Experience the difference. Meet your peers, talk with experts, build your network, and turn insights into action.
Adam Ronthal
VP Analyst
Gartner
Speaker Topics
- Agentic Analytics and AI
- Trends and Futures
- Value and Metrics
- Data Ecosystems
- Overall Data and Analytics Strategy
- Cost Optimization
Speaker Bio
Adam Ronthal is a Research VP in Gartner's Data and Analytics group covering data management with a primary focus on database management systems, technologies and strategies. Mr. Ronthal's areas of specialization include data ecosystems, analytic and operational databases, cloud, financial governance for cloud and FinOps for D&A. Mr. Ronthal joined Gartner in January 2015 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
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Sessions
Monday, March 09, 2026 09:30 AM - 10:15 AM EDT
Gartner Opening Keynote: Navigate AI on Your Data & Analytics Journey to Value
Adam Ronthal,
VP Analyst, Gartner
Georgia O'Callaghan,
Director Analyst, Gartner
AI is accelerating new possibilities for data and analytics everywhere. Success isn’t always about being the fastest, but about finding your own path to value, while managing risk and cost. Join our Gartner’s Opening Keynote to discover how a thoughtful approach to speed and direction helps you prepare for what’s next, no matter where you are today.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 07:30 AM - 08:45 AM EDT
Breakfast: The Value of a Strong Personal Brand—and How to Get Started
Kate Strachnyi,
Founder, DATAcated
Adam Ronthal,
VP Analyst, Gartner
Scott Taylor,
Principal Consultant, The Data Whisperer
Join Kate Strachnyi, Founder of DATAcated and LinkedIn Top Voice in Data Science, and Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer and renowned data evangelist, to explore the importance of building a personal brand in data. Learn practical steps for identifying your strengths, communicating your expertise, and elevating your profile within the data and AI community. Kate and Scott will share proven strategies from their extensive experience as educators, speakers, and thought leaders—helping you confidently launch and grow your personal brand for lasting impact. Plus, participate in interactive table discussions to exchange ideas and learn from fellow attendees.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM EDT
The Path to Agentic D&A Optimization
Adam Ronthal,
VP Analyst, Gartner
To achieve agentic optimization, D&A leaders must invest in active metadata and data ecosystems, develop FinOps maturity, and train AI models. This foundation enables efficient, automated decision-making for deploying and optimizing D&A resources. This session explores how these areas intersect, offering a holistic view of agentic capabilities, impacts and risks. Go beyond targeted agents and think big!
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
Panel Discussion: Evaluating Your Strategic: Long Term Data Management Platform Choices
Ehtisham Zaidi,
VP, Team Manager, Gartner
Adam Ronthal,
VP Analyst, Gartner
Robert Thanaraj,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
Nina Showell,
Principal Analyst, Gartner
D&A leaders have a key strategic decision to make over the next few years. What does their strategic and long-term data management platform looks like and where to source it from? There are four options that this session will discuss: utilizing the all encompassing data and AI platform from their cloud service providers, extending their ISV solution providers to enable their data platform, engaging their enterprise SaaS application providers to support D&A use cases, or taking a blended approach.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026 01:15 PM - 01:45 PM EDT
The Orbital Mechanics of Data: A Data Gravity Story
Adam Ronthal,
VP Analyst, Gartner
Ten years ago, we began researching data gravity. The story then was not wrong, but incomplete. In this session, we use planetary dynamics as a metaphor to explain data gravity, defined by both volume and density (business value). Attendees will learn new ways to think about data and assess the impact of mergers, partnerships and acquisitions.
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