Keynote Speakers

Laura Albert

Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Laura A. Albert is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as the President of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) in 2023 and the David H. Gustafson Department Chair of ISyE at UW-Madison from 2021-24. She is the founder of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) Day, celebrated annually on Sept. 14.

Albert is also an elected Fellow of IISE, INFORMS, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her work has been recognized with the INFORMS Impact Prize, a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and a Fulbright Award. As an advocate for public engagement, Albert has penned several op-eds for national news outlets and authors the engineering blogs “Punk Rock Operations Research” and “Badger Bracketology.”

Rashida Hodge

Corporate Vice President of Cloud & AI Platform, Customer Success
Microsoft

Rashida Hodge is a seasoned technologist and executive leader with over two decades of global experience driving innovation in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

As Corporate Vice President of Cloud & AI Platform, Customer Success at Microsoft, she leads global strategy and execution to accelerate data-driven transformation for clients worldwide. Previously, she served as Global Vice President at IBM, where she played a pivotal role in the commercialization of IBM Watson, building its AI professional services business and delivering transformative AI solutions to enterprise clients across multiple regions. Her career has taken her to more than 70 countries, including assignments in China and Slovakia, shaping her global outlook and commitment to mentorship, community, and impact.

Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Rashida is passionate about advancing women and minorities in engineering, founding the Real Hope for NextGen Engineers Endowment. She holds degrees from NC State University and Duke University and serves on the boards of Sonatype, North Carolina State University Board of Visitors, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, Girls, Inc., and Regal Rexnord.

Jennifer Van Buskirk

Head of Business Operations
AT&T

Jennifer Van Buskirk is a growth-oriented, transformational executive with broad operational experience leading large P&Ls in both the Consumer and Business markets.

Over the past 25+ years, Jennifer has been part of the industry’s most significant milestones. From helping lead Cingular Wireless’ acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to the industry-shaping introduction of the first iPhone, to leading market shifting customer-centric moves like AT&T’s Best Deals for Everyone, which reshaped the wireless industry.

Jennifer built AT&T’s premium prepaid wireless business from the ground up including the launch of start-up Aio Wireless, and the merger and brand transition to Cricket Wireless after AT&T’s acquisition. As President/CEO of Cricket Wireless, Jennifer built the fastest growing brand in the industry, now a $6B+ business with 13M+ customers.

Through her career, Jennifer has led nearly every function of the company. Today, she serves as the Head of Business Operations for AT&T Business ($30B), responsible for the end-to-end experience from pre-sales and contracting, to service delivery, billing, and customer support. She leads a team of 20K+ people charged with serving customers and driving transformation through process re-engineering, technology enablement, and deploying innovative AI solutions.

Jennifer was named one of the “Influential Women in Wireless” by Fierce Wireless, was among the National Diversity Council’s “Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology” and received a Bronze Stevie Award from Women in Business for “Female Executive of the Year.”

Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. She previously served on the board of YP.com and currently works on the Advisory Board for Virginia Tech's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Jennifer is a vocal advocate for STEM education and an active blogger; currently, the most followed AT&T executive on LinkedIn.