Harsh Vardhan

Enterprise Data & AI Executive | Converting Tech Investments into Digital Transformation and P&L Impact | $4M Savings, 100-Person Global Team

Canada

About

You've invested millions in data platforms and AI pilots. Your dashboards keep multiplying and the AI pilots are being launched all across the organization. Yet somehow, your executive team still can't get a straight answer about the business. The gap isn't technical. It's translation. That's where I operate. When CFOs discuss Record-to-Report challenges, I understand the pain. When Operations talks Source-to-Pay efficiency, I can map it to data solutions. When Revenue needs Order-to-Cash visibility, I know how to build the analytics layer. I sit at the intersection of deep technical knowledge and business fluency - not as someone who "used to be technical" but as a leader who still architects solutions while speaking the language of P&Ls, EBITDA, and shareholder value. This is when adoption accelerates and ROI actually materializes. What shapes this perspective: 18+ years moving between worlds that don't usually talk to each other. I've led AI implementations in heavily regulated healthcare environments where a misstep means compliance violations and patient harm. I've also built data platforms in fast-moving SaaS where speed-to-insight matters more than perfect governance. That duality - knowing when to move fast and when to move carefully - is something most data leaders have in one context, not both. Currently, I lead a 100+ person global team at Salesforce managing a $35M P&L. I build teams around curiosity and psychological safety. Clear expectations, room to experiment, and a genuine investment in people's growth are how technical talent becomes a high-performing organization. I’m open to connecting with leaders navigating similar challenges. DM to connect.

Experience

  • Shared Services Excellence (Contractor) at OpenAI
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

    Supporting the Head of Shared Services on the transformation of OpenAI's Global Shared Services organization, with focus on AI-first ways of working, reliable execution, real-time insights, and scalable operations

  • Co-Founder at Calibrate Advisory & Executive Coaching
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

    Most organizations have invested in platforms, pilots, and technical capability. What many still lack is the translation layer between business ambition and technical execution. Calibrate helps senior leaders cut through the noise, make confident decisions, and turn Data and AI investments into measurable business outcomes. Calibrate Advisory & Executive Coaching™ is a trademark of Bodhi Tree Enterprise Incorporated.

  • Vice Chair Board of Directors at Epilepsy Southern Alberta
    Jun 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 1 mo

    Mission: Connect and support those living with, or impacted by, epilepsy and improve their independence, quality of life and community participation (https://epilepsysab.com/) Provide board governance and fiduciary oversight for a community health organization; previously served as Vice Chair and on the Finance & Audit Committee with direct accountability for budget review and financial controls

  • Senior Director, Enterprise Data, Strategy & Vendor Partnerships (SD Strategy & Partnerships) at Salesforce
    Jan 2022 - May 2026 · 4 yrs 5 mos

    Lead the data, analytics, risk/compliance and governance organization of 100+ globally distributed team members serving as the central insights & performance management engine across our G&A (e.g. Finance, Procurement, Legal) and GTM (e.g. Revenue Operations, Data Desk, Marketing, Deal Desk) operations. SPEARHEADED GLOBAL SHARED SERVICES TRANSFORMATION – Drove $4M in cost savings while absorbing 20% annual volume growth y.o.y. Achieved results through AI-powered automation and strategic vendor renegotiations, enabling the broader organization to shift from transactional work to higher-value strategic initiatives. ARCHITECTED UNIFIED DATA PLATFORM FOR EXECUTIVE DECISION MAKING – Re-engineered a fragmented manual reporting process into a unified data platform across 15 major departments, accelerating the time-to-insight by 5 business days (30%). Leveraging this framework, built data products focused on executive storytelling, thereby establishing an internal customer success story for Salesforce’s product teams. ENTERPRISE P&L LEADERSHIP – Managed $35M annual P&L supporting 45+ departments through a complex cross-charge model. Achieved 99% budget accuracy and <1% cross-charge error rate by redesigning processes to deliver multi-level transparency from CFO to individual function owners and centralizing vendor management to improve operational agility.

  • Enterprise Analytics Advisor / SAS Healthcare Lead at SAS
    Sep 2017 - Dec 2021 · 4 yrs 4 mos

    Canadian Healthcare Lead and part of SAS’ Global Government & Healthcare community of leaders. I help clients realize ROI on their investments in data management, analytics and AI. - AI SOLUTION AND INNOVATION PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP – Owned delivery of production-grade AI solutions with end-to-end MLOps to establish credibility for enterprise AI adoption. Solutions included patient flow optimization informing hospital capital spend to reduce ER wait times, Natural language processing to reduce complaint triage, and MLOps frameworks for scalable model governance. - MENTORSHIP-DRIVEN CLIENT SUCCESS & PRACTICE GROWTH – Mentored 7 client organizations to advanced analytics and AI outcomes through coaching, hands-on training, and analytics COE development. Drove 3X technology adoption and empowered clients to deliver solutions such as panel reports used by half of Alberta's family physicians to identify care gaps. Client success fueled 41% revenue growth ($6M) and 20% NPS improvement, transforming SAS from legacy vendor to trusted innovation partner. - DESIGNED DATA SHARING ARCHITECTURE AND GOVERNANCE MODEL – Architected federated data platform enabling privacy-compliant data sharing. Served as solution architect bridging functional requirements with technical design, partnering across client, SAS, and Azure architects while ensuring Health Information Act compliance. Delivered architecture and phased roadmap enabling seamless population health research across healthcare and academic institutions.