Meet an outstanding personality, Dr. Walid el Abed, the Founder and CEO of Global Data Excellence (GDE). He is a multi-faceted leader serving many roles as an International Linguist, Computer Scientist, Inventor of the Linguistic & Meta Semantic AI DEMS-Nixus, General Counsellor/Spokesman and Ambassador for Human Rights and Peace and fulfilling his responsibilities to the T. He is a worldwide renowned expert and visionary in the domains of VALUE, GOVERNANCE, AI, and DATA. Giving us a sneak peek of his professional journey, he takes us through his ups and downs, moments of celebration, inspirations, and more. He also briefly discusses the company, its long-term objectives, competitors, current and future projects, etc. Let’s dive deep into this insightful interview.
Can you briefly overview your professional journey and how you started in your field?
I am a French linguist and computer scientist, recognized for developing the Semantic Meta Model (SMM). With 30 years of experience across various sectors, I have gained international acclaim for my expertise in AI and data. My multicultural background highlighted the challenges in human-machine communication, inspiring me to understand both human and machine languages. This realization led to my ambition of bridging these two worlds.
Throughout my career, I have focused on directly addressing industry challenges, particularly in data governance. This dedication ultimately led to the founding of Global Data Excellence, where I serve as CEO. At Global Data Excellence, I developed the Semantic Meta Model and the DEMS-NIXUS platform. These innovations transform business rules into machine-readable code, uniting business functions and improving governance processes.
My commitment to innovation and the responsible use of technology has been a constant theme in my professional journey, shaping my approach to AI and data management.
As both an individual and a professional, what core aims and ideals do you prioritize that shape your decision-making and work approach?
As both an individual and a professional, my core aims and ideals focus on creating a positive and fair impact that benefits individuals and achieves collective objectives. I believe in making decisions that positively affect the community as a whole, not just on an individual level. My approach is governed by value, balancing both quantitative and qualitative aspects.
My professional journey, rooted in a strong academic foundation, led me to an entrepreneurial path where I sought to address the complexities and ambiguities of value in the corporate world. This drive resulted in the creation of a governance system that effectively manages both qualitative and quantitative value. This vision continues to shape my decision-making and work approach, ensuring that every action contributes positively to the broader community.
What sets you apart from your competitors in the industry? How do you differentiate your approach to create a unique value for your clients?
What sets us apart from our competitors in the industry is our innovative solution, DEMS-Nixus (Natural Intelligence expanded Universe System). This ethical, end-to-end AI platform for corporate governance leverages Swiss precision to transform corporate governance. It facilitates cooperation among all stakeholders in a company’s ecosystem to achieve business excellence and create sustainable value.
Key features that differentiate us include:
- Value-Based Governance: Our system aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and combats waste by governing through value creation.
- Dynamic, Stand-Alone System: DEMS-Nixus operates independently, offering an end-to-end solution without needing additional integrations.
- Natural Language Rule Definition: Users can define rules in natural language, utilizing contextual semantics for clarity and ease of use.
- Data Sovereignty: Data remains at its source, and DEMS-Nixus connects directly to databases without requiring data integration, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with GDPR.
- Rapid Time to Value: Our platform delivers results in days, not months, significantly accelerating time to value.
- Prescriptive Actions: DEMS-Nixus offers prescriptive actions, enabling organizations to get it right the first time.
- Future Value Measurement: The Key Value Indicator (KVI) measures the future value created by business units.
- Automated Decision Support: By combining DEMS with human intelligence, our platform supports automated decision-making.
- Flexible Pricing and Synchronization: We offer a pay-as-you-use model and automated synchronization for seamless operations.
These features make DEMS-Nixus a compelling choice for clients seeking a comprehensive, efficient, and secure solution for their corporate governance needs.
Could you highlight the top-notch offerings of your company that clients find most compelling?
- DEMS-NIXUS Platform: A comprehensive, multilingual, web-based solution that can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. It creates a unified governance framework, enabling organizations to effectively align and manage all business units.
- Semantic and Linguistic AI: Our platform incorporates advanced AI that converts human language business rules into machine-readable code. This seamless integration with existing infrastructures and databases eliminates the need for human intervention while maintaining data ownership and keeping data at its original location.
- Multilingual Data Querying: DEMS-NIXUS supports natural language queries of databases and can process and interpret over 1000 different file formats. It connects to any data source, including public, private, and social networks, making it a versatile tool for data integration, cleansing, business intelligence, governance, and sharing.
- Value-Driven Collaboration: Our system fosters a culture of fact-based, value-driven collaboration that involves users at all levels in the value-creation process. This web application supports a tailor-made management and governance framework, empowering stakeholders, employees, and partners by establishing clear accountability and responsibility across the organization.
- Comprehensive Data Analysis: DEMS-NIXUS includes DeCRIPT, a tool for analyzing textual data, which constitutes about 80% of a company’s unstructured data. This analysis enriches structured data, providing a more comprehensive and updated view, and the results can be queried in natural language.
- Cost Reduction and Efficiency: By adopting DEMS-NIXUS, organizations can significantly enhance their ability to extract value from enterprise data while reducing operational costs. Our platform’s Dynamic and Prescriptive Governance Model allows for a top-down approach that systematically values data assets and proactively controls business transactions and objectives.
These offerings equip business leaders with the foresight into the impact of non-compliant data on business value, enabling them to optimize resource allocation for maximum operational efficiency and focus on achieving their objectives.
What are the long-term objectives you have set for your company, and where do you envision the growth and evolution of your business in the coming years?
Our long-term objectives for the company include disseminating DEMS-NIXUS to a global audience and supporting projects that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and human rights initiatives. Ultimately, we aspire to win the Nobel Peace Prize by leveraging our unique linguistic and semantic artificial intelligence to make a positive impact on society.
We envision significant growth and evolution for our business in the coming years. By expanding the reach of DEMS-NIXUS, we aim to revolutionize data governance and corporate management on a global scale. Our focus will be on fostering innovation, ensuring ethical AI deployment, and contributing to projects that promote sustainability and social justice. Through these efforts, we hope to establish Global Data Excellence as a leader in AI-driven governance and a force for positive change worldwide.
Can you provide insights into some of your ongoing projects? What makes these projects particularly exciting or challenging?
We have several ongoing projects that are particularly exciting and challenging due to their significant social impact. One such project is our work with Palestine 48 refugees, where we are leveraging our expertise in data governance and AI to provide innovative solutions aimed at improving the lives of displaced individuals. This project is exciting because of its potential to bring about positive change in a region that has faced long-standing challenges.
Another noteworthy project is our initiative to address anti-Semitism in U.S. universities. This project involves creating a comprehensive framework to track, analyze, and mitigate incidents of anti-Semitism on campuses. It is particularly challenging due to the sensitive nature of the subject and the need for accurate data collection and analysis to inform effective interventions.
Both projects exemplify our commitment to using advanced technology for social good, addressing critical issues, and making a tangible impact on society.
Who in your life serves as a significant source of inspiration, and how have they influenced your career and personal development?
Two significant sources of inspiration in my life are my master’s and doctoral advisors, Sylviane Cardey and Peter Greenfield. Since my university days, they have inspired and coached me, believing in my potential and guiding my academic and professional journey. Their mentorship has profoundly shaped my career, instilling in me the values of perseverance, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence.
On a personal level, my father’s humanitarian background has been a major influence. His dedication to helping others and making a positive impact on society has instilled in me a strong sense of social responsibility. This blend of academic mentorship and personal values has driven my commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good and pursuing goals that contribute to both professional success and societal well-being.
Share some notable recognitions and accreditations received by both yourself and your organization. How have these accolades contributed to your professional journey?
Our organization, Global Data Excellence, has received notable recognitions and accreditations that have significantly contributed to our professional journey. Serving prestigious clients, including 20 of the world’s most renowned corporations, our platform, DEMS, is used by over 30,000 users and 3,000 managers and leaders worldwide across 50+ countries and various industries. DEMS has enabled our clients to achieve an impressive €8 trillion in turnover and continues to facilitate substantial economic contributions.
DEMS has also been instrumental in cleaning approximately €100 billion, demonstrating its potential to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute to poverty eradication. Our innovative capabilities are reflected in our ten ready-to-use semantic knowledge models and verbatim packages, which enhance various business functions.
We have been recognized as one of the top five innovative companies to watch in 2023 by Business Talk Magazine. Additionally, I, Dr. Walid El Abed, have been featured for my pioneering work in data excellence and AI governance. Our organization received the Corporate Excellence Award in 2023 for the Best Sustainable AI-Driven Corporate Governance Platform.
In terms of financial support and research, we received a 15k CHF Innovation check from INNOSUISSE for our CURIPL project (2022-2024). Our work has been mentioned in prominent reports by Gartner, Forrester, and StrategyR, highlighting our impact on the data governance market. Notably, we were selected and certified by the Trust Valley accelerator program as the best Swiss innovation for 2021-2022 and were listed among the 20 most promising artificial intelligence providers for 2021 by CIOReview Magazine.
These accolades have not only enhanced our credibility but have also propelled our growth and innovation, allowing us to continue leading in data excellence and AI governance.
Reflecting on your career, what have been the most formidable obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Reflecting on my career, some of the most formidable obstacles I faced revolved around the complexities of the digital world and the challenges of data governance. The interaction between humans and machines was difficult due to fragmented and dispersed knowledge across various systems, which were often inconsistent and siloed. Additionally, the organizational complexity and language barriers, combined with the overwhelming amount of regulations and data, made it nearly impossible to connect and utilize knowledge effectively for organizational value.
Many existing platforms and solutions, such as Big Data Analytics, IBM Watson, and Palantir, were disconnected from human wisdom and social contexts. These AI technologies relied heavily on machine learning, analytics, and statistics, offering probabilistic predictions without enabling a constructive and transparent human-machine dialogue. This highlighted the need for a global, systematic, and prescriptive data-driven governance approach to execute and operationalize business strategies and value generation effectively.
To overcome these challenges, I founded Global Data Excellence (GDE). Our solution, DEMS-NIXUS, addresses organizational complexity and cost, accelerates value creation, and eliminates siloed and instinctive decision-making. By integrating semantics, DEMS-NIXUS ensures there is no loss of translation, maintains data privacy by keeping data at its source, and respects ownership, ethics, and human rights. This approach has allowed us to create a real constructive and transparent human-machine dialogue, transforming the way organizations interact with and utilize their data.
How do you define success in your career, and how long did it take for you to achieve what you consider a successful position in your field?
I define success in my career as the ability to accomplish goals that positively impact both society and family. For me, success is about creating happiness and fairness in all aspects of life. Achieving what I consider a successful position in my field has been a journey of dedication and continuous effort. It took years of hard work, innovation, and commitment to my ideals to reach a point where I feel I am making a meaningful difference.
What advice would you offer to the next generation of aspiring leaders?
For aspiring CEOs, my advice is to focus on adaptation, evolution, and constant innovation. Innovation goes beyond creating new products or services; it includes refining processes, innovating business models, and streamlining operations. Cultivating a culture of innovation is essential for maintaining a competitive edge.
However, innovation must align with the company’s goals and vision, requiring a commitment to research and development, calculated risk-taking, and learning from both successes and failures. At Global Data Excellence, we co-design solutions with potential customers, conduct thorough market research, and collaborate with partners like the INNOSUISSE consortium. After rigorous testing, we bring our solutions to market.
In summary, embracing innovation is crucial for growth and transformation, enabling businesses to thrive in today’s dynamic environment.
