Event Date

March 12, 2026

Registration

Register Now!

Session Summary

Data Management in Practice features a cross-section of data professionals sharing pragmatic insights into real-world data challenges and solutions — from governance and quality to outreach and engineering. The panel includes Aakriti Agrawal Kim, Deron Hook and Jeremiah Willett, and is moderated by Samantha Gladd.

This DAMA Phoenix event will be in-person at ASU SkySong and online. Look for an invitation with more details in the coming weeks!

If you have questions, please email administration@dama-phoenix.org

Non-Member Event Registration.

Speaker Bio

PANELIST BIOS:

Aakriti Agrawal Kim is a data and financial services professional who supports internal departments at American Express a publicly traded Fortune 100 company, in managing data effectively and strategically. She is also the author of Data Governance Change Management, a book that explores the intersection of organizational behavior, leadership, and data governance practices. A self-taught computer programmer, Aakriti volunteers with multiple nonprofits on the weekends, leveraging her experience as the founder of Girls Code Lincoln, a grassroots organization in Nebraska dedicated to empowering girls through technology education. She is currently launching her second nonprofit, The Nonprofiting Org, which provides resources and guidance to support nonprofit founders. Aakriti is also an active speaker at conferences and events on topics such as data governance, change management, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit development. Passionate about using her expertise to drive meaningful community impact, her interests include data, technology, insurance, financial services, enterprise risk management, front-end development, and minority education.

Deron Hook is a certified data management professional who is passionate about people, data, and formulating strategies that utilize both to their highest potential. He is currently a Solutions Consultant at Atlan and has experience creating foundational data governance programs at various companies in the financial services industry. In his current role, he is providing product advisory and consulting on data governance strategies and best practices, helping large enterprise customers at various industries efficiently implement data and AI management programs to achieve consistent and substantial business value.Deron is a recognized data leader, has served on various boards, and was a Chief Data Officer (CDO) summer school graduate by Carruthers & Jackson. He received his MBA with a concentration in data analytics from Purdue University and is also a proud Brigham Young University graduate. He and his wife have five children and live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jeremiah Willett is the Associate Manager of Data Engineering at Data Principles, where he helps organizations turn complex data into clear, actionable insights through innovative business intelligence solutions. With experience across SQL, Qlik Sense, Power BI, data integration, data modeling, and project management, he is passionate about empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions. Jeremiah has worked across a range of industries, including government, finance, hospitality, and utilities, bringing a versatile perspective to every data challenge. He also serves as the Vice President of Finance for DAMA Phoenix and holds a Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) credential.