The Perfume Problem: Why Most AI Demos Smell Amazing and Disappear Just as Fast

About Our Contributing ExpertSalil Athalye | Senior Director, Solutions EngineeringSalil Athalye is a data and analytics leader specialising in decision intelligence, business transformation, and modern data platforms. With more than two decades of experience spanning analytics engineering, product development, Lean Six Sigma, and AI-driven transformation, he helps organisations focus their data investments on the business outcomes that matter most.Currently serving as Senior Director of Solutions Engineering at The Modern Data Company, Salil brings deep expertise across modern data stacks, graph databases, Microsoft Fabric, and GenAI-enabled productivity. His career includes leadership roles at Constellation Brands, eLogic (now part of Avanade), and Xerox, where he led analytics modernisation, predictive modelling, platform engineering, and enterprise-scale transformation initiatives. Alongside his industry work, he has spent over a decade as an Adjunct Faculty Member and Capstone Coordinator at Rochester Institute of Technology, mentoring graduate students in product development and systems thinking.