Industry Veteran, Janie Gurley, to Lead Reimagined Data & AI Governance Practice
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA–May 26, 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global strategic consulting and research firm focused on PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and the digital transformation it enables, today announced the strategic expansion and renaming of its Data Governance Practice to the Data & AI Governance Practice. The expanded practice will address the growing demand for robust, ethical, and structured oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems alongside traditional enterprise data assets.
The practice will continue to be led by Janie Gurley, whose extensive expertise in enterprise information frameworks and data lifecycle management will guide organizations through the complexities of data integrity and algorithmic accountability.
As industrial enterprises rapidly implement AI-enabled systems across their product lifecycles, the boundaries of traditional data governance have fundamentally expanded. High-performing AI models rely on pristine training data; conversely, flawed data models introduce severe enterprise risks, including algorithmic bias, compliance violations, and model drift.
CIMdata’s newly expanded Data & AI Governance Practice explicitly bridges this gap by providing an integrated framework that enforces rules of engagement, decision rights, and accountability across an enterprise's data, process management, and AI foundations.
"Organizations are realizing that data and AI governance cannot operate in silos," said Peter Bilello, President & CEO of CIMdata. "AI is an active driver of business decisions, not just a static asset. Under Janie Gurley’s trusted leadership, this practice expansion, which began some time ago, ensures our clients have the strategic framework needed to trust not only their data but also the automated insights and models built on it.”
"The core of successful digital transformation has always been trust," stated Janie Gurley, Data & AI Governance Practice Director. “CIMdata uses an eight-phase framework adapted from a proven industry methodology and customized for our data governance practice, which we have now expanded to encompass the entire lifecycle of AI-enabled systems. By extending these tailored principles to AI, we help enterprises establish the integrity, ethics, and transparency required for modern compliance. Our structured approach ensures that data anomalies and model risks are uncovered before critical automated decisions impact the business."
This eight-phase methodology provides the critical guardrails needed to support AI-driven product development and business strategy across all industries, regardless of a company's specific application or technical entry point. Each of the eight phases defines targeted deliverables and key activities required to build a compliant, sustainable governance structure, ensuring that models are built on clean data and operate within compliant boundaries. CIMdata is ready to provide expert support for each phase.
Phases of Data Governance Strategy Fulfillment
Adapted from the framework by John Ladley, "Data Governance" (Morgan Kaufmann)
For more information on CIMdata’s Data & AI Governance Practice, or to learn how CIMdata can support your organization's governance strategy, please visit www.CIMdata.com.
