Why Garbage In Disaster Out is AIs New Reality: Ecolab CDO

Anand Iyer

SVP, Chief Data Officer

Ecolab

Episode Overview

Join us for expert insights on driving data-led change. Anand Iyer, Senior Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Ecolab, breaks down his approach to AI-powered innovation. He shares how to ensure AI initiatives directly impact the bottom line, why an engineering approach is key for prioritizing AI use cases, and that "garbage in, disaster out" is the new reality for data at AI scale. Discover how self-service analytics with AI is transforming data access and why AI is now a critical "business forcing function" in today's volatile world.

Key Moments:

The "Value First Mindset" for AI (03:13): Despite the hype around AI, initiatives must directly impact the top or bottom line in a measurable way. Sustained investment requires a clear link between the AI initiative and its financial value, moving beyond "soft benefits."
Engineering Mindset for Prioritization (11:27): Anand discusses how an engineering approach is applied to prioritizing AI use cases, which helps teams focus on thoroughly understanding the problem and desired outcome before selecting a solution.
"Garbage In, Disaster Out" (14:27): A new take on an old adage is introduced: "in the AI world is garbage in and disaster out". This highlights the magnified risks of bad data when leveraged at AI scale.
Advocacy for Self-Service Analytics with AI (24:10): Self-service analytics is championed, describing how the integration of AI and conversational AI allows users to ask questions regarding the data. This removes the need for IT involvement in report generation and simplifies the learning curve for data structures.
AI as a Business Forcing Function (33:38): In today's volatile global environment, near real-time data and AI-driven insights are no longer optional but a "business forcing function". Rapid reactions to market disruptions, policy changes, and supply chain issues are critical for a company's survival and success.

Key Quotes:

If you want to have a seat at the table, you've got to be able to talk in terms of what the value is in terms of dollars. - Anand Iyer

We've deployed ThoughtSpot technology to be able to provide self-serve analytics to our teams, which allows them to have access to the data. This enables them to have conversational questions. - Anand Iyer

The role that data, analytics, and AI play is the ability to give business leaders access to impact and what they should do in a very timely manner so that they can minimize any impact to business. - Anand Iyer

Mentions:

Bio:

Anand Iyer is the SVP, Chief Data Officer at Ecolab, where he leads the company’s global data and analytics strategy. Based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, he oversees enterprise data governance, business intelligence, engineering, and advanced analytics to accelerate Ecolab’s digital transformation. Since joining in 2018, Anand has held several senior roles, including VP of Enterprise Architecture and VP of Architecture for Commercial Digital Solutions, helping to scale IoT and data-driven platforms across the organization.

With over 14 years of experience in data architecture and digital innovation, Anand has a proven track record of aligning technical solutions with business outcomes. Prior to Ecolab, he held leadership roles at GE Healthcare Digital, CSRA Inc., and CSC. He holds an engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology Rourkela and is known for building high-performing teams and cultivating a data-first culture that drives smarter, more sustainable decisions

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