The era of AI experimentation without accountability is over. Following Davos 2025, where business leaders declared the end of pilot-purgatory after $1.5 trillion in AI investments, we dig into what "AI ROI" actually means for data teams. Matt Sekac from Welocalize shares how they have moved beyond demos to production AI across translation workflows, product development, and internal operations, and why the measurement challenges are more nuanced than boardroom proclamations suggest. We explore the tension between needing disciplined experimentation and executives demanding immediate returns, why live data infrastructure matters more than the models themselves, and how AI value shows up in ways beyond cost reduction.
About the host
Ross Katz brings a background in analytics and data strategy, working with companies to cut through the noise and focus on what actually drives business value. With experience spanning industries such as e-commerce, education, biotech, and finance, as well as the evolving landscape of AI-enabled work, he focuses on the intersection of data capabilities and business outcomes. He's particularly interested in how shifts in technology change not just what's possible, but how people think about and use data in their daily work.
About the guest
Matt Sekac leads R&D, the Data Office, and Data Analytics at Welocalize, where he focuses on building data-driven systems and capabilities that improve decision-making, forecasting, and commercial performance across the business. With a career that blends strategy, analytics, and operational execution, Matthew is known for turning complex data into practical tools, models, and workflows that teams can actually use.
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