Canvas Logo

Adapting to Change: Professionally and Personally

Tuesday, May 6, 2025
09:20 AM - 09:50 AM
Business / Non-Technical

"Change is the only constant." (widely attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus)

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change." (attributed to English naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin)

There are many quotes and aphorisms offering wisdom about change, and at a rational level, we as humans tend to accept the premise that change is always occurring. But are we good at coping with it? History is full of examples where individuals, businesses, industries, and even nations were unable to recognize and adjust to changes, which eventually led to their downfall. Change is hard for humans to do, so even though we may recognize that change is inevitable, we often resist it and avoid adapting, often delaying until too late.

What's the answer to this dilemma, especially in the context of our roles as business and data management professionals? Our panel will discuss the approaches you can take to adapt to change in both a professional and personal context, because both are critical if you are going to thrive in the AI-driven business world of the 21st century.


Kelle O'Neal

Kelle O'Neal

Founder and CEO
First San Francisco Partners

Kelle is the Founder and CEO of First San Francisco Partners (FSFP). She is a veteran industry leader, accomplished advisor, noted speaker, author, and trainer. Kelle is passionate about helping organizations realize the business value of data — and empowering them to derive insights that can improve operational efficiency and decision-making, generate new revenue, support sustainability, and mitigate risk and fraud.

Kelle’s strong background in customer relationship management, enterprise software, and systems integration uniquely positions her to excel in helping organizations of all sizes and complexities successfully execute on data governance, organizational change management, master data management, digital transformation, and other strategic initiatives. She developed her ability to work through organizational complexity, build consensus, and drive results in senior roles at companies that include U.S.-based firms GoldenGate Software, Siebel Systems, and Oracle. She also worked at the executive level in Europe and Asia. Under her leadership of FSFP, the firm’s client list has grown significantly over the years, as has its consulting and support teams. Kelle holds a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Wendy Turner Williams

Wendy Turner Williams

CEO and Founder
Culstrata-ai and TheAssociation.AI

Wendy is a distinguished leader and innovator at the intersection of business, AI, data, software, and cloud services. She has led transformative digital, cloud, and AI initiatives for globally recognized brands, turning complex concepts into actionable strategies. As the founder and CEO of Culstrata-ai and TheAssociation.ai, Wendy has created platforms that not only offer AI and data services but also unite professionals worldwide in the fields of AI, ethics, privacy, robotics, and security to promote ethical and trustworthy AI. Her leadership roles at Salesforce, Tableau, and other tech giants highlight her ability to drive significant operational and revenue advancements. An award-winning innovator, Wendy's leadership has generated over $1.75 billion in ARR. She is also a prolific author and advocate for diversity, recently publishing "Unleashing the Power of Data with Trusted AI." 
C. Lwanga Yonke

C. Lwanga Yonke

Founder and President
Padouk Consulting, LLC

C. Lwanga Yonke is the Founder and President of Padouk Consulting, LLC. In that capacity, he helps organizations boost their business results by improving the quality of their most important data. During a distinguished career as an information leader, Lwanga has successfully designed and implemented projects in multiple areas, including information quality, data governance, business intelligence, data warehousing, data architecture, and building a data culture. His initial experience is in petroleum engineering and operations.

An established information quality expert, Lwanga holds an MBA from California State University, Bakersfield, and a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. A strong believer in process improvement, he also held the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer credential. Lwanga is actively engaged in various volunteer projects and community service activities.

Stephanie Valarezo

Stephanie Valarezo

Program Director, IBM Data and AI Product
IBM

Stephanie Valarezo is a Technical Product Leader for IBM Data Integration, including the DataStage and Data Replication product management team. Stephanie is passionate about data and works with enterprises on their strategic data engineering, management, and analysis initiatives. Stephanie has a background in product design, scientific research, and training as a biomedical engineer. She is a collaborative forward thinker with strong communication skills, knowledge of current technology trends in the data integration sphere across industries, and a strong desire to give back to the community through meetups and other volunteer work.