Keynote Presentation: The Growth Strategy Hidden Inside AI Governance

AI governance is often treated as a control function—but what if it can also become part of an enterprise growth strategy? In this keynote presentation from AI Enterprise Conference 2026, Reggie Townsend of SAS explores the intersection of AI ethics, governance, social impact, and the business imperative to operationalize AI responsibly. “The Growth Strategy Hidden Inside AI Governance” examines a critical issue for enterprise leaders moving AI from pilots to production: governance cannot be separated from how organizations scale and deploy AI. As AI becomes embedded across enterprise systems and business processes, leaders must consider governance alongside innovation, adoption, risk, and long-term value creation. The session connects directly to the broader enterprise AI challenge of building systems that can operate at scale while remaining governed, accountable, and aligned with organizational priorities. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Explore the relationship between AI governance and enterprise growth strategy • Understand why governance becomes increasingly important as AI moves from experimentation into production • Consider AI ethics, governance, and social impact as interconnected enterprise priorities • Examine governance as part of the broader operating model required to scale enterprise AI responsibly • Gain an executive perspective on balancing AI innovation with accountability and responsible adoption SPEAKER 📢 Reggie Townsend, VP of AI Ethics, Governance & Social Impact | SAS ABOUT AI ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE 2026 Hosted by Data Science Connect on September 1, 2026 in New York City, AI Enterprise Conference 2026 brings together Fortune 500 decision-makers, enterprise data and AI leaders, and leading technology providers to explore how organizations can build, scale, govern, and operationalize AI. The 2026 theme, “AI for Enterprise: From Pilots to Production,” focuses on the systems, governance, data foundations, operating models, and economics required to turn enterprise AI experimentation into scalable, secure, production-ready capabilities tied to real business outcomes. Watch the full keynote to explore the role AI governance can play as enterprises scale artificial intelligence into production. Subscribe to Data Science Connect for more AI Enterprise Conference 2026 sessions and insights from enterprise data and AI leaders.