Dr. Natalie Petouhoff

Dr. Natalie Petouhoff is an expert in artificial intelligence, customer experience, and employee experience. Petouhoff has more than 15 years of applied AI experience, working with executives at companies such as DoorDash and Hilton to integrate predictive AI, conversational AI, and generative AI into business operations. She holds a doctorate in material science and engineering from UCLA and a master's degree in metallurgy from the University of Michigan, with additional studies in exponential innovation from Singularity University and disruptive strategies from Harvard Business School.

Petouhoff's career includes roles as a strategic executive advisor and industry analyst at Forrester and Constellation Research, vice president of customer experience at Salesforce, strategic management consultant at PwC, chief digital and social officer at Weber Shandwick, digital transformation lecturer at UCLA, and product engineer at General Motors and Hughes Electronics. She has advised senior leadership teams on strategic customer service, customer experience, and online community strategies, leveraging big data insights to inform business decisions and drive customer lifetime value and return on investment. Her experience spans industries and brands such as General Electric, General Motors, HP, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Petouhoff is the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book "Empathy in Action: How to Deliver Great Customer and Employee Experiences at Scale." She has written four books and authored more than 200 white papers, ebooks, and webinars. Her thought leadership has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and CRM Magazine, and she frequently appears on television to provide insights on AI, digital transformation, and leadership.

A founder of the Women in Generative AI Leadership Council, Petouhoff works to shift the narrative around AI toward opportunity and innovation. She is dedicated to reducing bias in large language models and training sets and collaborates with UCSD on an empathic AI large language model for interactive patient care robots. As a consultant, Petouhoff partners with executives to develop strategies using exponential technologies such as generative AI, leadership skills, and approaches that drive financial results, improve customer and employee experience, and support digital transformation. Her perspectives are regularly sought by The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, Huffington Post, and various broadcast and digital media outlets.