Meenal Iyer is Vice President, Data at SurveyMonkey and a data and AI leader with more than 25 years of experience building and scaling data-driven organizations across multiple industries. Her work focuses on helping companies translate data into measurable business outcomes by improving both speed to insight and speed to action.
Throughout her career, Meenal has developed a reputation for guiding organizations through the practical steps required to become data-driven. Drawing on experience across diverse sectors, she has developed a repeatable playbook for establishing effective data platforms, teams, and governance structures. She is the creator of the ATV framework (Adoption, Trust, and Value) which she uses to guide the design of data platforms, as well as the GET framework (Growth, Effectiveness, and Trust) for evaluating AI initiatives.
In addition to her leadership role, Meenal is an active advisor and mentor within the data and technology ecosystem. She advises venture capital firms investing in data and AI tools and serves on advisory boards for several emerging companies. She also mentors aspiring data professionals and leaders through networks such as Gotara and Orbition, and regularly supports members of the broader data community through her professional network.
Meenal frequently speaks at industry conferences and universities, contributing to discussions on data literacy, data monetization, and data-driven innovation. Her work as a keynote speaker, panelist, and academic guest lecturer reflects a broad perspective shaped by decades of experience across the evolving data and AI landscape.
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?
“Continuous learning and being ready to adapt and pivot to change. AI is constantly changing, and leaders should ensure that they are at least keeping up with the change in some way.
“For my organization, quick AI Literacy, defining AI ambassadors across teams, and opening channels of communication for learning have been very effective.”
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?
“While it is great for a data and AI leader to be technical, they will be most effective when they are business partners and not mere order takers.
“Data is typically considered a cost center and treated as an IT-type function primarily because it behaves as an order-taker. However, the most effective organizations have data with a seat at the table and influencing strategy. That is what the data and AI leaders should work towards.”