Kerem Tomak

Overview Kerem Tomak's Professional Journey • With over 20 years of global leadership, he has worked with top-tier companies including Google and leading banks. • His mission is to empower businesses to leverage data and AI for • Topline and bottom line impact • Transformative growth with data, insights and intelligence FS Board/NED Startup • Kerem Tomak is a pragmatic leader in data and AI, driving significant change across various industries. Retail Kerem Tomak | Introduction Tech Introduction Career Timeline 20+ Years of Global Leadership 2000 2010 2021 Early Career in Academia Leadership in Retail Entrepreneurship Started a tenure-track position at a leading university, contributing to AI research and publishing numerous papers. Moved to a senior role at a major retail chain, spearheading digital marketing initiatives, establishing an analytics organization from scratch Founded a successful AI startup, focusing on agentic AI solutions for healthcare. 1999 2006 2017 2023 Academic Foundation Transition to Industry Leadership in Financial Services Global Impact Completed a PhD in Information Systems, focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Joined Yahoo! as a Principal Research Engineer, where he developed algorithms for ad-tech. Joined a prominent bank as Chief Analytics Officer, establishing an analytics and AI organization from scratch and leading the cloud adoption and integration of AI technologies for improved customer service. First Google Cloud implementation in financial services in Germany. Founded European Cloud User Coalition to foster a secure and effective usage of Public Cloud Computing in the Financial Industry Recognized as a thought leader in AI and digital transformation, speaking at international conferences and advising businesses and building solutions/teams for large multi-national companies. Motivation 01 Vision Empowering and building businesses with data, analytics and AI to unlock insights, build intelligent data/AI native products and drive strategic decision-making. 02 Core Beliefs Innovation is key to success; making a meaningful impact through technology; prioritizing talent development to cultivate future leaders; nothing is impossible! 03 Personal Interests Passionate about photography, capturing moments that tell stories; enjoys traveling to explore diverse cultures and perspectives. 04 Continuous Learning Dedicated to lifelong learning and staying ahead in the fastevolving tech landscape through hands-on learning and building. 05 Community Engagement Active in mentoring aspiring professionals in AI and data fields, sharing knowledge and coaching talent. Continuing with teaching/training/publishing What Drives Me Expertise My Unique Offering 01 02 03 04 Functional Focus Industry Focus Superpowers Value Proposition • Strong ability to build and lead high-performing teams that drive innovation and achieve strategic goals. • Combining functional and industry expertise to create tailored solutions that address unique business challenges. • • • • Expertise in AI/ML to drive datadriven decision making and enhance AI capabilities. Proven track record in Digital Transformation projects that streamline processes, improve customer experiences, and increase operational efficiency. Deep knowledge in Analytics and AI, enabling businesses to leverage data insights for strategic planning and competitive advantage. Hands-on experience building solutions with Generative/Agentic AI, implementing cutting-edge products that optimize workflow automation. • Significant experience in Financial Services, transforming traditional financial institutions into agile, data-centric organizations. • In-depth knowledge of the Retail sector, enhancing customer engagement through personalized marketing strategies and advanced analytics. • • Expertise in Tech, leading initiatives that harness the latest technologies for innovative product development and service delivery. Experience in Healthcare, implementing data solutions that improve workflow processes integrating into RIS/HIS and operational efficiencies. • Influential presence in C-suite discussions, shaping company direction and fostering a culture of datadriven decision making. • Expertise in cloud-first innovation and AI, leveraging cloud technologies and agentic AI to enhance scalability, flexibility, and costeffectiveness in business operations. • A focus on sustainable growth, using data and AI to not only drive topline and bottom-line impact. • Commitment to continuous learning and adaptation, ensuring that organizations stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. My unique offering lies in a blend of functional and industry expertise, paired with the ability to drive innovation and influence at the highest levels. This combination enables me to deliver impactful solutions across various sectors, particularly in AI and digital transformation. Leadership AI/Innovation Leadership Highlights 01 Patents 02 Published Articles and Books • Holds several patents in AI and machine learning, focusing on improving algorithm efficiency and data processing techniques. • Authored multiple influential articles, including 'We’re All Programmers Now’ in HBR, exploring the democratization of technology and programming skills. • Recent patent aimed at enhancing offline attribution in retail, showcasing innovative approaches to marketing. • Contributed to industry journals on AI, machine learning advancements, and the future of work in the digital age. Regularly invited to speak at conferences and seminars, sharing insights from his published works and industry experiences. • Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop patented technologies that drive business value and operational excellence. • • Currently writing a book for O’Reilly on Learning AutoML 03 04 Board Roles Impact on Industry • Serves as an NED of BCC Group International LLC, and on the advisory board of Portera B.V. providing strategic direction and fostering innovation within the organizations. • One of the founders of Kickstart AI in NL, promoting investment in AI startups and mentoring emerging tech leaders. • Active in shaping policy and best practices for AI deployment in business, ensuring responsible and ethical use of technology. • Influenced the AI landscape through leadership positions, focusing on bridging the gap between technology and business needs. • Recognized for driving digital transformation initiatives that integrate AI solutions in traditional industries. • Advocated for talent development in tech, emphasizing the importance of education and training in AI and data science. Kerem Tomak has made significant contributions to the fields of AI and innovation, evidenced by his patents, published works, and leadership roles in key organizations. His expertise shapes the future of technology adoption and business impact. Vision What’s Next? Vision for Future Impact Themes for Advancement • Commit to developing Agentic AI applications that ensure automation and intelligence in AI applications across industries. • Leverage AI to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency on a global scale, providing solutions that are accessible to diverse markets. • Foster partnerships with global organizations to promote collaborative innovation that adheres to responsible AI standards. • Invest in research and development to explore new AI technologies • Continue working on solving business challenges with data, analytics and AI with pragmatism and outside the box thinking • Explore areas in which Agentic AI frameworks can enhance existing workflows and create new ones. • Create products, solutions, recommendations in the intersection of technologies to scale and solve challenging problems. • Focus on nurturing talent through education and skills development programs that emphasize data & AI literacy. • Engage in continuous dialogue with stakeholders to adapt AI practices that reflect and address emerging challenges. • Create programs to empower the next generation of leaders in AI, fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation. The future of technology is rooted in scalable AI practices, enabling businesses to operate globally while empowering talent. Through continuous learning and development, we can harness AI for sustainable growth, tangible and measurable business impact. Conclusion Thank You / Let’s Connect • Email:- • Phone: - • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomakk • Inspirational Quote: 'Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.' - Steve Jobs Case Studies Establishing a New Big Data and Analytics Function at Commerzbank, Germany Organizational/ Change Use Cases • • Drove established and rapidly grew new business unit focused on big data, advanced analytics, and AI, scaling team from 0 to 350 across Germany, UK, Poland, and Czech Republic by 2020Q1. Established bank-wide data quality monitoring framework and operationalised data and cloud technology use via Data Playbook, instituting it as policy and forming an official privacy council to manage data privacy and cloud applications. • First Google cloud implementation with production use cases in financial services in Germany • Generated an estimated €10M in annual revenue by introducing Germany’s first cloud-based banking product, Pay-per-use Loans/Smart Collateral for IoT, along with first pay-per-use loan product for Smart Farming. Enhanced analytics accessibility and AI implementations by building two on-prem data lakes using Cloudera/Hortonworks stack: one for self-serve analytics and another dedicated to machine learning/AI with hybrid cloud setup integrated with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Reduced workload by 30% with <1% false-negative rate through AML use case implementation; forecasted account liquidity with Cash Radar, generating €1M in annual revenue; and drove intelligent cross-sell and up-sell with predictive dashboard used by 2,000+ field sales reps. Boosted top-line by 5% through Smart Pricing, leveraging data and analytics-based pricing management of financial services products within geo-locations, ensuring targeted discount control. Prevented close to €100M in losses since 2018 by implementing CEO fraud detection model covering 70% of known cases through deep learning while saving 50 FTEs with an Automated Intensive Care solution for pre-default accounts. • • • Read about it in the media here: • Forbes article Decisively Digital book chapter and Github page External • • • Founded subsidiary aimed at monetising data and analytics outside bank, focusing on developing white-labeled solutions and consulting services for financial and non-financial institutions while successfully launching an HR application for SMEs. Contributed to Big Data, AI, and Cloud Computing workstreams as member of International Institute of Finance (IIF) and hosted first Roundtable on Machine Learning. Led creation of European Cloud User Community (www.ecuc.group) for financial services, hosting first workshop with 20 EU banks and establishing standardised data security approaches, public cloud enablement, and unified exit strategy, securing membership agreements from 12 banks, including ING, Unicredit, Deutsche Bank, and Swedbank. Case Studies Building a global organization at ING Organizational/ Change Use Cases • Created globally unified Analytics and AI organization for ING, aligning with business and data/tech, leading to cohesive end-to-end product development and deployment. • Enhanced KYC and Fraud analytics services, improving risk coverage for key regulatory requirements and advancing fraud detection across ING countries. • Implemented hybrid cloud environment as global analytics platform, enabling seamless public cloud deployment for two key use cases. • Launched new analytics tribe in Germany, enhancing support for local and global use cases and driving analytics innovation. • Contributed to the Orchestrator, an AI-driven recommendation engine, resulting in a 30% uplift in click-through rates and a 10% increase in sales for orchestrated clients across three countries. • Supported Instant Lending initiatives, enabling an 80% automation rate and contributing to a €500m annual production target for business lending. • Enhanced chatbot capabilities, achieving a 20% straight-through processing rate and reducing manual interventions in customer interactions. • Worked on the Data Analytics Platform (DAP), providing a secure, self-service environment for advanced analytics, supporting data-driven decision-making across ING. • Collaborated on the Future of Transaction Monitoring, optimizing investigator workflows and improving the detection of high-risk transactions. • Supported the development of Credit Risk as a Service (CRaaS), enabling faster and more accurate credit decision models for both retail and business clients. Read media coveredge here: We’re just at the start of AI Banks on Cloud Nine Case Studies Agentic AI development for own healthcare startup in Germany Startup website here: medessence.de Hand-On Product Management • • • • Streamlined radiology workflows by developing cutting-edge AI solutions, including a radiology exam prediction model achieving 94% accuracy. Enhanced medical coding processes by fine-tuning a pre-trained transformer for ICD-10-GM code prediction, resulting in 90% accuracy and significantly improving operational reliability. Automated report generation tasks through the integration of agentic AI and real-time audio transcription, reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency in radiology reporting. Delivered state-of-the-art AI-driven tools that improved diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency, enabling radiologists to focus on patient care. Case Studies Deploying GenAI at Decathlon Organizational/ Change Use Cases • Develop and execute global data and analytics strategies aligned with organisational goals, driving innovation and data-driven decision-making across all business units globally. • Oversee establishment of robust AI And data governance frameworks, guaranteeing data quality, integrity, and compliance with industry regulations and standards. ● ● Read about it in the media here: AI in action presentation at World AI Summit ● ● Spearheaded a company-wide data transformation, resulting in a projected +€268M incremental TO (ROI x3) from AI initiatives and significant improvements in data availability, quality, and utilization. Led the successful migration to Amplitude and implemented a comprehensive data instrumentation strategy, increasing data availability from 1% to 95% for critical funnel views. Launched a transformative genAI program, including a successful RFP for genAI tooling for all employees and company-wide rollout in 2025, driving innovation and operational efficiency. Chose Google Gemini as the solution for GenAI and Agentspace for the agentic AI platform. Improved Core Data SLO respect on critical chains to 83%, data assets with monitored quality to 87%, and Data Factory CSAT to 80%.