Global Head of Data & AI Strategy, AWS
I lead the team that helps the world's most complex enterprises turn data into decisions and AI into real operating value, not another pilot.
About
I lead AWS's global Data & AI Strategy organization: 24 data strategists and technical architects who embed with some of the world's most complex enterprises, 50 or more at any one time. My job is to help executives decide where AI should genuinely change how the business runs, then put in place the data foundations, operating model and proof of return that get it there. Before AWS I built data platforms and engineering teams at Microsoft, Red Hat and Altria, so I've sat on both sides of the table: the team asked to deliver, and the executive asked to fund it.
Much of that work has been in regulated industries, including banking, insurance and payments, where AI has to earn its place. The part that makes it pay off is rarely glamorous: trusted data, shared definitions, clear ownership, and a way to show the return. That is the lens I bring to every conversation, whether it's a board, a chief data officer or an engineering team.
What you'll find here. Thinking I've put out in the open: episodes of Data Strategy Unravelled, the video series I host with senior practitioners on AI and data transformation, and my latest posts on LinkedIn. My view on why value sits at the top of a four-layer stack, and why most programs stall a layer below it. A short AI maturity assessment you can take to see where your organization stands and what to do next. And the results and board work that shape how I think.
I hold a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Computer Science, magna cum laude, from Winston-Salem State University.
Khendr'a
Results
AWS. Consolidated disparate data stacks across AWS, Azure and GCP into vendor-agnostic target architectures, cutting cloud spend by 30 to 40% and giving enterprises one foundation for AI training and evaluation.
AWS. Delivered AI roadmaps and consolidated data platforms for more than 30 financial institutions, shipping fraud detection, risk and personalization use cases from idea to production.
Altria. Built the data warehouse solutions behind roughly $10M in savings, and led the monitoring and pipeline work that cut service incidents by 90%.
Board & advisory
Since January 2026
Program Advisory Board Member, Master of AI Strategy and Innovation
School of Professional Studies · Charlotte, NC
Industry advisor on the curriculum and strategic direction of the program, working with the Academic and Executive Directors to keep it current, rigorous and relevant to working professionals.
In Wake Forest's words ↗
Since September 2025
Industry Advisory Board Member, Department of Computer Science
Winston-Salem, NC
Strategic input on curriculum development and on aligning research priorities with industry needs, plus support for outreach and professional networks. My alma mater.
Latest thinking
Episodes from Data Strategy Unravelled, the AWS series I host. See the full series ↗
WatchData Strategy Unravelled · with Matt Pearson
How healthcare organizations are using AI/ML to reduce physician burnout and improve clinical documentation: what's working in one of the most complex, regulated industries, and what's just hype.
WatchData Strategy Unravelled · with Yalek Baru
The CEO of the International Myeloma Foundation on building "Myelo," an AI chatbot that gives personalized support to myeloma patients. AI creating real social impact, not just business value.
WatchData Strategy Unravelled · with Nancy Miller
A conversation with Amazon Quick's go-to-market lead on what changes when AI stops answering questions and starts doing the work alongside the team.
Latest from LinkedIn
A simple model I use to explain where AI programs succeed and where they stall.
Return on investment, adoption, and decisions that actually changed. Nothing below matters if this layer stays empty.
Workflows that act on the business, with evaluation and human oversight built in.
A semantic layer that gives people and models the same meaning for every metric.
Where most programs stallTrusted, governed and discoverable, with a named owner for each domain.
Free assessment · 3 minutes
Nine questions across strategy, data, context, agents, governance and value. You'll get:
Answer for your organization as it is today, not as the strategy deck describes it.
Contact
For speaking invitations, podcast conversations, press, or to compare notes on data and AI.
khendra@khendrareid.ai
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