Dr. Chris Marshall is Associate Vice President for IDC Asia Pacific, responsible for the Analytics, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence practice. Dr. Marshall’s core research coverage includes the development of Data Analytics and Machine Learning competencies and their implications – the threats and opportunities facing organizations as they seek to augment and automate their knowledge-based work.

Previously, Chris was a senior executive in IBM Watson Financial Services where he led their AI-enabled risk and analytics practice in Asia. Before joining IBM, he held senior business development and management roles in big data and analytics at KPMG, Oracle and UBS.

• MA in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University.
• MBA from University of Chicago
• Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard Business School
• Professor of Computer Science at National University of Singapore.
• Co-Founder and Director of NUS Program for Research in Intelligent Systems
• Co-Founder and Director of NUS Risk Management Institute
• Author of widely used textbook on Operational Analytics
• Frequent speaker, presenter and moderator at industry conferences

Rajan spearheads IDC’s software research, advisory, and consulting practice in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey region. He has led several bespoke research and consulting projects for leading global ICT firms and regularly advises senior industry executives on market, product, and competitive strategies. He leads a team of regional research analysts and manages the delivery of syndicated research and trackers that analyze trends in technology areas such as enterprise applications, collaboration, security, storage, databases, and deployment tools, among others.In addition, Rajan has held engagement management and senior consultant roles in management consulting projects for government authorities and bodies in the region, developing strategies and programs for national IT sector development and ICT skills augmentation.Rajan engages closely with chief information officers (CIOs) in the region through workshops, roundtable discussions, and interviews, providing guidance on enterprise IT strategies.Rajan frequently speaks at industry forums and conferences, and is often quoted in the media, providing opinion and analysis on technology trends and strategies in global and emerging markets.Prior to joining IDC, Rajan spent over ten years in the IT industry in roles spanning product management, marketing, channel and business development, and resource management at prominent global IT companies such as Epicor, 3i Infotech and NIIT Technologies.Rajan has a management degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Calcutta and a bachelor of technology degree from Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Harish Dunakhe leads IDC’s research & advisory practice for the software program in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey (META) region.
He is responsible for a team of research analysts and manages the delivery of insights in IDC’s software program and syndicated research. Harish and his team have expertise in studying technology trends to provide our clients with thought leadership and actionable insights. He is based in Dubai.

Harish has a strong understanding of leveraging technologies to solve business problems in the public sector, travel & transportation, hospitality, IT, and retail. He has significant knowledge of emerging technologies such as blockchain, RPA, artificial intelligence, and cloud. He works with clients to understand the intricacies, opportunities, and challenges involved in their technology transformation journeys.

Harish brings more than 17 years of experience working with leading system integrators and other technology companies across the Middle East, South Asia, and India. Prior to joining IDC, he held senior roles spanning technology sales strategy, program governance, and large account business planning at Global MNCs such as Wipro, DXC Technology, and Sonata Software.

Michael Yeo is the Associate Research Director for IDC Financial Insights and Retail Insights in the Asia/Pacific region.  Mr. Yeo’s core research coverage focuses on payments including the uptake of mobile payments in the Asia/Pacific region, digital banking, and the evolution of joint digital ecosystems involving ecommerce, mcommerce, and payments. Mr. Yeo has also significant experience in advising financial institutions on their fintech management strategies, placing particular emphasis on organizational and technology restructuring within banks to better cope with the demands of current-generation digital customers.

Prior to IDC, Mr. Yeo headed all financial services–related research at KPMG Malaysia. Previously, he served as a project manager at an advisory firm in China, where he advised multiple international clients with their China market entry strategies. Mr. Yeo started his career in an advisory role for financial services at Ernst and Young.

Credentials:

• B.A Accounting and Economics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom
• Frequent speaker in the region on mobile payments and digital ecosystems. Contributor to major global and regional media outlets including CNBC, South China Morning Post, Straits Times, and Global Finance