Winnie Cheng

Winnie Cheng headshot.
Accenture company logo.
Managing Director
Center for Advanced AI
Accenture

Panel Moderator:

AI In Retail

Panel Summary:

This session explores how the world’s largest retailers are using AI to optimize operations, enhance customer experience, and drive business outcomes at scale. From personalized recommendations and dynamic pricing to supply chain forecasting and in-store automation, our panelists will share real-world implementations, lessons learned, and the evolving role of AI in transforming the retail landscape.

Ideal for practitioners and decision-makers alike, this conversation will ground ambitious AI concepts in practical retail applications.

Picture of About | Winnie Cheng

About | Winnie Cheng

At Accenture’s Global Center for Advanced AI, I bring my technical expertise and strategic thinking to help clients build the foundational capabilities they need to achieve their strategic AI goals, navigate the complexities of this rapidly evolving technology, and unlock real value from their AI investments.

Over the past 20 years, I have worked at the intersection of technology, innovation, and business impact, leading AI initiatives in both global enterprises and startups. Most recently, I served as the Global Head of AI at Volkswagen Group’s CARIAD SDV Hub, where I built a global AI organization serving multiple automotive brands and introduced an LLM-based agentic AI car assistant. Before that, I led AI portfolios at PwC’s Innovation Hub, harnessing generative AI to drive efficiencies and transform business processes for clients. I also co-founded Flowcast, a FinTech AI startup that analyzed billions of transactions for leading banks, and formed a boutique consulting firm advising clients on AI strategy and R&D. Earlier in my career, I held senior data science and machine learning roles at J.P. Morgan, American Express, IBM, and Microsoft.

Recognized among the “Top 100 Innovators in Data & Analytics” and honored as “Women in IT” by Information Age, I have filed 30 patents and consistently translated AI ideas into tangible business outcomes. I hold a PhD from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and an MS from Stanford, and I have taught AI courses at Columbia University. My current focus areas include generative AI, NLP, machine learning, and computer vision, and I am passionate about connecting cutting-edge research with real-world applications.

Outside of work, I am committed to empowering women and promoting racial equality, and I serve on the board of the nonprofit YWCA NNJ.