Online Summit: The Future of AI in IT Asset Management
AI is a present-day disruptor. We’ll examine what AI means for ITAM, compliance, and business strategy, and how you can adapt with confidence. You’ll learn how to anticipate AI-driven changes, prepare your organisation for the challenges ahead, and how to build a resilient AI governance strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- How AI will transform ITAM, compliance, and business strategy.
- How IT leaders should prepare for AI-driven disruptions.
- Actionable steps to future-proof your AI governance strategy
Sponsors:
This event is brought to you by The ITAM Forum and its sponsors. When you register for this event, your data will be supplied to all parties for the purposes of delivering the event and post-event follow up. More details about how we use your data can be found within our privacy policy .
Hourly Schedule
Online Summit: The Future of AI in IT Asset Management
- 14:00 - 14:05
- Welcome & Introduction
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Speakers:
Kelly Yip
- 14:05 - 14:35
- Bringing SaaS into FinOps: Visibility, Governance, and Cost Control
- SaaS spend is rapidly growing but remains hard to track and control. This session explains how FinOps teams can gain visibility, reduce waste, and optimise costs by bringing SaaS under active management—using audits, chargeback models, and actionable dashboards to drive real savings.
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Speakers:
Gary McAllister, Leigh Martin
- 14:35 - 15:05
- Driving Sustainable IT: The Art of Cost + Carbon Optimization in the Age of AI
- As organizations face mounting pressure to align IT operations with both fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship, the convergence of IT Asset Management (ITAM), FinOps, and sustainability practices offers a powerful path forward. This session explores key sustainability concepts and challenges, highlights how AI is reshaping the landscape of green IT, and provides practical guidance on getting started with cost and carbon optimization. Whether you're advancing your practice’s maturity or just beginning your sustainability journey, you'll gain actionable insights to drive smarter, greener decisions across your technology portfolio.
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Speakers:
Aaron Soto
- 15:05 - 15:35
- Reimagining IT Asset Management for the AI-Driven Enterprise
- AI is transforming how enterprises manage technology, control costs, and maintain compliance. For IT leaders, this shift brings both opportunity and risk. In this exclusive session, Robbie Plourde, Global Principal Solution Engineer at USU, will uncover how AI initiatives are redefining IT Asset Management and what every organization must do to stay in control. Learn how to align ITAM with your company’s AI strategy, strengthen governance and audit readiness, and create a foundation for intelligent, automated asset management across on-premise, cloud, and SaaS environments. Prepare your ITAM strategy for the next era of AI-driven enterprise success.
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Speakers:
Robbie Plourde
- 15:35 - 16:05
- AI and the Future of Java Licensing: Expanding the Role of ITAM and SAM
- Java licensing has become increasingly complex, with evolving terms, hidden deployments, and rising audit and security risks. This session explores how AI and machine learning models can help ITAM and SAM teams move beyond manual reporting to predictive insights — detecting unauthorized Java use, forecasting license needs, and identifying vulnerabilities from runtime data. Attendees will learn how to reduce audit exposure, optimize costs, and strengthen compliance while expanding the role of ITAM and SAM from cost control to strategic enabler.
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Speakers:
Simon Taylor
- 16:05 - 16:35
- Q&A and Closing
Speakers
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Aaron SotoPrincipal Solutions Architect - Cloud, FinOps, and Client Sustainability, SHIAaron Soto is a Principal Consultant for FinOps at SHI International Corp., where he helps organizations optimize cloud spend, enhance financial visibility, and drive operational efficiency across multi-cloud environments. Leveraging deep expertise in cloud financial management and cost optimization strategies, Aaron partners with clients to develop actionable FinOps practices, implement effective governance, and empower teams to make data-driven decisions. Aaron’s consultative approach and commitment to delivering measurable results have made him a trusted advisor to SHI’s Aaron Soto is a Principal Consultant for FinOps at SHI International Corp., where he helps organizations optimize cloud spend, enhance financial visibility, and drive operational efficiency across multi-cloud environments. Leveraging deep expertise in cloud financial management and cost optimization strategies, Aaron partners with clients to develop actionable FinOps practices, implement effective governance, and empower teams to make data-driven decisions. Aaron’s consultative approach and commitment to delivering measurable results have made him a trusted advisor to SHI’s clients navigating complex cloud transformation
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Gary McAllisterSr. Product Marketing Manager, Flexera
Gary McAllister is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Flexera, focused on SaaS Management and the convergence of ITAM and FinOps. He has built his career in IT asset management, financial operations, and cloud software, with an emphasis on product marketing, customer outcomes, and helping organisations gain visibility, control, and value from their technology investments.
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Kelly YipITAM Thought Leader and Advisor, ITAM Forum
Kelly has worked in the SAM/ITAM industry for 10+ years and has considerable experience with Microsoft and broad experience with IBM and Oracle. She has spent the last few years focusing on bringing value to organisations, typically in the form of cost optimisation/cost avoidance and good ITAM practices. She has also been heavily involved with online course creation and delivery. With a passion for value, Kelly is always keen to ensure organisations maximise the value of their IT software assets and believes that training & enablement plays a key role in driving this.
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Leigh MartinSenior Director of Product Management, Flexera
Leigh Martin is Senior Director of Product Management at Flexera, where he leads strategy for SaaS Management Platforms. With 20+ years in software asset management, Leigh’s teams have earned Gartner Leader Quadrant recognition and multiple product awards. He’s passionate about simplifying SaaS management, cutting spend, and helping businesses stay ahead of growing SaaS complexity with smart, scalable solutions.
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Robbie PlourdeGlobal Principal Solution Engineer, USU Solutions
Robbie is a charismatic IS Business Executive with a broad background in international business. In his Global Sales Enablement Lead role, Robbie is the technical sales lead and License Management solution leader responsible for ITAM products ensuring the USU product portfolio meets market needs and delivers functionality and design to exceed customer needs. For the past 20 years, Robbie has specialized in corporate IT Compliance initiatives for Fortune 500 companies in North America, Europe, Japan, and Latin America. He has led process improvement initiatives developing processes and solutions that enable strategic and operational business goals for over a decade. He holds an MBA from Quinnipiac University where he graduated Magna cum Laude.
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Simon TaylorSnr Vice President of Global Channel Sales & Alliances, Azul
Simon, as the Senior Vice President of Azul’s global channel and alliances, is a seasoned executive with a wealth of experience spanning over three decades in the industry. His expertise encompasses Software Asset Management (SAM), IT Asset Management (ITAM), machine learning, insight engines, data analytics, and information governance. Beginning his career with humble roots as a project manager at Glaxo Smithkline, Simon has since ascended to various executive roles in renowned organizations such as Commvault, Proofpoint, Firemon, Lucidworks, and Nitro. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to rapidly develop channel and partnership organizations. Simon’s strategic focus lies in core go-to-market areas, including application modernization, digital workplace, and transformative AI solutions. His leadership has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within these sectors. As an accomplished industry speaker, Simon is a recognizable figure on the global stage, frequently traveling worldwide to support value-added SAM/ITAM practices. His engagements extend to advising integrator businesses and providing strategic insights to alliance organizations.
