2024 AIS Evolve Summit Guests

Hanif manages the Global Dell Datacenter business responsible for platform design and sales at AMD. He has previously led AMD’s Global Commercial and Enterprise business, specifically working with organizations in Financial Services, Government, and Hyperscale verticals. With over 15 years of experience in IT, Hanif promotes the benefits of AMD technology as a choice to enable competitive IT infrastructure.   In addition to working with End User Organizations, Commercial responsibilities included working closely with Multinational OEMs,  Distributors, Channel Partners, and Strategic ISVs.
close

Helena Packer is a distinguished figure in visual effects and creative direction, with over three decades of experience and a remarkable track record of success. Currently serving as Chief Creative Officer of Blue Moon AI, Helena plays a pivotal role in harnessing the synergy between creative storytelling and cutting-edge AI technology. She oversees diverse projects and teams, fostering environments of creativity and innovation. Prior to her tenure at Blue Moon AI, Helena served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of DGene US (In affiliation with Tencent and Alibaba) where she oversaw artificial intelligence for content creation. Before her work with DGene Helena served as a consultant and VFX Supervisor for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Content Creation at Intel, where she led groundbreaking initiatives aimed at revolutionizing content. Her role involved collaborating with multidisciplinary teams of engineers and artists to conceptualize and implement innovative solutions. As an Independent Visual Effects Supervisor, Helena has led global teams across films, television, commercials, and virtual reality projects. Her expertise encompasses the entire visual effects process, from previsualization to post-production, and her contributions have been integral to the success of numerous high-profile projects. Helena's journey in the visual effects included starting and running her own VFX studios, Dumonde Visual Effects and Whodoo VFX where she served as Visual Effects Supervisor and shaped comprehensive VFX pipelines. Notable projects under her supervision include films such as "21 Jump Street," "Failure to Launch "House on Haunted Hill," and "Charlie Wilson’s War." Commercials have included Mercedes, Miller Beer, Sunkist, McDonalds and Toyota. Throughout her career, Helena has demonstrated a relentless commitment to innovation and excellence, consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible in visual effects and creative direction. With her passion for advancing the industry and a wealth of experience under her belt, Helena continues to be a driving force in shaping the future of visual effects and storytelling.
close

J.D. Connor is an Associate Professor and holds The Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Family Chair in the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He is the author of Hollywood Math and Aftermath: The Economic Image and the Digital Recession and The Studios after the Studios: Neoclassical Hollywood, 1970–2010. He received his PhD in from the Humanities Center at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining USC in 2016, he was on the Art History and Film & Media Studies faculties at Yale and the Visual & Environmental Studies and English faculties at Harvard. His research and teaching focus on the art and industry of contemporary Hollywood. He currently writes the City of Industry column for the Los Angeles Review of Books.
close

Jade Bonacolta is the Head of North America Marketing at Google Cloud for Media, Entertainment, and Games. She has been featured twice in Forbes and will deliver her first TEDx Talk this November. As a personal hobby, she writes about personal growth on LinkedIn— and has been ranked the #1 productivity creator worldwide on LinkedIn (and #2 female creator overall). She also writes a weekly newsletter called The Quiet Rich.
close

Former federal prosecutor James M. Aquilina is an accomplished business leader and strategic advisor, a renowned cybersecurity expert and digital investigator, a regular speaker and commentator, a published author, and a certified boardroom Qualified Technology Expert. James currently serves on the advisory board and as a strategic advisor to the CEO of cybersecurity firm BlueVoyant; as a member of the advisory board of League, a leading healthcare PaaS provider; as a member of the advisory board of global investigative firm Nardello & Co.; as a member of the board of governors of the Advanced Imaging Society, a trade association formed by content creators and tech companies to advance the use of emerging technologies in film and TV production; and as an Emeritus board member of the Constitutional Rights Foundation, a nonprofit helping young people understand civics. James also serves as a cybersecurity investment advisor to Silicon Valley private equity firm Gryphon Investors. He is a current director member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Corporate Directors Forum, and the Digital Directors Network. James was the President of Aon Global Cyber Solutions after its acquisition of Stroz Friedberg, the technical and cyber security consulting firm he built with other former federal law enforcement officers from the ground up. Mr. Aquilina was an instrumental business executive and leader in negotiating and structuring private investments, identifying, acquiring, and integrating multiple acquisitions, and growing the firm to a global and internationally recognized powerhouse. James served over 500 unique clients in the tech, internet, media and entertainment, financial, manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and defense, energy, telecommunications, and retail industries, including more than 50 of the 2020 Fortune 500. He has been retained by over 150 different law firms, including many of the 2020 Am Law 100. In various complex matters involving digital evidence, James was selected as a special master or court-appointed neutral, including in disputes between two major universities over clinical drug studies, the conflict between CrossFit and the National Sports Conditioning Authority, and the 1-800-Get-Thin federal criminal prosecutions. After stepping down as President of Aon Global Cyber Solutions, James served as an advisor to the board of directors of The Crypsis Group through its acquisition by Palo Alto Networks; as the co-chair of the advisory board of ESG consulting firm Wallbrook through its acquisition by Anthesis; and as the independent member of the board of directors of Cadien Cyber Response through its initial start-up phase. Before entering the private sector, James served for almost a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, where he led significant multi-defendant cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, served as a member of the Los Angeles Electronic Crimes Task Force and chair of the Computer Intrusion Working Group, and helped establish and run the Legal Section of the FBI’s Emergency Operations Center following the September 11, 2001 attacks. James co-wrote Malware Forensics: Investigating & Analyzing Malicious Code and two associated field guides, published by Elsevier/Syngress in 2008, 2012, and 2013, respectively. Together these books constitute the first complete published work on the topic. A regular speaker and commentator on cyber, Mr. Aquilina has appeared on Bloomberg, CNN, and CNBC, and at Interpol, the International Law Enforcement Academy, the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the Media Finance Focus Conference, and the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. He has been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Newsweek, and Fortune. James is a graduate and Richard Erskine Academic Fellow of the University of California Berkeley School of Law and completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude at Georgetown University.
close

Janet Muswell served on the original board of directors for the VES, is a current board member and is an active member of the education committee.  She has recently become involved in various PGA education initiatives. Janet is passionate about educating the next diverse generation of visual effects professionals, she is also the proud recipient of title of VES Fellow. Janet is a classically trained bassoonist (yes, the bassoon!) and her love of music led her to the fun world of music video editing and visual effects in the UK.  She moved to the states to pursue the expanding digital world as a compositor, which quickly led to VFX supervising and producing. Her curiosity for new technology has taken her around the globe working on innovative projects.  She recently headed up the Global VFX group for Netflix and is currently the Senior Vice President of VFX for HBO, when she is able to immerse herself in the exciting and revolutionary world of Virtual Production for their exciting slate of productions. Janet has supervised and produced VFX, CGI and Animation for theatrical features, IMAX, television, commercials and Stereoscopic Special Venues.  On the management side she has overseen and managed VFX companies both large and small. During her time at Netflix Europe, she oversaw the hugely popular first season of The Witcher and is currently setting up the prequel series to Dune.
close

Janice manages the North America business development activity for AMD processors within the Dell server platforms She has previously led sales teams and programs in support of commercial and enterprise customers. With over 25 years of experience in IT Janice has extensive background in sales, marketing, program development and channel  and ISV enablement.
close

Jason Cox is the Director of Global SRE at The Walt Disney Company. He is a champion of DevOps practices, promoting new technologies and better ways of working. He enjoys helping Disney ship content, products and experiences, better, faster, safer, and happier. Jason is an inspirational speaker who loves people and delights in amplifying their abilities with technology. He frequently speaks at conferences, contributes to open source, and writes on technical and leadership topics. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their children. He is also a co-author of the book, Investments Unlimited - A Novel About DevOps, Security, Audit Compliance, and Thriving in the Digital Age.
close

Jaynene Hapanowicz is CTO and Senior Vice President of Technology Transformation and Cloud Services for Dell Digital, the global IT organization that supports Dell Technologies. In her role, Jaynene spearheads the transformation efforts at Dell Digital, championing the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and machine learning. She also plays a crucial role in fostering widespread adoption of DevOps practices throughout the organization, all while creating an industry-leading experience for developers and data scientists. Additionally, Jaynene is at the helm of Dell's infrastructure and platform engineering, overseeing IT Operations, as well as managing Network and Call Center Technology Services. In the past, Jaynene has helped to drive strategic initiatives including the deployments of private and hybrid Cloud Services, the Dell/EMC Integration and many technology conversions such as Software Defined Network and CI/CD Pipeline Services. Jaynene also led the services and call center development organizations focusing on customer experience and business outcomes. A collaborative leader, Jaynene is known for strengthening interlocks across teams and developing agile frameworks that efficiently and rapidly deliver business value. Before joining Dell in 2013, Jaynene served in various technology leadership roles at Wyndham Worldwide and Cendant Corporation. She began her career in telecommunications with MCI Corporation after obtaining an MBA from State University of New York at Buffalo and a BA from Canisius College. Jaynene and her husband have two grown daughters. They spend their free time with their large crew of fun-loving pets.
close

Jill Pro is known for her distinctive creativity and customer focus as a marketer, thanks to a unique career journey across a wide variety of customer-facing roles. Starting as a photographer, Jill honed her skills in visual storytelling and customer engagement. At Dell Technologies, she has thrived in building relationships and driving revenue across several roles in both sales and marketing. In her current role as an account-based marketing lead for Dell Tech Select, Jill combines her artistic eye with strategic sales thinking to create memorable, impactful campaigns that resonate with their target audiences and encourage them to deepen their relationships with Dell. With a keen understanding of both the artistry and business of technology, Jill is dedicated to driving brand awareness and market growth through innovative marketing strategies, events, and compelling visual content. Jill lives near Austin, TX and is an avid traveler. She spends her free time with her husband and two cats, cooking for friends and family, and planning her next adventures.
close

Jim Chabin has served as President of The Advanced Imaging Society since it’s creation by Walt Disney Studios, Dreamworks, Sony, IMAX, Dolby,Technicolor, StereoD and others to drive technical innovation in content creation. He is a past president of The Television Academy overseeing the Prime Time Emmys. He also served in management capacities at CBS  and E! Entertainment Televison.
close

Joe began his career in Visual Effects over 25 years ago, working freelance in television before transitioning to films.  His first VFX Producer credit came in 2003 on John Favreau’s holiday classic, ELF, which led to ZATHURA a year later. Next, he served as the VFX Supervisor on TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY, where his real claim to fame came when his new born daughter played the role of the baby whose head Ricky autographs. In 2006, Joe was hired to work with Director Len Wiseman as the Visual Effects Producer for LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD which led to him joining 20th Century Fox as a VP of Visual Effects in June, 2007.  Some of his first assignments were to oversee visual effects for the WOLVERINE and APES franchises. Over the last 15 years, Joe has had the privilege to manage visual effects over 30 movies, including DEADPOOL, THE MARTIAN, and FORD vs FERRARI. In 2013, Joe was promoted to SVP of Visual Effects and soon was asked to over see visual effects for BATTLE ANGEL and the AVATAR sequels and, in 2021, was thrilled to be asked to lead the 20th Century Studios Visual Effects department.
close

Katherine is a passionate and versatile sales leader with a proven record of exceeding sales targets.  Her success has been built upon the alignment of technology to business outcomes, building and empowering high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.   Her breadth of experience across industry verticals and functional roles provides unique insight that enables her to find creative solutions to the most challenging business problems. Katherine began her career in international business leveraging her Russian language skills to support the establishment of a joint venture between United Technologies – Pratt & Whitney and Russian engine manufacturer Perm Motors Corp.  She has launched her own business, served as an elected member of a local Board of Finance, and worked in product marketing and pricing prior to transitioning to sales.  Most importantly, Katherine is a proud wife and mother of three. Katherine has an MBA in Finance from the University of Connecticut where she was recognized as the Valedictorian of her class and a BA from Princeton University in Slavic Languages in Literatures (magna cum laude).
close

Kathy de Paolo serves as Vice President, Technology for Disney Experiences (DX) at The Walt Disney Company, leading the Emerging Technology & Data or-ganizaGon. With a focus on advanced development, Kathy spearheads the innovaGon pracGce for DX, from early-stage ideaGon through Guest and Cast tesGng in the DX Test & Learn labs. The Emerging Tech side of her porNolio is at the leading edge of new technology exploraGon for the segment, while the Data Products and PlaNorms side is responsible for the data ecosystem powering business intelligence, analyGcs, and Cast and Guest experiences across Dis-ney Parks, Cruise Ships, Signature Experiences, and Consumer Products. Kathy joined Disney in 2015 and has driven strategic iniGaGves including Toys2Life, ML/AI, Flex Force, Smart Assistant, Unified Consumer Experience, InnovaGon-as-a-Service, Test & Learn, GenAI, and Data ModernizaGon. Prior to joining Disney, Kathy had a 20-year engineering career at a Fortune 500 company, specializing in wireless technology systems and so\ware.
close

KELLY McCORMICK is a visionary producer in the action genre whose critically acclaimed films have grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide. She is best known for producing the box-office smash hits Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt, Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk, Violent Night starring David Harbour, and the neon-noir cult classic Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron, as well executive producing Deadpool 2 starring Ryan Reynolds and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. McCormick is the founder of 87North Productions, alongside her partner and husband David Leitch, which is a world-renowned production, action design company, and a premier stunt training studio with workspace in Hollywood. Under McCormick’s first-look deal with Universal, 87North’s film The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, was released globally on May 3, 2024 with McCormick and Leitch producing and Leitch directing. She is also currently in pre-production on With Love starring Ke Huy Quan. In development are Kung Fu starring Donnie Yen, Versus (Universal), Red Shirt (Amazon) starring Channing Tatum, Ruby (Amazon), and sequels for both Violent Night and Nobody. For television, McCormick has several projects in development with Universal including the limited series Hot Air starring Andrew Garfield as the British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Action, a doc-series centered on Hollywood stunt performers. Prior to founding 87North, McCormick served as Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Sierra Affinity, a foreign sales and financing company where she packaged and produced countless projects including Hell or High Water (Academy Award® nominee for Best Picture), Whiplash (Academy Award® nominee for Best Picture and winner of 3 Academy Awards®), Nightcrawler, and Manchester By The Sea (6 Academy Award® nominations including Best Picture). Her past credits as producer also include: Shadow In The Cloud, directed by Roseanne Liang and starring Chloe Moretz; Netflix’s How it Ends, directed by David M. Rosenthal and starring Theo James and Forest Whitaker; and Poms directed by Zara Hayes and starring Diane Keaton and Jacki Weaver. McCormick is repped by CAA, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and 42West.
close