Ari Kaplan is one of the keynote speakers at the first CDOIQ event taking place in the Nordics. The event will be held on February 12 in Otaniemi, Espoo.
Few people can say they inspired a film, but Kaplan sure can.
The 2011 film Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is partly based on Kaplan's experiences. The film was a Best Picture Oscar nominee.
Kaplan, who played baseball at university, revolutionized the world of sports analytics early in his career. Among other achievements, he established the data analytics departments for the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers and transformed player selection practices in a sport often considered America’s national pastime.
After his years in baseball, Kaplan moved into Formula 1 with McLaren.
"If you want to win in Formula1, you also need the best people on your team – just like in the business world."
“Formula 1 was a fascinating experience. Nowhere else are decisions made as quickly as they are during race laps. I worked closely with (British-Belgian racing driver) Lando Norris, travelled the world, and helped McLaren’s strategy team utilize AI models,” Kaplan says.
Kaplan emphasizes that he had the support of a massive team, as McLaren employs hundreds of top analysts at its technology center in Woking, UK.
“Those were formative years, and they offered surprisingly many insights that can also be applied to the corporate world,” Kaplan notes.
“As every Formula 1 fan knows, in the end, races aren’t decided by data analytics, AI, or technology. If you want to win, you also need the best people on your team – just like in the business world,” Kaplan underlines.
"I invited Stephen Hawking to a party at my house"
Kaplan has many stories to tell from his eventful career. One of his most memorable moments dates back years, when Caltech named him Alumnus of the Decade for the 1990s. Kaplan admits to being slightly taken aback by the honor.
“Caltech usually recognizes Nobel laureates, astronauts, and similar national heroes. I was truly honored to join such a group, and at a relatively early stage in my career,” he says.
“It was a great honor and a pleasure to be remembered as a Caltech alumnus. I have plenty of anecdotes from my Caltech years – like the time I met Stephen Hawking and invited him to a party at my house. My friends and I were astonished when he actually showed up. It was an unforgettable evening,” Kaplan says with a laugh.
Data intelligence platforms democratize analytics
In his current role, Kaplan holds an impressive title: Head of Evangelism at Databricks.
His work takes him around the world to talk and hear about the latest advancements in technology.
Kaplan is coming to Finland to talk primarily about artificial intelligence, databases, data analytics, and future trends.
Ari Kaplan - who lives in Chicago, Illinois - arrives in Finland for the first time in February 2025. He will give a keynote speech on AI, databases, analytics, and future trends at CDOIQ Nordic Symposium.
“These are exciting times. Generative AI is such a new megatrend that small startups with the right insights in the right market niche can genuinely compete with organizations employing thousands of experts,” Kaplan says.
“I’ve been in the business for quite a while, and I’ve already lived through several transformative shifts that once seemed astounding. In technology, something particularly significant happens roughly every 4–5 years. Mobile phones, the internet – there have been plenty. I was President of Oracle’s global user group back when Oracle acquired MySQL, Java, and Peoplesoft. That alone had quite far-reaching consequences,” Kaplan reflects.
Right now, Kaplan is particularly enthusiastic about Data Intelligence platforms. Together with Stephanie Diamond, he has written The Data Intelligence Platforms [for Dummies], which is freely available online.
“With this book, we’re not seeking profit – we just want to share knowledge with as many people as possible,” Kaplan emphasizes.
“Data Intelligence platforms democratize analytics. Now, anyone can analyze data and engage with their organization’s data in their native language – without needing a specialist alongside them. Especially in the corporate world, this is a groundbreaking development."
Lifelong learning is essential
Alongside everything else, Kaplan continues to teach select university courses on sports analytics. He stresses that lifewide learning is more important than ever.
“The world is changing so rapidly now that no one’s job is guaranteed unless they continuously update their skills,” he says.
"To stay in the game, you need to allocate time for learning."
“Staying up to date also helps you avoid costly mistakes. I recently attended a lunch where a group of business leaders were talking about their chatbot projects related to data analytics. They had invested considerable time and resources in their projects."
"It’s a real pity – with Databricks’ AI/BI Genie Spaces, they could have created excellent chatbots for their data analysis in just a few minutes."
All of us need to learn new things. Listen to podcasts, enroll in training, and attend the most important events of your industry, advises Kaplan.
“To stay in the game, you need to allocate time for learning: listen to podcasts, enroll in training, and attend the most important events. It’s fantastic that Aalto EE is bringing the CDOIQ event to Finland in February 2025. Be there!” Kaplan encourages.
Data agents and cold war agents
Given the fast pace of development, Kaplan is hesitant to confirm what exactly his speech will include at the CDOIQ event.
It’s quite likely, however, that data agents will come up during his keynote.
“Only time will tell, but I think that data agents might very well become the next big thing. Put simply, companies can create data agents that are extremely good at predicting very specific things – for example, risks in global supply chains.”
"Only time will tell, but I think that data agents might very well become the next big thing."
“Insights gained through a company’s own data agents can be combined with information provided by public data agents. This can help management gain a much more versatile perspective and ultimately make better decisions. This is an exciting advancement in the field of data analytics."
If he has time, Kaplan would like to talk not only about data agents, but also about a topic that touches on agent stories from the Cold War era.
“I’m a workaholic, and I rarely take time off work. When I do, I collaborate with Marvin Makinen, an emeritus professor with roots in Finland, to investigate the fate of Raoul Wallenberg using data analytics."
The Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved tens of thousands of people from the Holocaust during World War II. He disappeared after he was arrested by the Red Army near the end of the war. For years, Kaplan and Makinen have been searching for and analyzing information about Wallenberg’s fate.
“Marvin Makinen’s story is far more interesting than mine – as a young student in the 1960s, he was imprisoned in the Soviet Union on charges of spying for the United States and sent to a labor camp. There, he first heard rumors about what might have happened to Raoul Wallenberg,” Kaplan explains.
“There’s still a lot of work to do, and our research may take years. Even so, I sincerely believe that the many people working on the case, including Marvin and I, will uncover the truth.”
Kaplan says he is eagerly looking forward to the first CDOIQ event in the Nordics, organized by Aalto EE.
“My work has taken me around the world. I’ve been close to Finland – I recently spoke in Denmark and just last month in Sweden – but now, for the first time, I’ll visit Finland. It will be great to exchange ideas with Nordic leaders about best practices in data-driven business development.”
