sixth Sense Advisors and is an innovative data thought leader with more than 30 years of experience delivering creative, data-centric and value-driven solutions. Having proven leadership experience with global diverse and large organizations, Krish is highly regarded as a data-driven creationist. With a wide range of technical domain expertise and business acumen, he is committed to designing coherent enterprise platforms. Krish is an entrepreneur and founder of a successful technology transformation consultancy. He is also the author of six books, the TDWI Big Data Maturity Model and several white papers.
Mary Levins
Mary Levins is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Sierra Creek Consulting, a firm dedicated to bring value through data by delivering innovative, sustainable, and strategic data management solutions. Mary is a leading expert in data governance and data management, recognized for her ability to design and implement robust frameworks and solutions that enhance productivity, optimize costs, and mitigate risks across many different industries. Mary is a member of FBI InfraGard, has many certifications, and has a passion for aligning data strategies with organizational goals and culture, enabling businesses to transform data into a powerful strategic asset to deliver measurable value. As the Co-author of Building the Data Lakehouse and Data Architecture: A Primer for the Data Scientist, 2nd Edition, Mary shares her expertise on modern data management practices and foundational principles to maximize data value.
Karen Lopez
Karen Lopez is a senior project manager and architect with an extensive background in development processes and information management. She specializes in taking practical approaches to systems development. She has 20+ years of public speaking (keynotes, speeches, and demonstrations). She wants attendees to have fun, gain insights and take away inspiration for working with new technologies and methods.
David Loshin
David Loshin is the founder of Knowledge Integrity and a recognized thought leader and expert consultant in the areas of data management and business intelligence. David is a prolific author focusing on information management best practices as the author of numerous books and papers, including Big Data Analytics: From Strategic Planning to Enterprise Integration with Tools, Techniques, NoSQL, and Graph and The Practitioner’s Guide to Data Quality Improvement. David is a frequently invited speaker at conferences, web seminars, and sponsored websites and channels. David is also a Senior Lecturer and Faculty Lead for Careers and External Relations program at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies.
Arun Marar, Ph.D.
Dr. Arun Marar is an expert at implementing AI/ML models utilizing a wide range of technologies such as supervised and unsupervised learning, text analytics, natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning. Arun has consulted with clients all around the world across domains such as Banking and Financial Services, Retail, Healthcare and Transportation Logistics. Arun is also an expert in optimization, and this has helped him aid companies in moving up the value chain of analytics from predictive analytics to prescriptive analytics. Dr. Marar has a PhD from Princeton University.
Danette McGilvray
Danette McGilvra is Founder, President, and Principal Consultant at Granite Falls Consulting, Inc. She is an internationally respected expert known for her Ten Steps™ approach to data quality, outlined in her book Executing Data Quality Projects: Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information™, 2nd Ed. (Elsevier/Academic Press, 2021), which shares a proven method used successfully by multiple industries in many countries. She uses her 30 years of experience to increase business value by connecting business strategy with practical steps for addressing data quality/governance issues, implementing programs, and improving operational processes. In addition, she is committed to the appropriate and effective use of technology and to addressing the human aspect of data management through communication and change management. Danette is a co-author of “The Leader’s Data Manifesto”, a document used to raise awareness about treating data as a business asset and has overseen its translation into 24 languages.
William McKnight
William McKnight is President of McKnight Consulting Group and functions as strategist, lead enterprise information architect, and program manager for sites worldwide utilizing the disciplines of data warehousing, master data management, business intelligence and big data. William is an Ernst &Young Southwest Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and a frequent best practices judge. He has published hundreds of articles and white papers and given hundreds of international keynotes and public seminars, including TEDx. William is a former award-winning IT VP of a Fortune 50 company, a former engineer of DB2 at IBM and holds an MBA. He is author of the books Integrating Hadoop and Information Management: Strategies for Gaining a Competitive Advantage with Data.
Sanjeev Mohan
Sanjeev Mohan is the founder of SanjMo and is an established thought leader in the areas of cloud, big data and analytics. Sanjeev researches and advises on changing trends and technologies in the modern cloud data architectures. He started his data and analytics journey at Oracle where he worked on emerging technologies and built cutting-edge solutions. Until recently, Sanjeev was a Gartner research vice president known for his prolific work and attention to detail. He regularly presents on topics pertaining to end-to-end data pipelines and is excited to help businesses discover what their data can do for them.
Hyoun Park
Hyoun Park is the Founder and CEO of Amalgam Insights. He helps companies with financial, business value, and vendor selection challenges for mobility, cloud computing, and data strategy. In his work, Park uses an amalgam of quantitative and qualitative research methods based on 20+ years of work experiences spanning IT, sports analytics, commutative chemistry, building startups, pricing personae, political finance, and cultural analysis to support IT departments, technology product teams, and investor teams conducting due diligence.
Ron Powell
Ron Powell is an independent analyst, consultant and editorial expert and the Executive Director and Executive Producer for the Analyst + Consultant Advisory Network. Ron has more than 30 years of experience in publishing, marketing and consulting with extensive knowledge and proficiency in data, analytics and AI. He previously founded DM Review and BeyeNETWORK, which were acquired by Thomson Media and TechTarget, respectively.
Tom Pringle
Tom Pringle founded Pilot Research with the belief that any technology or software can be explained simply, contextualized by market trends to build connection with a range of business personas and their requirements, and effectively differentiated in markets whether nascent or mature. He has spent his entire professional career in the technology and software sector with roles in research and analysis, consulting, and management roles with Datamonitor, Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, Ovum (Informa), and most recently G2. Tom’s personal focus is in data and information management, analytical technologies, and the evolution of enterprise applications. He is curious about the role technologies play in digital transformation, which recently has led to his practical and philosophical interest in AI's social and economic impact.
Steve Rosvold
Steve Rosvold is a CFO, Coach and Educator. He spent the first half of his career in executive roles with multinational companies. In 2004 he started a CFO advisory practice that helped over 100 companies improve their finance function. This practice grew into CFO.University, CFO development platform delivering practical, convenient and performance enhancing training to finance leaders. Steve is a graduate of Augsburg University, earned an MBA from the U of C Booth School of Business and a CPA (Inactive). Before building CFO.University Steve founded KRM Business Solutions in 2004 to assist Pacific Northwest companies in developing the knowledge, processes, systems, and tools they need for success. Whether the goal is to grow exponentially or achieve stable profitability, this core function needs to be handled with intelligence, skill, and unwavering commitment. Steve has honed his ability to drive change, improve profitability, and ensure long-term financial health for businesses.
Phillip Russom
Philip Russom is a well-known figure in data management, data warehousing (DW), data integration (DI), big data, and analytics. Having worked as an industry analyst for 25 years, Philip has produced over 650 research reports, magazine articles, speeches, and webinars. He covered data management for Gartner, TDWI, Forrester Research, Giga Information Group, Hurwitz Group, and his own private analyst practice. He also focused on data management as a contributing editor at Intelligent Enterprise and DM Review magazines. His current research and client interactions involve the many types of database management systems (DBMSs) that are available on cloud, on premises, and in hybrid or distributed architectures, with a focus on DBMS use cases in data warehousing, data lakes, data lakehouses, and analytics.
Bob Seiner
Robert (Bob) S. Seiner is the President and Principal of KIK Consulting & Educational Services and the Publisher Emeritus of The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN.com). Bob has been awarded the DAMA Professional Award for significant and demonstrable contributions to the data management industry. Bob and KIK specialize in Non-Invasive Data Governance™, data stewardship, and metadata management solutions and has successfully assisted and mentored many notable organizations. Bob is Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) Heinz College Executive Education Chief Data and AI Officer (CDAIO) certificate program.
Brad Shimmin
Brad Shimmin is Chief Analyst, AI & Data Analytics for Omdia. He has more than 25 years of experience in IT technology, analyzing data and information architectures. Skilled in competitive market intelligence, technology selection, business development, and quantitative research, he also has experience as an IT professional, business analyst, book author/editor, and high-tech journalist/editor. Brad helps enterprises and high-tech companies work effectively across several market areas, including enterprise data and analytics, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and DevOps. With a background in software development and database administration, his expertise also covers market evaluation and go-to-market messaging.
Dr. Anne-Marie Smith
Dr. Anne Marie Smith is a leading consultant and educator in Data and Information Management with broad experience across industries. She is a frequent speaker in webinars and at conferences and is an author on data management topics for a wide range of publications. Anne Marie's consulting areas include enterprise data management strategy, assessment and planning; data governance program development; data ethics; and data quality management. She has developed and taught numerous workshops and courses in her areas of expertise and teaches doctoral students through Capella University. Anne Marie earned a Ph.D. in MIS and has earned various industry certifications.
Dr. Prashanth Southekal
Dr. Prashanth H Southekal is the Founder and Managing Principal of DBP-Institute. He brings over 25 years of Information Management experience from over 80 companies including SAP, Shell, Apple, P&G, and GE. In addition, he has trained over 4,500 professionals world-over in Data and Analytics. Dr. Southekal is the author of 3 books - Data for Business Performance, Analytics Best Practices, and Data Quality, and writes regularly in Forbes, CFO.University, SAP Insider, DATAVERSITY, and FP&A Trends. He is an Adjunct Professor of Data Analytics at IE Business School (Madrid, Spain) where he received the teaching excellence award for the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Dr. Southekal holds a PhD from ESC Lille (FR), an MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US), and ICD.D designation from Rotman School of Management (CA).
Dave Stodder
Dave Stodder is an Independent Analyst focused on data intelligence, data management, BI, analytics and AI; TDWI research fellow. David has been a thought leader in the field for more than two decades, focusing on providing research-based insights and best practices for organizations implementing BI, analytics, data discovery, data visualization, performance management, and related technologies and methods. Previously, he led his own independent firm and served as vice president and research director with Ventana Research. He was the founding chief editor of Intelligent Enterprise where he also served as editorial director for nine years.
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Gwen Thomas
Gwen Thomas is best known as the Founder of the Data Governance Institute, the primary author of the DGI framework and guidance published at DataGovernance.com, and as a teacher who has influenced hundreds of data programs around the globe. She spent many years working in IT shops and providing data management and data governance consulting services, before spending 10 years as an in-house data strategist for the World Bank Group's private sector arm. Much of her time there focused on translating between executives, program leaders, data governance teams, lawyers, architects, modelers, policy writers, auditors, and data quality teams. Her special focus is on helping non-technical teams become stronger advocates for their own needs.
Dave Wells
Dave Wells is a data management consultant and educator with experience across a broad spectrum of data management processes and practices. As a consultant he provides advice, direction, and guidance for data architecture, data quality, data governance, data integration, and data interoperability. As an educator, he is Director of Education and an instructor at eLearningCurve and instructor of a variety of courses at Dataversity. Several decades of information systems, data management, and business management experience give Dave a unique perspective about the synergies of business, information, data, and technology. Knowledge sharing and skills building are Dave’s passions, carried out through consulting, speaking, teaching, and writing.
Richard Winter​
Richard Winter is CEO and Principal Architect of WinterCorp. He is a renowned specialist in data management for AI, ML and advanced analytics at scale for WinterCorp. He advises enterprise executives on the strategy and architecture of the modern analytic data platform. Over 50 enterprises, government agencies and vendors have retained Richard to make architecture and platform recommendations or perform engineering tests.
Lyndsay Wise
Lyndsay Wise leads the data governance practice at a not-for-profit and works as a part-time industry analyst covering data management, analytics, and emerging technologies. Lyndsay has more than 25 years experience in the business intelligence and data management space, with roles including director of market intelligence, director of research, industry evangelist, and was the founder of WiseAnalytics, an independent analyst and boutique consulting firm that focused on enabling mid-market organizations to get the most out of their data investments. Lyndsay is the author of Using Open Source Platforms for Business Intelligence: Avoid Pitfalls and Maximize ROI.
Alexander Wurm
Alexander Wurm is a Senior Analyst at Nucleus Research covering enterprise software, including data analytics, data integration, and data management. Alexander also leads data science coverage at Nucleus, building on his experience designing decision-making models in the University of Florida's Cognition and Decision Modeling Lab. Alexander holds two degrees from the University of Florida: a BA in Economics and a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience.
Tobias Zwingmann
Tobias Zwingmann is a leading author, speaker, and advisor in applied AI with over 15 years of experience helping businesses adopt AI and machine learning for meaningful impact. As managing partner at RAPYD.AI, a Germany-based AI consultancy, and Head of Research – Applied AI at D2A2, he leads AI initiatives, develops data strategies, and stays at the forefront of AI advancements. A Fraunhofer-certified Senior Data Scientist and LinkedIn Top Voice, Tobias shares his expertise with over 70,000 followers and is the author of AI-Powered Business Intelligence and co-author of Augmented Analytics.