Judith Apshago is Chief Digital Officer at Amtrak, where she leads the organization’s digital transformation agenda with a focus on delivering measurable business and customer outcomes.
Her career has centered on using technology, data, and process improvement to solve real operational problems. Judith began with a strong analytical foundation in mathematics and finance, which drew her toward roles focused on problem solving and operational improvement. Early experience in process redesign and transformation taught her how to partner closely with business teams, understand how work is actually done, and design solutions that create tangible impact.
As her career progressed into consulting and senior IT leadership roles, Judith led large-scale digital initiatives across biotechnology, industrial minerals, and transportation. Her work has included business process automation, ERP modernization, cloud migration, and mobility programs. These initiatives consistently delivered clear value, including revenue growth, cost reduction, improved customer experiences, and more efficient, empowered employees.
Across every industry and role, a consistent theme has shaped Judith’s leadership: meaningful transformation depends on tight alignment between business and technology. The most successful programs were driven by close collaboration between business experts and technologists, grounded in a shared understanding of processes, data, and desired outcomes.
Today, Judith brings this perspective to Amtrak, prioritizing strong business partnership, collaborative innovation, and value-driven execution. Her leadership approach emphasizes aligning digital capabilities with organizational goals and ensuring technology investments translate into real-world improvements for customers, employees, and the business.
As a data and AI leader, which traits and skills do you think matter most, and which of those have been most influential for you in your current position?
“Effective data and AI leadership today depends less on deep technical expertise and more on the ability to connect technology to real business outcomes. An important trait is strong business acumen, knowing which problems are worth solving, how to prioritize use cases, and how to translate AI opportunities into measurable value.
“Equally important: communication and influence skills. AI adoption requires IT and business partnership and collaboration across functions. Leaders must be able to explain complex concepts in plain language, align stakeholders around a shared vision, and guide teams through change.
“Data governance and risk awareness are also essential. With AI moving quickly, leaders must ensure systems are ethical, secure, and compliant while still enabling innovation. Balancing opportunity with responsible decision making has become a core part of the role.
“Finally, effective leaders must have a solid level of technical literacy. They don’t need to build models themselves, but they do need to ask good questions, understand limitations, and drive informed decisions. In my organization, where IT and business leaders are partnering together to drive our AI strategy, oversight, and delivery, the most influential traits have been solid business judgment, cross functional influence and collaboration, and strong governance to ensure we deliver value responsibly.”
Reflecting on your career, what is one non-traditional piece of advice (outside of technical skills) you would give to an aspiring data or AI leader aiming for the C-suite?
“I’d advise an aspiring data or AI leader aiming for the C-suite to learn to lead with curiosity, not certainty. In fast-moving fields like AI, no one has all the answers, and pretending you do can close doors, limit collaboration, and create blind spots.
“Curiosity pushes you to ask better questions, understand how the business really works, and see opportunities others may overlook. It helps you build relationships across functions, because people feel heard rather than instructed. Curiosity shifts the mindset from ‘I need to have the answer’ to ‘I need to understand what matters.’
“Curiosity also strengthens judgment. The best executive decisions often come from exploring competing perspectives, stress testing assumptions, and being open to being wrong. That mindset keeps you from getting too attached to your own ideas or chasing the latest hot AI trend. Leaders who stay genuinely curious tend to grow faster, build stronger teams, and make better decisions because they’re always learning, always listening, and always adapting.”