Catalyst

This week on Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Sezin Palmer, AI Solutions Leader at NTT DATA in North America. Sezin traces her impressive and unconventional journey from CIA analyst and Navy submarine warfare programs to building the National Health Mission area at Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Lab from scratch, then leading health AI and data at EY. Tammy and Sezin dig into the democratization of AI and what it means that capabilities once locked behind years of data science training are now accessible to nearly anyone. They also discuss the thorny challenge of how organizations decide what not to build and why the hardest leadership problem right now isn't launching AI, it's knowing when to stop. Sezin also shares her vision for what has her most excited: the convergence of software, robotics, and biology.
Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA
Links:
Sezin Palmer
Learn more about Launch by NTT DATA
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Abhijit Sunil, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, where he leads flagship research programs on IT sustainability, sustainability management, and climate risk. Abhijit traces his remarkable journey from designing robotics labs at IIT Bombay to consulting at Ericsson and McKinsey, before landing at Forrester where a flood of client questions about data center efficiency set him on the path to sustainability research. He shares how volunteering as a teacher in Mumbai's slums profoundly shaped his worldview—giving him a lens for seeing optimization and sustainability as deeply human issues, not just technical ones. Tammy and Abhijit also dig into the double-edged nature of AI, from its staggering energy demands to its extraordinary potential to democratize access, and why the answer to almost every big question in sustainability lives somewhere in the Goldilocks zone between extremes.
Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.
Links:
Abhijit Sunil
Learn more about Launch by NTT DATA
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Tammy welcomes Will Townsend to the Catalyst podcast booth, recording live from NTT Research’s Upgrade event in Silicon Valley. Will is the Chief Analyst at LoneStar Advisory and Research, an independent firm he launched after nearly a decade at Moor Insights & Strategy. In this conversation, Will shares where he's seeing AI create genuine, measurable impact beyond the pilot stage. Will also makes the case for post-quantum readiness as the next critical frontier and gives a candid look at his own hands-on science experiment with an OpenClaw mini PC — because, as he puts it, there's no substitute for getting your hands dirty.
Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.
Links:
LoneStar Advisory and Research
Learn more about Launch by NTT DATA

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Catalyst, Caleb Knight joins Tammy in the Catalyst podcast booth, recording live from NTT Research’s Upgrade event. Caleb is the Director Of AI TechX, Industry Partnerships and Economic Development at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Together they explore the reality of AI in the workforce; reframing the conversation around job displacement into job creation and opportunities.They dive into how the University of Tennessee is working with a variety of industry partners to empower the next generation entering the workforce, how this translates across industries and fields, and how being a lifelong learner is the way forward!
Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA
Links:
Caleb Knight
AI TECHX
Learn more about Launch by NTT DATA
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Tammy welcomes Bob Pick to the Catalyst podcast booth, recording live from NTT Research’s Upgrade event. Bob is the EVP & CIO at Tokio Marine North America, a multinational insurance holding company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. In their conversation, Bob shares how his nontraditional background in the humanities—including research on the history of swimming pool design—has shaped his approach to working in technology. He and Tammy also discuss the advantages of working at a Japanese company, notably the philosophy of sustainability and encouraging personal development. Bob also shares examples of where he’s been bullish on adopting AI, while cautioning against rushing headfirst into disruption. He argues that the most successful companies will be those that take a moment to determine how new technology like AI can meaningfully improve how they work.
Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA
Links:
Bob Pick
Tokio Marine North America Services
Learn more about Launch by NTT DATA
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.