In the age of AI, the data leader's role has never been more critical. At this year's Data in the D conference, join top local leaders for an exclusive panel exploring the strategic realities of leading data initiatives in today’s rapidly evolving enterprise landscape. This session moves beyond theory to tackle real-world data leadership challenges. Our panelists will share ground-level insights on balancing rapid technological adoption with the need to transform an organization's cultural DNA to be truly data-centric.
AJ Ferrara
Director - Business Intelligence & Analytics
Mastronardi Produce
Mastronardi is the family-owned company behind SUNSET®. It pioneered greenhouse produce in North America and now runs a year-round grow-pack-ship operation across three countries. Known for specialty items such as snacking tomatoes, mini cucumbers, sweet peppers, and greenhouse-grown strawberries.
A.J. Ferrara built and manages the One Data Platform that runs analytics from greenhouse to grocery shelf and powers AI and agentic use cases. He previously spent 20 years leading data and analytics initiatives at General Motors.
Marina Martynenko
Director of Technology Infrastructure and Support
University of Michigan
Marina Martynenko is Director of Technology Infrastructure and Support at the University of Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation, where she leads technology infrastructure, enterprise systems, studio technology, and support for Michigan Online. Before joining U-M, she spent nearly two decades at Eaton, a Fortune 100 company, leading enterprise-scale transformations across ERP, PLM, Salesforce, SAP modernization, AI, automation, and resilience. Her work focuses on turning data, platforms, and emerging technologies into trusted operational capabilities.
Samuel Umachi
Head of Data
Kit
Samuel Umachi is a data and analytics executive with over 15 years of experience leading data strategy, building high-performing teams, and translating complex information into measurable business impact.
As Head of Data at Kit, Samuel oversees the company's end-to-end data ecosystem, spanning data engineering, analytics engineering, business intelligence, and advanced analytics. He leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for building scalable data capabilities, enabling data-informed decision-making, and aligning data investments with strategic business priorities.
Previously, Samuel held analytics leadership positions at Sprout Social, Twilio, Zillow, and Rocket Mortgage, where he helped organizations strengthen forecasting, optimize revenue performance, and leverage data to solve complex business challenges.
Samuel is passionate about bridging the gap between technology and business strategy, developing data-driven cultures, and demonstrating how effective data leadership can create lasting organizational value.
Aaron Wilkerson
Director Data Strategy & Products
Carhartt
Aaron has over 19 years of experience in data & analytics, working across various industries. He has specialized in building and driving data strategies that help companies leverage their data assets. He also has experience in building and leading teams to implement data solutions that enable data-driven problem-solving. These experiences have delivered measurable business value for the companies that have used these solutions.
Aaron has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Grand Valley State University. Aaron lives in Livonia, MI with his wife and their five children.
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