Dina Brozzetti, a leader in PwC’s Advisory AI practice, delivered the opening keynote, ‘Driving Business Value Through Transformation.’
Raisbeck Endowed Dean Raj Agnihotri of the Ivy College of Business welcomed attendees to the symposium.
Susan Fleming, associate teaching professor in marketing at the Ivy College of Business, led a breakout session titled ‘Presentations with Purpose: 3 Strategies for Audience-Centric Data Presentations That Maximize Value.’
Kevin Scheibe, chair of the Ivy College of Business Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, hosts a main stage conversation titled ‘Data, Decisions, and Disruption: The Evolving CIO and the Future of IT ‘ with special guests Nicholas Volpe, Troy Fridley, and Matt Behrens.
Business Analytics Symposium attendees.
Maher Lahmar, chief technology officer at Facilis.ai, presented ‘Beyond Automation: How AI Is Revolutionizing Manufacturing’ during a symposium breakout session.
Speakers shared insights on how to maximize the value of business analytics
The 2025 Business Analytics Symposium drew more than 375 people to the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines on October 2. The annual event, now held in the fall, is hosted by the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business.
Iowa’s premier analytics event brought together industry leaders and analytics professionals from some of the nation’s leading insurance, financial services, marketing, and manufacturing companies. The theme of this year’s symposium was “Maximizing the Value of Business Analytics.”
Dina Brozzetti, a leader in PwC’s Advisory AI practice, delivered the opening keynote, “Driving Business Value Through Transformation.” She spent the last few years helping lead PwC’s own AI and digital transformation, and she shared lessons learned that can be used to accelerate transformation in other organizations.
“If AI is only in the hands of a few experts, you’re not transforming,” said Brozzetti. “Transformation happens when everyone can use AI confidently.”
In a mainstage conversation, “Data, Decisions, and Disruption: The Evolving CIO and the Future of IT,” three technology executives discussed AI hype versus impact and how AI is changing the way we work. The conversation featured:
- Matt Behrens, chief information officer for the State of Iowa.
- Troy Fridley, senior vice president of information technology at KENT WORLDWIDE.
- Nick Volpe, chief technology officer at American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company.
Bill Schmarzo, customer data and AI innovation strategist at Dell Technologies, energized the audience with his closing keynote, “Mastering AI-Driven Innovation.” He identified four pillars of AI-driven innovation: the economics of value creation, ethical data science, design thinking, and creating a culture of empowerment. According to Schmarzo, when people and organizations combine human learning with algorithmic learning, “design thinking humanizes data science.”
“If AI is only in the hands of a few experts, you’re not transforming. Transformation happens when everyone can use AI confidently.”
— Dina Brozzetti
Throughout the day, participants enjoyed breakout sessions from an impressive lineup of speakers. The twelve breakout sessions delivered real-world examples of how analytics can maximize business value, in areas ranging from strategy and sales to supply chain and facility optimization. The symposium provides a high-quality professional development opportunity for analytics professionals at all career levels.
The 2025 symposium was sponsored by the partners and members of the Iowa State University Business Analytics and Digital Strategy Forum: American Equity, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Iowa Department of Management, KENT WORLDWIDE, MidAmerican Energy Company, PwC, Chevron Renewable Energy Group, EMC Insurance, John Deere, Kingland, Principal, RSM LLP US, and Iowa State’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS).
-
Business analytics at Ivy
Would you like to make a difference? A degree in business analytics has that potential. We live in a world overwhelmed with data. Today’s businesses are data-rich yet information-poor. They need the talent to help them drive data insights, leading to smarter decisions.
October 9, 2025
