Smith School of Business At Queen's University

As part of the program advisory board, I work with my fellow board members to ensure that the program is delivering learning that is current, up to date, and relevant to current business needs. Our board provides support and advice to other academic programs, assists in the development of additional content and identifies best practice standards.  We serve as ambassadors to the programs, providing a connection while facilitating the exchange of information and ideas with industry peers and multiple global bluechip companies. 
   
☛ SPECIALTIES: 
Analytics | Leadership | Strategy Executive | Machine Learning | Artificial Intelligence | AI | Digital Supply Chain | MBA | Speaker | Loyalty Program Specialist | Motivational Business Speaker | Future Technology Advocate & Speaker | Digital | Research | Speaker | Keynote Speaker

Advisory Board - Master of Management Analytics & Master of Management Artificial Intelligence

International Institute for Analytics

The International Institute for Analytics (IIA) is the authority on analytics maturity and best practices. Co-founded by Tom Davenport and CEO Jack Phillips, IIA works across a breadth of industries to uncover actionable insights from its network of analytics practitioners, industry experts and faculty.  IIA are the leading source of expertise for companies making the transition to data-driven decision-making and advanced analytics, offering four unbiased, client-oriented services designed to help organizations across the entire analytics lifecycle from ideation, through strategy and planning to operationalization.

IIA's Research and Advisory Network provides clients with access to the largest network of independent analytics expertise, allowing them to apply real practitioner insights against initiatives, projects and problems.

As a Senior Executive and Advisory Associate, I help companies and organizations in North America and Europe improve their bottom-line, building analytic presence, creating pricing, and analytic models through insights and recommendations which support decision making by integrating primary and secondary research and analysis, using multiple data sources and relevant proven methodologies. 

Through planning, analytics research, evaluation and data strategy, I assist in the creation and implementation of yearly strategic plans.  Build and sustain Business Improvement (SBI) and programs, including creating a new performance management strategy for optimum results. 

My goal is to be a trusted partner and to mentor and modernize the overall analytic environment, based on my evaluation of the client's business and technical requirements.  


☛ SPECIALTIES:
Analytics | Leadership | Strategy Executive | Machine Learning | Artificial Intelligence | AI | Digital Supply Chain | MBA | Speaker | Loyalty Program Specialist | Motivational Business Speaker | Future Technology Advocate & Speaker | Digital | Data Science | AML  | Speaker | Keynote Speaker

Faculty & Advisory 

Loblaw Companies Limited

☛ Head of Enterprise Business Information Competency Centre (BICC) @Loblaw,  Canada's largest retail company:

Responsible for enabling revenue growth, operational efficiency & risk avoidance through data innovation, data strategy, data monetization, data governance.

☛ Scope included: Customer Loyalty & Analytics, Digital Channels, Pharmacy & Healthcare, Retail Product & HR data.

Analytics Lead COE, analytics strategy, and drove culture change, executive alignment and adoption, and key technology investments.

☛ Led the creation and development of the inaugural Loblaw Analytics Certificate program, in partnership with Queens University Analytics- to-date, 70+ Loblaw colleagues have completed the program.

☛ SPECIALTIES:
Analytics | Leadership | Strategy Executive | Machine Learning | Artificial Intelligence | AI | Digital Supply Chain | MBA | Speaker | Loyalty Program Specialist | Motivational Business Speaker | Future Technology Advocate & Speaker | Digital | Supply Chain / FP&A | Speaker | Keynote Speaker

Senior Director Finance, Enterprise Business Information Competency Centre  & Loyalty

☛ Led the financial reporting, planning and analysis function for the $1B+ Loblaw Distribution and Supply Chain business

Led the creation of 5-year Financial Plan ensuring division alignment and supported the strategic plan including conducting sensitivity analyses to determine impact of changes to underlying assumptions on annual and strategic plan.

☛ Successful collaboration with Senior Operators across 20+ distribution sites for Warehouse, Transportation, and Replenishment – including external third-party providers.

Presented financial results and forecasts to Senior Management.

☛ Lead the FP&A team in providing financial support of the Total Supply Chain business through detailed, insightful commentary on financial results and forecasts; ensuring the Operations teams and Senior Management are connected to the financial processes and the division's financial performance; achievement of consistent 2-3% forecast accuracy rate.

☛Managed the long-range planning process for the Supply Chain business.

Standardized the financial reporting and forecasting process across the network; resulting in efficiencies with various financial and analytical processes.

Financial lead for network transition projects.

☛ SPECIALTIES:
Analytics | Leadership | Strategy Executive | Machine Learning | Artificial Intelligence | AI | Digital Supply Chain | MBA | Speaker | Loyalty Program Specialist | Motivational Business Speaker | Future Technology Advocate & Speaker | Digital | Supply Chain / FP&A | Speaker | Keynote Speaker

Senior Director FP&A, Supply Chain, Central Analytics, Loblaw Digtial, Customs

Support colleague engagement and development.
 
☛ Consistently achieved team engagement survey scores well above the business’ national average.

Providing members with opportunities and exposure to areas within Supply Chain that are outside their normal scope of duties.

☛ Maintain a strong relationship with all team members, through open and honest communication based on mutual respect.

Several mentoring relationships within the organization; succession planning.

Director,  Financial Planning & Analysis, Supply Chain, E-Commerce, TMS 

Supply Chain Management Inc. (a Division of DHL/Exel)

Exel is a North America 3PL leader, providing customer-focused supply chain solutions, resources and expertise. With a range of solutions that include: consulting, design, integrated information management, e-commerce support, and warehousing and distribution services. With more than 40,000 associates, 80 million square feet of warehouse space and annual revenue of over $4.5 billion, Exel is delivering value across the supply chain for several of the world’s largest and well-known brands

Senior Manager Financial Planning & Analysis

FANUC Robotics

FANUC America Corporation provides the most complete range of industrial automation equipment including robots, CNCs and motion control systems. FANUC’s innovative technologies and proven expertise help manufacturers in the Americas maximize efficiency, reliability and profitability. Markets served include: Aerospace, Agriculture, Assembly, Automation, Automotive, Construction, Education, Energy, Fabricating, Food, General Motion Control, Machine Tool, Material Handling, Material Removal, Medical, Metal Fabrication, Metalforming, Mold & Die and Woodworking.

Advisor

#1 Most Followed Voice in AI Business (1.5M) | Leading AI Entrepreneur & Advisor | Former Amazon, IBM | LinkedIn Top Voice | @alliekmiller on Instagram, X, TikTok

AI isn’t magic. It’s method.

Most executives don’t need more AI hype.
They need real-world results.
Fast.

I'm Achille Ettorre.
TEDx speaker. Advisor to C-suite leaders.
Author of The Digital Advantage.

I help senior leaders turn AI into ROI.
Not dashboards. Not prototypes.
Actual outcomes.

Where it started:
I scaled a gritty equipment rental company into a process-driven, tech-enabled business.
It taught me how transformation really works — from the inside out.

That experience grounds my approach today:
From back office to boardroom, I’ve helped Fortune 500s, retailers, universities, and governments design AI and data strategies that get traction — not just talk.

What I believe:
AI doesn’t fix broken processes. It exposes them.

Clean data beats big data.

Strategic alignment always outperforms automation.

How I help decision-makers:
✅ Keynotes on AI, analytics & transformation

✅ Board-level advisory & AI audits

✅ Workshops for C-suites and senior teams

✅ Custom training based on The Digital Advantage

Who I’ve worked with:
Clients include DHL, Walmart, Loblaw, top grad schools, and multiple government agencies.
I sit on advisory boards, speak globally, and collaborate with forward-thinking execs building the future — not chasing trends.

Let’s work together if you’re:
→ A CEO, COO, or VP ready to deploy AI for real results
→ Leading transformation and need clarity over complexity
→ Planning an event and want a speaker who simplifies the complex

🎯 Book a strategy call → www.achilleettorre.com
📘 Get The Digital Advantage on Amazon
🎤 Watch my TEDx talk in the Featured section

Achille Ettorre, MBA

DBP-Institute

DBP (Data for Business Performance) Institute (www.dbp-institute.com) is an Digital, Data, Analytics & Cybersecurity firm that leverages digital technologies and data analytics to deliver measurable and monetizable business results. Our 3 main services are - Consulting, Research, and Education.  

Companies such as Husky Energy, Cenovus Energy, Shell, Evalueserve, CP Rail, Payload, AtScale, MPG, NTPC, RealWear, Fujitsu, CFO-University, IE Business School, TDWI,  IDMA, Xenon Arc, and many more have hired us to understand problems and craft solutions that make a business impact. 

NOTE: The word Institute in the firm’s name emphasizes delivering business results based on proven best practices.

For more details, visit www.dbp-institute.com.

Founder and Managing Principal

Catyeus Inc

Solid Understanding of the SAP Ecosystems as I have worked/consulted in SAP Labs/GDC (India and Germany), SAP Partners (Accenture, Fujitsu, and Deloitte), and SAP Customers (Shell, Husky Energy, GE, FedEx, Apple, P&G, and more). 

Played many roles including SAP Program/Project Manager, Enterprise Architect, Solution Architect, MM/PM/SD Functional Lead & Configurator, SAP ABAP Developer, SAP MM/PM Trainer, and SAP Tester

Here are some of my SAP work published in SAP Insider.

1. 12 Key FP&A Reports for Improved Business Visibility and Impact
https://sapinsider.org/expert-insights/12-key-fpa-reports-for-improved-business-visibility-and-impact/

2. Tracking SAP Implementation Metrics with EVM Methodology
https://sapinsider.org/tracking-sap-implementation-metrics-with-the-earned-value-management-evm-methodology/

3. Realizing the Value Proposition of S/4HANA – Three Key Value Levers for Improved S/4HANA Adoption
https://sapinsider.org/expert-insights/realizing-the-value-proposition-of-s4hana-three-key-value-levers-for-improved-s4hana-adoption/

SAP Project Manager, Architect, Configurator and Developer

IE Business School

IE Business School is consistently ranked among the top 10 business schools in the world. It is ranked 8th MBA in the world (FT 2019) and 3rd MBA worldwide, outside the US (Forbes 2017)

I teach the 15 session APPLIED ENTERPRISE DATA ANALYTICS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS course to the MBA students in IE’s Madrid campus in Spain. The course covers Data Acquisition Strategies, Data Science, Enterprise IT Systems, Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Machine Learning, Prescriptive Analytics, Decision Science and Data Monetization Strategies.

Adjunct Professor of Data and Analytics

Wiley

My book - DATA QUALITY: EMPOWERING BUSINESSES WITH ANALYTICS AND AI, published by Wiley discusses the 16 most common issues of data quality degradation and offers 10 practical solutions for remediating and sustaining data quality based on my DARS (Define - Analyze- Realize - Sustain) Framework. 

The book is available for purchase on Amazon and Wiley websites.

Book Author at John Wiley

Technics Publications

Published 2 books and over 4,000 copies are sold so far.
1. DATA FOR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
2. ANALYTICS BEST PRACTICES

ANALYTICS BEST PRACTICES is ranked #1 in the list of 100 BEST ANALYTICS BOOKS OF ALL TIME by BookAuthority.Org.

Both books are available for sale at Amazon and https://technicspub.com/

Book Author at Technics Publications

Forbes Technology Council

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only organization for senior-level technology executives and thought leaders. Members are selected for the Council based on their depth and diversity of experience and knowledge, then invited to share their insights on Forbes.com. 

Here are my articles published in Forbes. com.
https://profiles.forbes.com/members/tech/profile/Prashanth-Southekal-Managing-Principal-DBP-Institute/25f85780-d6de-44d0-9edf-4b53470cff36

Expert Council Member

Griha Software Technologies Pvt Ltd

As an Executive Data Analytics Advisor, I advise Griha on:
• Go-to-market (GTM) strategies
• Thought leadership and Identifying and building use-cases
• Forging industry partnerships

Data & Analytics Advisor

CFO.University

Build the Data and Analytics competency in the CFO community through Research, Training and Blogs,

Fellow

I'm the Founder of DBP Institute (www.dbp-institute.com), a Digital, Data, Analytics, & Cybersecurity Consulting, Research, & Education firm. I've advised/worked for 80+ organizations including P&G, GE, SAP, Shell, Apple, FedEx, & Whirlpool. My core skills are SAP Platforms, Data Quality/Governance, Data Analytics, Enterprise Performance Mngt (EPM), Cybersecurity, & Financial Supply Chain/FP&A.

I'm the author of 3 books — "Data Quality" ,"Analytics Best Practices” & “Data for Business Performance” & 7000+ copies are sold worldwide. I write regularly on data, analytics, technology & AI in Forbes, SAP Insider & CFO.University. My 2nd book, ANALYTICS BEST PRACTICES was ranked the #1 analytics book in May 2022 by BookAuthority. 

I've trained over 4000 professionals worldwide in D&A. I'm a keynote speaker in top conferences & an award-winning Professor of D&A at IE Business School (ES). 

My current research projects are (A) Datafoot print reduction & ESG Reporting (B) Data Valuation, Data Products & M&A Synergies (C) AI Model & Data Drifts

I've a PhD from ESC Lille (FR), MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US) & an ICD.D from Rotman School of Management (CA). I live in Calgary with my wife, two children & a high-energy Goldendoodle dog. Outside work, I love juggling & cricket.

At a personal level, I beleive in getting better every day & helping others do the same. I care about children's education & well-being. All the royalties from my 3 books goes to charity & till date over $15,000 have been given to charities world-wide.

****
"Dr. Southekal is in the top 75 leading data leaders of 2022" CDO MAGAZINE

"Dr.Southekal is one of the leading D&A thinkers today". DOUG LANEY,  Author of Infonomics.

"Dr.Southekal is the weapon businesses need to leverage their data profitably!" Chris Lambert, CEO, Payload

"Mr. Southekal is one of the few consultants with amazing zeal targeting the highest levels of perfection & value.” SRINIVAS BETADA, Director, SAP 

"Dr. Southekal is the Salman Khan (of Khan Academy) of Data Analytics -  authentic, knowledgeable, & cares about student's learning" FAYSAL KHAN, Oil/Gas Engineer, Worley

"Dr. Southekal is a visionary. He helped us acquire international exposure, provided valuable inputs in our M&A activities, & formulated the right growth strategies. " Madhuresh Dimba, CEO, GrihaSoft

"Prashanth has an amazing knack for integrating business needs with data and SAP tools. He is extremely articulate, willing to learn & adapt, & very personable to work with." - Lance Calleberg, SAP Solutions Architect, Husky Energy

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Achille Ettorre, MBA

Prashanth H Southekal, PhD, MBA

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