For me, some decisions are easy. I’m proud to join Qlik’s AI Council, alongside Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, Nina Schick, Kelly Forbes, and Prof. Michael Bronstein.
The calibre of the Council is a big part of what makes it meaningful. Each member brings a distinct lens, from applied responsible AI and governance, to the broader societal and geopolitical implications of generative AI, to policy and international cooperation, to leading-edge AI research and commercialization.
Just as important, they bring perspectives shaped by different regions and regulatory realities, which matters because enterprise AI is not playing out the same way everywhere. That mix of expertise and geography keeps the conversation grounded, practical, and relevant for customers operating globally.
This Council was an early, smart call, and it’s already creating customer value
Qlik set up the AI Council in early 2024, before “responsible AI” became the default headline for every vendor slide. The intent was clear, convene a small group of credible, independent voices who can keep the company, and the market conversations around it, grounded in what customers need to succeed with AI in the real world and at scale.
What I like about that is the orientation. It’s not “AI theater.” It’s not abstract principles in a vacuum. It’s a mechanism for translating fast-moving change into decision-quality guidance customers can use, and for shaping product direction with responsibility and practicality built in.
My lens from AWS, the ecosystem is the strategy
At AWS, I spend my time with customers and partners who are trying to move from pilots to production. The pattern is consistent, customers don’t want to be told to “pick a stack” and accept the consequences. They want optionality. They want clarity on architecture. They want economics that don’t collapse when usage grows. And they want confidence that security and compliance are first-class requirements, not fine print.
This is why I believe enterprise AI will be won through ecosystems, not islands.
It’s also why the growing relationship between AWS and Qlik matters. The two companies are aligning on a simple, customer-first goal, help organizations turn AI ambition into measurable outcomes, with trusted data foundations, governance, and the ability to scale.
You can see that in the work already underway. Qlik and AWS signed a multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement focused on accelerating enterprise AI adoption, including investments to simplify trusted generative AI, support AI app development, streamline compliance, and accelerate adoption through joint go-to-market.
You can see it in technology integration as well. Qlik has built integrations that make it easier for customers to use managed AWS services for GenAI, including Amazon Bedrock, alongside governed analytics and data foundations, so customers can move faster without compromising control.
And you can see it in external validation. Qlik achieved the AWS Generative AI Competency, which is awarded to partners that demonstrate technical proficiency and documented customer outcomes using AWS generative AI services such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker. That matters because customers want proof, not promises.
The point is not caution for caution’s sake. The point is speed with confidence.
It’s not “rip and replace.” Not “all-or-nothing.” But meeting customers where they are, across clouds and systems, and helping them build an AI-ready foundation that is trusted, contextual, and governable.
What matters in 2026
In 2026, differentiation will come from execution. The winners will be the organizations that can turn trusted data into action at scale, responsibly, cost-efficiently, and with the freedom to adapt as the market evolves.
That’s why this Council matters, and it’s also why you’ll see AWS continuing to show up alongside Qlik in a big way. AWS will again be a Diamond Sponsor for Qlik Connect, because the conversations happening there are the ones customers actually need right now, practical guidance on making AI real, with the ecosystem, governance, and architecture to scale.
If you’re building, governing, or scaling enterprise AI this year, Qlik Connect is a must-attend event, not for headlines, for the sessions, the customer stories, and the real-world playbooks that help teams move from experimentation to execution.
See you there.
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