AI Collaboration: A Data Leader's Advice for CIOs
TechTarget, Friday, June 19th, 2026
CIOs must actively partner across business functions on AI, combining bottom-up enablement with top-down strategy.
Bharath Krishnamachari, senior director of data and AI at Delivery Hero brands, outlines a dual-pronged approach to enterprise AI adoption: combine grassroots enablement giving employees modern tools like Google Gemini with executive-sponsored initiatives through an AI center of excellence.
"It's no longer a time to lean back," he advises, warning CIOs risk stagnation without active engagement. To mitigate shadow AI, companies should provide comprehensive approved tooling and enforce governance for production deployments.
Success factors include C-level commitment, platformized access to secure tools, and clear frameworks for which data functions can access in compliance with security and privacy.