Welcome to “The Intelligent Leader,” a podcast that equips modern business leaders with the insights needed to navigate the ever-changing world of data & analytics to drive their organizations forward.

In each episode, we'll explore the strategies top companies use to tackle their key challenges, from AI trends to big data. Our guests include a diverse lineup of industry experts, tech innovators and business leaders who share their experiences in leveraging data to drive growth.

Whether you're a data pro or just starting out, “The Intelligent Leader” delivers actionable insights to lead your organization confidently into the data-driven future. Brought to you by Infocepts, improving business results through more effective use of data, AI & user-friendly analytics.

Hosted By: Shashank Garg, Founder & CEO – Infocepts

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In this episode of The Intelligent Leader, host Shashank Garg sits down with Ali Miller, VP of Ads Product at Instacart, to explore the rapidly transforming world of retail media. With a background at Google and YouTube, Ali brings a unique lens to how technology, data, and commerce intersect in building an impactful advertising ecosystem.

Ali shares how Instacart is expanding its retail media platform across thousands of partners, leveraging AI and ML to drive real-time personalization while maintaining consumer trust and data privacy. She discusses key strategic bets, such as their CTV campaigns with NBC and their use of clean rooms to preserve user privacy. The conversation offers deep insights into incrementality measurement, full-funnel ad strategies, and where generative AI fits in the future of retail.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders in e-commerce, advertising, media, and data science looking to understand the full scope of what's next in digital commerce.

Key Quotes:

"Creating these shoppable moments where you can inspire someone while they're watching the Paris Olympics, for example, which was when virtual concessions really came to life and helping to kind of, you know, just enrich that experience by making it not just a typical ad experience, but hey, like get your snacks to watch with the incredible game that you're about to see on your tv.

You know, it's easy to fall in love with technical solutions. It's easy to get excited about, oh, this capability that we have that we didn't have before, but. Only once it's really connected to something of value, that's where we're starting to see it come to life more."

-Ali Miller

:Using generative AI to create much more metadata, much more context and supplement, you know, your products and transactions with additional metadata that is gonna further make your AI better.

The future of personalization is less about more data and much more about smarter joints. And who you join with, how you align your purpose, and how you will continuously learn from these signals to make it better next time."

-Shashank Garg

Time Stamps:

• (02:28) Ali Miller's Role at Instacart
• (06:23) Challenges and Innovations in Retail Media
• (15:00) Privacy and Personalization in Advertising
• (20:30) Generative AI and Future Trends
• (36:16) Looking Ahead: Trends and Advice

Links:

Connect with Ali Miller

Learn more about Instacart

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts

In this episode of The Intelligent Leader Podcast, host Shashank Garg sits down with Kabir Patel, Global Head of IT at AstraZeneca, to explore the rapidly evolving world of agentic AI. Kabir unpacks what truly sets agentic AI apart from traditional automation, RPA, and generative models—highlighting its ability to reason, act, and learn autonomously. Drawing on years of experience in pharma tech and digital operations, he shares a clear framework for building these systems, from memory and context to reasoning engines and tool integration. With real-world use cases like self-healing supply chains and autonomous service management, Kabir paints a compelling picture of how agentic AI can reshape industries by embedding intelligence directly into workflows.

The conversation also addresses the practical challenges of scaling AI across the enterprise. Shashank and Kabir discuss how organizations should start with assistive AI in low-risk domains like IT and HR before evolving toward more complex, autonomous systems. They explore the growing ecosystem of agentic AI platforms, the strategic decisions enterprises face in choosing between building, buying, or integrating, and the importance of reimagining business processes—not just layering AI on top. Whether you're a tech leader, AI strategist, or simply curious about the future of intelligent systems, this episode offers both a roadmap and a reality check for what's coming next.

Time Stamps:

[00:22] Kabir's Background and Role at AstraZeneca

[02:07] Understanding Agent AI

[06:19] Building Blocks of Agent AI

[08:06] Use Cases in Pharma and Beyond

[15:32] Scaling AI in Enterprises

[24:00] What is the Future of Agentic AI and Beyond?

Links:

Connect with Kabir

Lean More about AstraZeneca

Connect with Shashank Garg

Learn More About Infocepts