Nan Li
Nan is a passionate and human-centric data and AI executive, industry thought leader, and speaker. Her specialty is cutting through AI clutter and complexity to deliver clear, tailored strategies that align with business maturities and priorities, transforming AI hype and potential into tangible outcomes and real business value.
With over 20 years of experience in leading data, analytics, and AI initiatives in Fortune 500 companies across the insurance, financial services, and healthcare industries, Nan excels at helping organizations craft and execute strategies that align data and AI initiatives with core business objectives to deliver measurable outcomes. Most recently, as Vice President of AI/ML & Statistical Practice at Nationwide, Nan championed the vision, strategy, and execution of advanced analytics, delivering scalable AI/ML and GenAI solutions across the enterprise, automating and streamlining operations along the insurance value chain.
Prior to Nationwide, Nan led data strategy and analytics innovation at Bread Financial, where she established new data and analytics functions, implemented enterprise-wide platforms, and introduced new practices that generated multi-million-dollar benefits in digital marketing and operational efficiency. At Cardinal Health, she built a high-impact solutions and analytics team from the ground up and pioneered cloud-based big data analytics solutions, uncovering sales opportunities across all medical product lines.
Renowned for her creative and transformational leadership, Nan has a proven track record of building high-performing teams, fostering trusted cross-functional relationships, establishing robust governance frameworks, and driving transformative results with agility and focus. She’s highly skilled at distilling complex concepts into clear and practical frameworks, making them accessible and actionable for stakeholders from board members and C-Suites to managers and associates. Her thoughtful approach ensures that data and AI investments not only achieve business goals but also serve the greater good, balancing innovation with long-term sustainability.
Recognized as an industry thought leader, Nan uniquely focuses on the intersection of humanity, AI, and leadership, particularly on psychological impact and behavior changes using AI or introduced by AI. Nan has spoken at many conferences and meetups, including the DataConnect Conference, Ai4, INFORMS, UC Data Science Symposium, AI Rising, CDO Magazine Summit, AI in Finance, OSU Digital Solutions Gallery, and OSU Risk Institute.
You can follow her on LinkedIn, schedule for free 30 min consultation or book her for speaking at your next event.
What is Human-Centric AI Leadership
Human-Centric AI Leadership is the intersection of AI, Leadership, and Humanity. It’s about how we lead ourselves, our teams, our organizations, and our society in this rapid technology revolution with purposes, meanings, and values.
Human-Centric AI Leadership is the convergence of strategy, technology, and psychology in the age of AI. The AI revolution isn’t about technology—it's how businesses and individuals harness it to create real impact. Those who thrive in the AI era aren’t just adopting new tools—they’re redefining how they operate, compete, and lead.
Unfortunately, most of the AI hype focuses on the technology, many initiatives in organizations are led by tech leaders, and popular trainings are focused on technology or tools. Slogans like AI-driven business, AI-first strategy, or AI automation are popping up everywhere, neglecting the human aspects of the revolution. AI is created by humans, used by humans, and for the benefits of humans. There are many different types of intelligence that need to interact with AI. Without human adoption, human-value-guided governance, and real benefits realized by people, AI advancement is meaningless.
