Tech-Driven, Human-Centered: Leading Through Disruption

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As transformative technologies move from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, the hardest challenges are no longer purely technical—they are often human. In this program, leaders from technology and business discuss what innovations such as artificial intelligence demand of managers and teams in real time. Drawing on practical experience, speakers share insights on how they assess value and risk, make adoption decisions amidst uncertainty, and navigate the cultural, operational, and ethical shifts that new technologies introduce.

This event will be held in person and online. If joining us virtually, the link to join will be provided upon registration.

Discussion: 6:15-7:30 PM with reception to follow

Presenters:

Speakers:

  • Sherif Sakr is a partner in Deloitte’s US member firm and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Deloitte’s New Ventures, Technology & Innovation (NVTI) with responsibilities spanning bridging strategy and operations, monitoring strategy execution, optimizing capital allocation and overseeing day-to-day business operations.  He also serves as member of the US member firm’s Operating Committee.  Sherif’s prior leadership roles included leading the Office of the Chair and serving as US Board Secretary; COO of Deloitte & Touche LLP; deputy to Managing Partner Finance & Administration and CFO of Deloitte’s US firms; and CFO of the Risk & Financial Advisory business. In addition to his firm leadership responsibilities, Sherif also serves as the global lead client service partner where his responsibilities include overseeing the entire global relationship and bringing the breadth and depth of Deloitte to clients while overseeing service delivery and quality of execution across the global relationship. 

    Sherif, who is a Certified Public Accountant, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), chair of the Accounting Committee of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA), member of the Accounting Committee of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and member of the Accounting Committee of the Structured Finance Industry Group (SFIG).  Sherif is an alum of the Partnership for New York City’s David Rockefeller Fellows Program where he continues to be actively involved with the Partnership for New York City.  Sherif currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for United Way New York City and Resolve to Save Lives; and is a member of the Harvard Business Review (HBR) Advisory Council. 

    Sherif is an author of several publications on topics related to global capital markets, structured transactions, securitization, derivatives and hedging activities, treasury operations, M&A and IPOs; he is a frequent speaker on these topics in front of national and international conferences.  He is the Recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President of the United States in recognition for his global volunteer activities while working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) leading educational workshops on different topics related to global capital markets to local standard setters, exchange commissioners and central bankers in several emerging markets. Sherif is involved with different community initiatives in NYC Metro Area in addition to his active involvement with several domestic and global non-for-profit organizations particularly with focus on education; health; children and youth development; women empowerment and growth; and financial literacy and security.

  • Lauren Goodwin is a technology and digital engineering leader known for her mission-first approach to transformation in highly regulated and mission-critical environments. Her cross-industry portfolio spans energy, financial services, healthcare, defense, and space, where she has consistently delivered secure, scalable innovation grounded in operational reality.

  • Francesca Rossi is an IBM Fellow and the IBM Global Leader for responsible AI & AI Governance and Lecturer, M.S. Technology Management. 

    She is based at the T.J. Watson IBM Research Lab, New York, USA. Her research interests focus on artificial intelligence, with special focus on constraint reasoning, preferences, multi-agent systems, computational social choice, neuro-symbolic AI, cognitive architectures, and value alignment. On these topics, she has published over 220 scientific articles in journals and conference proceedings, and as book chapters.

  • Richard Goldberg, Lecturer, M.S. Enterprise Risk Management and M.S. Technology Management, is an educator, investment banker (M&A), and author with extensive expertise in the global financial sector since the early 1980s.

    He has advised leading financial institutions on cross-border mergers and acquisitions totaling over $100 billion, working with organizations such as Bank of America, DE Shaw, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and UBS. His Wall Street career includes senior roles at BlackRock, Lehman Brothers, and Lazard.

    Beyond investment banking, Richard has been active in asset management and growth companies, serving as co-CEO and board member of a former publicly traded (NYSE) asset manager, advising growth companies as a senior advisor at Needham & Company, and currently sitting on the boards of two early-stage financial technology firms.

    In academia, Richard is a faculty member at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and School of Professional Studies, teaching courses on the international financial services industry and convergence of banking and technology (fintech). He is an emeritus member of the SIPA Advisory Board.

    He is also the author of the best-selling book The Battle for Wall Street (Wiley), has taught graduate courses at Brandeis University’s International Business School as a senior lecturer, and provides industry commentary on Bloomberg TV and NPR, with guest lectures at leading universities in the U.S. and Europe.

    Featured Alumni:

  • Vrunda Shah is a Senior Product Manager at Google, where she drives the product vision for Information Retrieval infrastructure and Large Scale Model Observability. With a strong focus on architectural resilience and AI infrastructure, she has orchestrated technical roadmaps that significantly reduce critical outages and scale data systems to support generative AI and LLM workflows across Alphabet. Prior to Google, Vrunda spearheaded product integrity platforms at Facebook and technical automation solutions at Amazon. An alumna of Columbia University's M.S. in Technology Management program, she is also a dedicated advocate for DEI serving as the lead for IGN@ an ERG supporting South Asian Googlers. 

     

    For questions about this event, please contact the Technology Management program at sps-techmgmt [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

In spring 2026, Frame Your Future, a public series from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, spotlights the forces redefining organizations and leadership. Featuring practitioner faculty and alumni across sectors, from sustainability to technology, the conversations examine how shifting demands, markets, and new tools are reshaping professional advantage. The message is clear: In a volatile economy, lifelong learning is a strategic investment. Join us to stay sharp and stay ahead.

To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please contact an Admissions Counselor at inquire [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation or any other disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services, disability [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu, at least 10 days in advance.

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This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.