AI entrepreneur. Board member. Reuters 10 Trailblazing Women in Enterprise AI 2026. Forbes Groundbreaking Female Entrepreneur.
About
Dr. Ayesha Khanna is CEO of Addo AI and one of the world's leading voices on artificial intelligence — not as theory, but as a hands-on tool for transformation.
Over two decades, she has helped Fortune 500 companies and governments operationalize AI at scale, with clients including Johnson & Johnson, Visa, Pfizer, and Mastercard.
She serves on the boards of Johnson Controls (New York Stock Exchange) and NEOM Tonomus in the Middle East, and previously served on the Global Scientific Advisory Board of L'Oréal. Reuters named her one of the world's Trailblazing Women in Enterprise AI (2026), she was named to Edelman's Top 50 AI Creators (2025), and Forbes featured her as one of Southeast Asia's groundbreaking entrepreneurs.
A graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the London School of Economics, Dr. Khanna reaches more than 300,000 leaders and decision-makers across her platforms and newsletters. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes.
As CEO of Addo AI, she has spent over two decades helping Fortune 500 companies and governments turn AI strategy into real results. Her clients include Johnson & Johnson, Westpac, ComfortDelGro, Pfizer, and Visa, with enterprise partnerships with players like Mastercard. She doesn't just talk about AI — she builds it, deploys it, and advises the boardrooms where the biggest decisions are being made.
That rare combination of practitioner credibility and communication skill is why Dr. Khanna is one of the most in-demand keynote speakers on AI today. Her signature topics — operationalizing AI at scale, working with AI agents, and practical frameworks for AI adoption — give audiences something they can act on Monday morning.
Her speaking clients have included DHL, HSBC, Salesforce, KPMG, AMEX, SAP, and IHG, and she delivers both high-energy keynotes and tailored executive workshops. With a following of more than 300,000 leaders and decision-makers across her social media platforms and newsletters, her ideas travel far beyond the stage.
Recognition
Reuters: Trailblazing Women in Enterprise AI (2026)
Edelman: Top 50 AI Creators (2025)
Salesforce: 16 AI Influencers to Know (2024)
Forbes: Groundbreaking Female Entrepreneur
Singapore: Top 100 Women in Tech
Dr. Khanna serves on the board of Johnson Controls (New York Stock Exchange) and NEOM Tonomus in Saudi Arabia. She previously served on the board of AVEVA Technologies (London Stock Exchange, FTSE 100), the global Scientific Advisory Board of L'Oréal, and the Consumer Committee of Mercy in the US. She has also served on the boards of Singapore government agencies including IMDA, which regulates the AI sector.
A graduate of Harvard University, Columbia University, and the London School of Economics, Dr. Khanna began her career on Wall Street, spending over a decade advising financial institutions on analytics and technology strategy — giving her a depth of commercial fluency that sets her apart from purely academic voices.
Dr. Khanna is also a passionate advocate for diversity in technology. She founded 21C Girls, a charity that provided free coding and AI classes to thousands of students in Singapore over 10 years. Today, she continues that mission through Amplify, which builds AI-ready talent and offers scholarships for mid-career women.
Her work has been published and quoted in The New York Times, TIME, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes.
Board Experience
Global Board Leadership
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI)
A global leader in smart buildings, creating safe, healthy, and sustainable spaces. Member of the Governance Committee.
NEOM Tonomus (Saudi Arabia)
Responsible for formulating the vision and delivery of the technology infrastructure for NEOM, the $500 billion smart city. Chairwoman of the Remuneration Committee.
AVEVA Technologies (FTSE 100)
Previously served on the board of this global leader in industrial software before its acquisition by Schneider Electric. Member of the Remuneration Committee.
L'Oréal — Scientific Advisory Board
Advised the world's largest beauty company on new technologies and disruptive innovations.
Mercy Healthcare (US)
One of the largest healthcare providers in the US, named to Fortune's most innovative companies. Consumer Committee member.
IMDA (Singapore)
Board member of the Infocomm Media Development Authority, which develops and regulates Singapore's AI and technology sector.
Education
Academic Foundation
Harvard University
BA (Honors), Economics
Columbia University
MS, Operations Research
London School of Economics
PhD, Information Systems
She began her career on Wall Street, spending over a decade advising financial institutions on analytics and technology strategy.
Publications
Author & Thought Leader
Ayesha is the co-author of Hybrid Reality: Thriving in the Emerging Human-Technology Civilization and the author of Straight Through Processing. She is currently working on Gamechanger, on business strategies for harnessing the full potential of generative AI.
Published and quoted in The New York Times, TIME, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Strategy+Business, and Foreign Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
She serves on the boards of Johnson Controls (NYSE) and NEOM Tonomus. She previously served on the boards of AVEVA Technologies (FTSE 100), the Scientific Advisory Board of L'Oréal, the Consumer Committee of Mercy, and several Singapore government agencies including IMDA.
Ayesha holds a BA (honors) in Economics from Harvard University, an MS in Operations Research from Columbia University, and a PhD in Information Systems from the London School of Economics.
Her signature topics include operationalizing AI at scale, working with AI agents, AI governance, and practical frameworks for AI adoption. Her speaking clients include DHL, HSBC, Salesforce, KPMG, AMEX, SAP, and IHG.
Subscribe to her AI newsletter "Amplify", follow her on LinkedIn or Instagram, or visit this site for updates on courses, speaking, and upcoming books. She reaches 300,000+ leaders across her platforms.