Deepika manages and leads the research programs in big data and analytics (BDA), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and Web3.

Deepika is a seasoned data and AI professional and brings extensive knowledge about the impact of data engineering, big data cloud platforms, and data science across critical sectors. She has extensive experience in software delivery as well as sales leadership and management. She also has over 20 years of experience in IT services, including leadership roles, at Capgemini, Infosys, and Accenture, and has strong industry expertise in the telecommunications and retail industries. More so, Deepika has an entrepreneurial spirit and has previously founded her own online retail fashion business.

Deepika holds a master’s degree in communication systems engineering from the University of Kent in United Kingdom and a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications from the University of Madras, India.

Sandra Ng is Group Vice President and General Manager for IDC Asia/Pacific including Japan (APJ) research. Based in Singapore, she is responsible for thought leadership and deep-dive insights and advisory content on IDC’s 3rd Platform disruptive pillars of Cloud, Mobility, Big Data Analytics, and Social along with C-suite (CIO, CMO, CEO, COO, CFO and CxO) research and tech buyer engagements as well as the Service Provider industry. In her role, she advises both tech buyers (CIO and LoB) and IT suppliers/enablers across the ICT marketplace.

As IT becomes the epicenter of our economy, IDC sees the intersection of Digital Transformation (DX) and the 3rd Platform’s Innovation Stage. Here is where we see governments, industries and consumers consuming the four technology pillars as well as increasingly the six innovation accelerators (Internet of Things or IoT, cognitive computing, 3D printing, robotics, next-gen security, and augmented/virtual reality [AR/VR]). To this end, IDC created a portfolio of tech buyer/end-user research and methodology frameworks, the IDC DecisionScapes, to provide targeted advice in an increasingly complex and fast-paced marketplace.

Sandra leads a team of IDC’s senior analysts with collective expertise across the ICT industry. This team leverages the core research created by IDC’s Asia/Pacific Domain Research Group, through contextualizing the content and increasing its relevance for clients and their businesses. This value creation process enhances the proposition IDC brings to strategy, planning and market intelligence stakeholders. This unique delivery of research content also brings with it IDC’s thought leadership analysis and business executive insights for marketing, product management, sales and strategic leadership teams within the client’s organization.

Along with the Domain Research team, the Practice Group extensively collaborates with IDC’s Integrated Marketing Programs (IMP), IDC’s Industry Insights, and IDC’s Consulting organizations to provide a comprehensive scope of intelligence services to meet the diverse needs of today’s dynamic and complex technology marketplace.

From research to IDC’s customized go-to-market services (GMS) to executive roundtables and end-user events, Sandra and her team provide independent and insightful perspectives of market conditions, assisting clients in making informed business decisions and achieving business goals.

Sandra’s role also extends beyond quality research content delivery. She plays a key role in driving forward-looking assessment and analysis, often sharing her market insights and predictions to Asia Pacific management teams and heads of strategy within her customer base. She moderates and engages extensively with the client communities, including both traditional technology buyers and increasingly influential line of business heads often leveraging the IDC DecisionScape methodologies and deep-dive research.

Sandra has been in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) advisory and consulting industry for 20 years. While her technology research expertise is vast and diverse, she is best known in the industry for her Telecommunications knowledge and opinions within the Asia Pacific region. Her ability to discuss broad, strategic and converged issues across the ICT industry enables her to engage with many C-level management teams and technology executives in Asia.

Prior to joining IDC, Sandra was with Gartner/Dataquest for more than four years, where she was managing a variety of IT research projects ranging from midrange systems to peripherals. In addition to base unit research, she was actively leading in channel and consulting work.

Sandra has established a keen following within the Asia Pacific media fraternity and is frequently quoted in leading regional business and trade publications such as the Asian Wall Street Journal, Computer World, Telecom Asia, tele.com and Wireless World, and also in locally-based media such as Singapore’s Business Times and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post. She is often invited to present IDC’s opinions on CNBC Asia, Bloomberg and Channel News Asia. Sandra is also a regular keynote speaker at global and regional ICT conferences.

Fluent in English and Mandarin, Sandra graduated from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Linus Lai is a member of the Asia/Pacific Software and Services Research Group. He has more than 20 years of IT experience in the region. Based in Sydney, Australia, he has experience in several cloud, software, and services programs in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), which covers a wide range of technology and services markets across 13 countries.

In this role, he is responsible for providing insights and analyses in enterprise adoption, integration, and management of these solutions. This includes sourcing strategies, vendor selection, and identifying emerging trends in business and technology solutions across technology buyers in the region. Linus is a founding member of IDC Asia/Pacific’s Emerging Technology Advisory Council and is a recipient of numerous awards for country, regional, and quality research contributions. In his previous role as head of research in Southeast Asia, he developed and grew IDC’s presence in the region.

Linus is frequently quoted in various publications and media outlets and is a regular presenter at industry forums, client events, and strategic workshops. Prior to joining IDC, Linus worked with a large outsourcing service provider that focused on retail banking solutions.

Linus holds a master of science degree from the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom.

Stephanie Krishnan is Research Director for IDC Manufacturing Insights, responsible for Industry 4.0 research. In this role, she responsible for the production, development and growth of the IDC Manufacturing Insights program in the Asia Pacific region. In this role, Stephanie will be delivering a research agenda that will appeal to technology buyers and vendors both in terms of subscription products and custom research in Industry 4-0 looking across ecosystems, value chains and supply chains of industrial industries.

Stephanie has more than 20 years’ experience in manufacturing and supply chain, with a diverse background that complements her years in academia and professional development consulting in multiple countries such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE and Hong Kong among others. in addition to this, she advises startups in the areas of process automation and technology adoption, particularly in supply chain management. Stephanie has been most recently been conducting economic and supply chain market research as part of consulting in the Middle East.