Vinay Rao, Mle℠
About Vinay Rao, Mle℠
Vinay Rao is an executive leader specializing in data, advanced analytics, and digital supply chain, currently holding multiple advisory and leadership roles at General Mills, Emissary.io, AIQuest, Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square, and USAA.
Company
Vinay Rao is currently employed at General Mills, Inc., serving as the Executive Leader for Data, Advanced Analytics, and Digital Supply Chain. He also holds concurrent positions at AIQuest as CIO / Strategic Advisor, at Emissary.io as Executive Advisor, and at Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square as a Founding Member. His career has been diverse, showcasing his support for numerous organizations. In addition to his current roles, Vinay has previously worked in significant capacities at companies like International Flavors & Fragrances, UPS, and Fujitsu.
Title
Vinay Rao holds the title of Executive Leader: Data, Advanced Analytics, Digital Supply Chain at General Mills. Additional roles include CIO / Strategic Advisor at AIQuest, Executive Advisor at Emissary.io, and Senior System Architect at USAA. Through these diverse roles, Vinay has built a broad expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital transformation, playing a pivotal role in steering strategic initiatives.
Education and Expertise
Vinay Rao studied Computer Science (AI and Machine Learning) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a Master’s Degree. His educational background also includes a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology and an Executive Certificate in Customer Experience from Bentley University. Furthermore, he has gained executive leadership training at Singularity University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Mysore. His formal education is supplemented by specialized training in Human Factors Engineering from Jakob Neilson Usability.
Background
Vinay Rao has a comprehensive professional background that spans multiple high-impact roles. He worked at International Flavors & Fragrances as Global Leader: Head of Data, Digital and Advanced Analytics (AI/ML) for four years, and at UPS as Global Technology Executive: Enterprise Architecture, Head of Advanced Analytics (AI/ML) for five years. His earlier career includes a significant tenure as Technical Director / Principal Consultant at Fujitsu, and roles at EY and Sallie Mae as Senior System Architect and Project Lead, respectively. He also served on the Advisory Board and as vCTO at Winquest Security Inc., shaping technological strategies.
Achievements
Vinay Rao has led transformative initiatives across his career, notably spearheading the development of a cognitive supply chain strategy that increased digital investments by 50% YoY. He managed the largest digital transformation project in his company's history, resulting in a $70 million investment in new technologies. Rao has adopted AI-first Business Process Management approaches to streamline tasks and enhance decision-making, and implemented data-driven strategies that improved efficiency and satisfaction through decision intelligence. His achievements include being named the IFDA Supply Chain Leader of the Year and making Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 for both F21 and F22.