Senior Data & ML Platform Engineer | dutchengineer.substack.com | Host of Ask A Data Mentor Podcast

Built real-time ML systems delivering millions of daily inferences. Integrated LLMs that saved over 1,000 hours per week across the company. Designed scalable MLOps platforms that took model deployment from months to days.

I have spent the last 8+ years driving AI and ML engineering efforts across startups and high-growth companies. My work spans productionizing models, leading company-wide ML initiatives, and building systems that work. 

Highlights:
Led LLM integration at Equipmentshare, embedding OpenAI into internal tooling to save 1,080+ hours weekly
Deployed Zwift’s real-time racing score model, handling 8.6 million inferences per day
Cut ML deployment times from months to 3 days with standardized CI/CD and packaging
Rolled out Databricks company-wide, reducing deployment cycles by 4x
Built ML pipelines for pricing $3B+ in fleet assets, churn risk, and invoice automation

I write often on machine learning systems and infrastructure on dutchengineer.substack.com, and I enjoy helping teams ship fast, reliable ML in production.

Keywords: Airflow, AWS (Cloudwatch,  ECS, EKS, Fargate, Glue, Redshift, Kinesis, Databricks, Postgresql, S3), Azure (Azure Functions, Azure ML Studio, Databricks), BentoML, C++, Datadog, Docker, ElasticSearch, Flink, Kafka, Keras, Kubernetes, Hive, High Performance Computing, Github Actions, Gitlab CICD,  Pagerduty, Prefect, Python (DBT, Numpy, Pydantic, Sklearn,Scipy), Pyspark, Neural Networks, Natural Language Processing, MLFlow, MongoDB, Recommendations, Sagemaker, Scala, SparkML, SQL, Tableau, Terraform, Pytorch, GPU

Sarah Floris, MS

The rare leader who can both invent the future and make it work.

I ideate, build, operate, govern, and scale AI-powered solutions while ensuring trust, adoption, profitability, and high-performing teams. Whether it’s a 200-year-old institution or a global tech giant, I turn disruption into growth.

I’m also a people leader who builds strong, collaborative teams that don’t just deliver - they exceed expectations. I create environments where talent thrives, silos break down, and innovation becomes a shared mission.

AI is only as powerful as the data, tech, culture, trust, and quality that fuels it.  I build all of it.

I’m a market-moving executive blending Chief Product vision, CISO-level governance, Chief Data & AI Officer decisioning, CTO scale, and CIO operational mastery. I create AI-ready platforms and cultures that are as compliant and trusted as they are fast, quality, and profitable delivering $1.9B+ in market value and $765M+ in operational cost savings through AI-driven transformation, artificial intelligence strategy, and machine learning innovation.

I’ve architected digital transformation, digital strategy, and enterprise data ecosystems for organizations with 200K+ employees, ensuring global-scale delivery that’s reliable, responsible, optimized, and revenue-generating. Governance, data quality, and trust - GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act, AI Action Plan, NIST/Zero Trust, and DCAM are embedded into product DNA and culture to accelerate adoption and scale innovation. My work integrates cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), enterprise architecture, and change management to drive sustainable growth.

What I deliver:

Architect: Product-first platforms from concept to global scale without sacrificing governance

Unite: Product, security, data, engineering, and executive strategy into execution that outpaces business goals

Deliver ROI + Optimize Costs: $1.9B+ market value and hundreds of millions in savings via automation, intelligent systems, and decision science

Transform Culture: Evolving legacy operations into intuitive, human-centric, AI-first environments where literacy and collaboration are the backbone

Multiply Leadership: Adjunct professor, founder of a 24K-member AI leadership community, and mentor to next-gen tech executives

I build the stadium, train the players, call the plays, and make sure we leave with the trophy.

Recognized as a Top 10 AI Influencer, AI Ethics Champion, Top AI Strategist, and Top 10 Data Influencer.

Wendy Turner-Williams

Most will say this isn’t appropriate for LinkedIn.

I’ve gone back and forth on posting. But business, personal lives, and world events don’t exist in separate lanes, they affect each other every day.

A dear friend of mine, a respected professional in the data and AI space, is living in fear right now in Minneapolis. A adoptee from another country, naturalized as a U.S. citizen who is a person of color, and a parent of U.S.-born children.  A person afraid to leave their home because of escalating ICE operations and chaos in the community.  

https://lnkd.in/gFGcvzqj

Do you remember early COVID? The fear. The uncertainty. Home felt like the only safe place.

What happens when people don’t feel safe even there? What happens when there is no safe  place (home, church, work, or school) - even if you have every legal right to be "safe". 

This is the reality for many in the US right now.  Including those who did everything right, went through the process, and are legally here.  It’s not okay. Not today. Not ever.  

Of course, many are taking action to peacefully protest, or to ensure rights, dignity and human-handling by being a supporting bystander.  Sadly, we know have 2 deaths as a result. 

The United States was founded on the idea that government exists to serve its people. 

We haven’t always lived up to that, history proves it but we are supposed to learn and do better.

That means protecting core rights like:
▪️ The right to trials
▪️ Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures
▪️ Freedom of speech and assembly

and the ability to preserve truth and an auditable history.

These aren’t political talking points. I am not having a political discussion.  This is the foundation of trust between people and government.

The world has many problems, greed, conflict, inequality, and accessibility but so often the root cause is the same: power without empathy.

History is clear. Extremism divides, and It doesn’t last. Societies swing back toward the middle, but not without damage, and a lack of true accountability along the way. Do we really have to relive this lesson over, and over? 

To those who feel afraid or unheard right now: you matter.

To those who are unaffected - your reaction matters. If it's not you today, it could be tomorrow. 
▪️Check in on your friends. You may be surprised who is struggling.
▪️Contact your government officials (mayor, govern, representatives, senators).
▪️Protest peacefully.
▪️Vote, vote, vote. 
▪️Come to the table to discuss potential ideas, and solutions.  

Because when one group’s rights are ignored -  even if you agree with the reason, eventually everyone’s rights are at risk.

We need more empathy, more listening, and more courage to stand in the middle and build bridges instead of walls.

#people #rights #human #empathy #bebetter #government

Have you ever had a moment in the late afternoon stage of life where a single diagnosis suddenly hit auto-play on your entire life?

That happened to me on January 2nd.
Nothing like a HELLO 2026 moment.

For those who know me, you know I’m raw. Always have been.

Not because it’s trendy but because I am who I am.  I believe being human is about dimensionality.

Not the airbrushed, scripted, “everything’s fine” version of life many perform online. Not the masks people wear to keep moving.

The unique bumps, bruises and scars that truly makes you, you. 

I believe empathy is a superpower. And honestly? We’re dangerously short on it right now.

As many know, a little over three years ago, my role as Chief Data Officer at Tableau was eliminated.  

A business decision related to acquisition.  Though logically, I understood.  It was also a real gut punch.

It landed right in the middle of: 
🔹️the worst Big Tech market in decades
🔹️the largest white-collar recession in history

and a moment where I thought my resume would protect me, I wasn’t worried.

With a deep data & AI track record across many of the biggest brands in the world, I’d land quickly or so I assumed. 

At the same time, I had a total hysterectomy scheduled and honestly welcomed the forced pause.

Within two months:
🔹️I had no job
🔹️no role lined up

and I was in sudden menopause. 

That's right folks, we are going to get deeply personal. This will be a long post, broken up in the comments because I know I'm not alone in this. I'd also like to draw attention to a topic many of us struggle with and sometimes do not even know it. 

So... there I was. 

My identity cracked open. 

Who am I?
What’s my value?
Who am I without the thing I’ve always been?

Those questions became loud, and constant. 

As time passed, the “spicy quirks” that always made me, me - stopped being background noise, and took center stage.

I’ve averaged 70–90-hour work weeks consistently through my career. 

Work wasn’t just what I did, it was how I focused, regulated, and functioned.

Without it, everything shifted.

The OCD and depression I’ve lived with since childhood showed up differently. LOUDER.  Heavier.

I’ve always been: 
🔹️the clean freak,
🔹️the organizer,
🔹️the color-coding, alphabetizing, vacuum-until-there-are-no-footprints, then do it again because there are footprints type. IYKYN.  🧹

But something flipped.

My bedroom, my safe space became my "entire" world. 

My four daughters learned: If you need mom, come to her room.

Instead of cleaning, I froze.
Instead of momentum, overwhelm.

Then came the hobbies.
So many hobbies.
Painting. Pottery. Books. Research. Supplies. Obsession.

And then, nothing.  I would never start them. 

Work had always been my anchor. Innovation. Complexity. Pressure. 

👉 comments

#life #understanding #layoffs #empathy #leadership #neurodivergence  #chronicdisease #adhd #autism #founders

Hearing reports of potential layoffs at Amazon, possibly starting as soon as next week.  

https://lnkd.in/gYxUE6JQ

For many Amazonians, this isn’t just “business news.” 

It’s days, and nights of uncertainty, stress, and very little sleep. 

Job insecurity affects your health, your family, your sense of stability, not exactly how anyone wants to start a new year.  Even if you're not impacted, you are impacted - the uncertainty, fear, loss of friends / co-workers, and lack of employer trust remains.  

If you have friends, former teammates, or connections at Amazon, check in. A simple message,  “Thinking of you. How are you holding up?” - can mean more than you realize.

Checkin on your Google friends to, as there is word of cuts last week. 

If you’re hiring, pay close attention to those impacted by layoffs and job reductions. 

After years of tech downsizing, the market is full of incredibly talented, experienced people.  

For someone in transition, a job isn’t just employment - it can be a lifeline that supports families and strengthens the broader economy too.

Behind every workforce update are real people carrying real weight. A little humanity goes a long way.

#Leadership #Empathy #Hiring #TechIndustry
#layoffs #jobreductions #bigtech #executives

Open article: Reports: Amazon’s latest layoffs could begin next week by share.google

Reports: Amazon’s latest layoffs could begin next week

ROI matters. But it’s not enough the only way to value AI.

Because intelligence doesn’t show up cleanly on a finance sheet, and if ROI is your only lens, you’ll miss the compounding upside.

That’s why I’m introducing a 2026 leadership concept:

🔷️ Return on Intelligence (ROInt) 🔷️

ROI asks: How much money did we make/save, and when?

ROInt asks: What intelligence did we gain, and what became possible because of it?

Business ROInt:
✅ Faster planning cycles
✅ Higher decision quality (fewer reversals)
✅ Earlier detection of risk + opportunity

Personal ROInt:
✅ Clearer thinking + better writing
✅ Faster learning (Pocket Tutor effect)
✅ Less overwhelm → more agency

Two measurable ROInt signals to use starting today:
📌 Return on Clarity: Rework Reduction Rate
📌 Return on Foresight: Risk Detection Lead Time

But the real ROInt multiplier is the human layer:

👉 Return on Personal Agency 👈

AgencyLift = (NewCapabilities × ConfidenceGain × AutonomyRate) / CognitiveLoad

AI ROI isn’t just cost savings. It’s the compounding value of intelligence.

Don't leave true value on the table. 

💬 What are you spending time on now that AI made possible?

#ReturnOnIntelligence #ROInt #HumanCenteredAI #cfo #boardmember #ceo #cdaio #ai #data #datafam #aiforhumams #airoi #roi SymphraAI

Layoffs are piling up, and you can feel worker anxiety rising in real time. What a way to start 2026. 📉

The breadth, and scale of recent job cuts is jaw-dropping.

https://lnkd.in/gw9K7CJF

And if we layer in what we  just heard at Davos, things will continue to get worse. 

One Davos analysis described a “tsunami” of labor tension as organizations try to balance automation with human-capital realities. �

https://lnkd.in/gwreta6i

Or the World Economic Forum report presented at #Davos laid out scenarios where rapid tech adoption outpaces workforce readiness reinforcing the need for stronger policy and serious upskilling strategies. 

https://lnkd.in/g9dfPPQV

Here a the paradox I can’t ignore: 

The leading edge of AI-related layoffs is big tech.

The very companies with the most AI, the deepest technical benches, and the highest concentration of experienced builders are cutting first.

And in my backyard, #Seattle continues to get absolutely throttled. 
🔹️Amazon cutting 16,000, on top of the 14,000 in October.  That's 30,000 impacted at just one company alone. 
🔹️Expedia Group cuts in Seattle last week. 

On top of Meta, Google and Microsoft cuts in the area.

Seattle-area unemployment rate climbed to 5.1% in November.  

The sad part, this is investors over employees.

When strategy shifts, the default move becomes cutting people, instead of reorganizing talent into new priorities.  In fact, the iniatives cut may have been AI related. 

Top talent is hard to replace,  regardless of the project.

It’s usually more effective to redeploy talent than to rehire later, retrain outsiders, and rebuild institutional knowledge from scratch.

The good news, this is also a huge opportunity for every other industry!! YOU can hire extraordinary talent right now. It’s a buyer’s market.

Let's also get real. This is a social contract moment, not just a labor market moment.

If you’re an employee, leader, or policymaker: here are moves that matter now
👉Upskill deliberately
👉Keep your network warm (don’t wait until you need it)

Ask your company directly:  
▪️What is your workforce modernization plan?
▪️How are you balancing humans vs. machines (augmentation vs. replacement)?
▪️What’s your redeployment strategy before layoffs?

What are you seeing?  

Has your company shared an explicit plan for how AI changes roles, and how people are protected in the transition?

If you’re #hiring: are you taking advantage of this once-in-a-decade talent availability?

We need more accountability.  We need guardrails, incentives, and accountable governance that keeps humans in the design.

#ai #layoffs #jobreductions #bigtech #futureofwork #human #education #recession #future #data

Open article: Layoffs are piling up, heightening worker anxiety. Here are some of the biggest recent job cuts by share.google

Layoffs are piling up, heightening worker anxiety. Here are some of the biggest recent job cuts

Everyone is AI-ifying at the speed of light.

Boards are approving spend. Teams are piloting tools. Vendors are promising magic. CEO's expect results.  

And yet… less than 95% of organizations are actually seeing real AI ROI (MIT), and a shocking 85% of AI projects fail altogether (TSIA). 

That gap isn’t about ambition. It’s about clarity and opportunity. 

In nearly every organization I advise, AI value breaks down for the same reasons:

1️⃣ Strategy and AI readiness aren’t aligned
2️⃣ Leadership isn’t aligned across the various functional areas like IT,  data, risk, finance, marketing, etc. 
3️⃣ Data isn’t trusted - quality, linkability, or  repeatability are missing
4️⃣ Cyber, privacy, and compliance fears create paralysis
5️⃣ Teams lack clear signals to guide decisions

That gap is where value leaks.👈

That’s exactly why SymphraAI created AI ROI Essentials for the Modern Enterprise! 

This program isn’t about a tool.  It's not a sales pitch.  

It’s about giving leaders the language, the framework, and signals to prove, prioritize, and protect AI value before execution or to bring high-yield calm to chaos if your execution isn't yielding the results you anticipated. 

What you’ll walk away with:
✔️A clear way to identify where AI value is created - and where it’s leaking
✔️Early warning signals that predict AI success or failure
✔️Practical methods to assess readiness, trust, and adoption risk
✔️Executive-ready translations to guide board and leadership conversations
✔️A shared ROI narrative that aligns strategy, data, risk, and delivery
✔️A stronger personal AI leadership toolkit you can reuse across roles
✔️A trusted peer network of executives - a safe space to share what’s working, what isn't, the real-world patterns with tangible, practical how-tos without vendor pressure, or posturing 

Theory without application doesn’t move the needle. 

🎁 January enrollment bonus! 

Participants receive three 1-hour personalized sessions with me over three months - focused on: 
▪️Applying the tools inside your organization
▪️Intelligence Advisory (Data + AI + Trust) and leadership positioning
▪️Career mentoring and executive readiness

A perfect way to kick off 2026 with an investment in yourself, a new network of leaders facing the same challenge, and practical tools that actually drive value, impact, and position YOU for success. 

📣 Seats are limited and filling quickly. 

If you’re responsible for explaining AI ROI, AI strategy, or execution, managing risk, or guiding leadership decisions -  this cohort was built for you.

This is a live, Continuing Education (CE) eligible cohort, intentionally small to preserve real interaction and peer learning. 🏫📚

Sign up now and secure your seat. Let’s turn AI ambition into measurable results.

https://lnkd.in/dV_FSJrY

#ai #datafam #airoi #data #continuingeducation #aifluency #leadership

Open article: AI ROI Essentials for the Modern Enterprise - SymphraAI by symphraai.com

AI ROI Essentials for the Modern Enterprise - SymphraAI

In the age of intelligence, leadership stops being positional and becomes relational + directional instead. 

I love this article by the WEF, the future is about trust based leadership. As AI, data, and digital ecosystems are reshaping everything: work, community, education, leadership, trust, and "power". ✊️🔌

https://lnkd.in/gi9N5sgy

But here’s the truth…

AI won’t replace leaders.
But it will expose them.
Because when intelligence becomes abundant, the rarest asset becomes human integrity.

So what does leadership look like in the age of intelligence?
1️⃣Empathy is no longer “soft.” It’s strategic.
Empathy is how you:
▪️read the room,
▪️feel the challenges of others,
▪️de-escalate uncertainty,
▪️understand resistance,
▪️translate fear into movement. 

When people feel seen, they stop bracing for impact, and start building.

2️⃣Connection must become invested.
▪️Not performative.
▪️Not passive aggressive.
▪️Not “I’ll support you… as long as you don’t shine too bright. 

In this era, people can feel misalignment instantly. Invested connection means:

✅️I’m for you.
✅️I want you to win.
✅️I will not sabotage what I say I support. 

The your success, is my success connection. 

Because, when you all work for the same company, or Institute aren't you all on the same team? 
 
3️⃣Trust is built by congruence.
In the Intelligent Age, trust will become the currency.

And trust doesn’t come from charisma.
It comes from consistency.

I say what I mean.
And I mean what I say.

WEF calls out that AI ecosystems will only scale when leaders operate with transparency and accountability.  Exactly. 🔥

4️⃣Empowerment becomes the new management model.

We are moving into a world where every leader will have agents. And every employee will have agents.

So leadership becomes less about: “Did you do the work?”

And more about: “Did you build the conditions for people + agents to perform?”

In other words:
▪️empowerment
▪️clarity
▪️guardrails
▪️autonomy with alignment

5️⃣Big-picture thinking becomes the differentiator.

In a world where AI can produce answers in seconds…Your value as a leader becomes:
▪️seeing the system,
▪️connecting the dots,
▪️predicting second-order consequences,
▪️translating “insight” into “impact".

That is leadership now.

Empathy. Invested connection. Trust. Empowerment. Systems thinking.

This is the new leadership stack.
Not because it’s trendy…
But because intelligence changes everything except the human need for:
✅️meaning
✅️safety
✅️integrity
✅️belonging

AI may scale decisions…
But leadership still determines direction.
(And direction is everything.)

#Leadership #AI #Trust #Empathy #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #ResponsibleAI #datafam

taplio

The Battle

Sarah Floris, MS

Wendy Turner-Williams

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreWendy Turner-Williams's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Sarah Floris, MS

Wendy Turner-Williams

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Wendy Turner-Williams's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreWendy Turner-Williams's LinkedIn Performance