Get to know ACDM Board Member: Santosh Karthikeyan Viswanathan
Date: August 24, 2026
We caught up with one of ACDM’s new Board Members, Santosh Karthikeyan Viswanathan, to learn more about them. Read their answers, including a top tip for data management, below.
- Name: Dr. Santosh Karthikeyan Viswanathan
- Job Title: Data & AI Leader
- Organisation: Independent
- Role at ACDM: Board Member and APAC Chair
Provide a brief summary of your education and work experience to date
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- I hold an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and master’s degrees in Business Administration, IT and Psychology. I earned a PhD in Organizational Behaviour and completed a Data Fellowship in the UK. I also hold an honorary doctorate in IT. As a lifelong learner, I have earned over 200 global certifications across various areas covering technology, people and process.
- I am recognized as one of the top Data and AI Leaders in India, with a career marked by documented achievements, strong business and technical acumen and experience leading IT and clinical operations, projects and teams globally.
- My experience spans two sectors: IT organizations such as HCL Technologies, Accenture and Cognizant and biopharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
- I am passionate about mentoring young talent to help them build careers in Data and AI.
If you were on a desert island, what three things would you take with you and why?
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My sunglasses, phone and power bank – to stay cool, connected to the world and keep going.
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If you were not in the job you are in, what would you do?
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I would align myself with Nature and live in a place with no electronic devices.
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What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
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Ask for help when you need it – That was the reply I got when I emailed a retiring colleague early in my career. After spending decades in the corporate world, her advice was simple and it’s stayed with me ever since.
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If you could learn one new skill today, what would it be?
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To get a Private Pilot Licence and fly a private jet.
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Santosh’s Top Tip for Clinical Data Managers:
Technology is an enabler — not everything needs to be automated. AI adoption is scaling fast, but the real win is not in automating blindly; it’s in stepping back and asking, ‘How do we optimize our ways of working first and where can AI genuinely add value?’ And yes, governance plays a key role in this journey, keeping in mind the regulated industry we are in.
