The GCC’s Tech Vanguard: Informatica's Yasser Shawky

As cloud technology gained traction in the MENA region in 2012, Yasser Shawky recalls realizing that data quality is set to become a critical challenge for businesses, given that most enterprise data was being stored on-premises then, and because many of the data sources were on systems that were developed in-house and not well-documented either.

“That was the point when I started researching the different technologies that specialized in data management, and at this time, Informatica was the pioneer of data integration, quality, master data management, archiving, and security,” Shawky says. “These were the essential functionalities at the time to help organizations take control of their data, and Informatica was the obvious leader in those areas, as confirmed by well-established industry analysts like Gartner, for example.”

Shawky went on to join Informatica shortly after, armed with the belief that this was the future of data management technology for the next decade. Informatica is today a global leader in enterprise artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cloud data management, and Shawky – who is today the company’s vice president for emerging markets– has thus born witness to the rapid progress experienced by the data management platform, while also responding to the changes in dynamics of the technology at hand.

“The first of these was the introduction of big data to support data science technology, and then came data governance as a must-have to realize any data project,” he says. “Informatica provided market-leading solutions for both data governance and managing big data, and again, they were recognized as a market leader in this important domain – which is also the foundation of today’s ambitious AI future.”

A Playbook For Success: Yasser Shawky

What advice would you give to young people/new businesses looking to start/grow in your field/industry?

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is the future, it will provide the ability to revamp all known business processes, and it will add a new perspective. The power of AI is that it can create unlimited opportunities and propose new solutions to solve various challenges, like developing new medicines, creating better farming techniques, and advancing the exploration of resources from space. Until recently, this was all science fiction. But now with AI, these solutions are evolving right now, and it will increase at a faster pace in the future.

All those ambitious ideas will not be executed without a core foundation of trusted data. This is the basis of any effort to capitalize on AI, as only trusted data input can provide a trusted output. Both governments and global organizations have realized the need for this trusted data foundation, and they are driving efforts to build frameworks that help them prepare and managing data to ensure their investments in AI will generate the expected outcomes.

My advice to whomever is interested in becoming part of this exciting data-led future is to learn how to effectively govern and manage data. We are in a transformational phase, and the foundation we build today will impact our future for centuries to come; so, data is an essential area worthy of mastering in order to create a strong AI and tech-led future.”

Informatica's Yasser Shawky was one of the 30 innovators celebrated in Inc. Arabia's December 2024 special feature, The GCC's Tech Vanguard. For the full list of The GCC's Tech Vanguard, please click here.