Doug Freud

SAP logo VP Data Science & Data Management Business Technology Platform SAP

Doug Freud is Vice President of AI at SAP’s BTP Global Center of Excellence, where he leads the integration of artificial intelligence into enterprise systems. A recognized expert in applying AI and machine learning to complex business challenges, Doug brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic insight to digital transformation initiatives. With a foundation in psychology from Illinois State University, Doug’s career has spanned leadership roles at global technology leaders including Google, Oracle, and SAP. His expertise in machine learning is grounded in years of hands-on experience driving customer transformations—focusing on the practical, scalable application of AI/ML to optimize business processes. Over the past several years, Doug has led numerous high-impact engagements across industries, designing and delivering custom machine learning solutions for strategic customers. His approach combines methodologies such as Design Thinking and CRISP-ML to ensure business alignment, technical feasibility, and user adoption. He has also played a central role in SAP’s AI/ML Lighthouse initiatives, demonstrating a proven ability to bridge technical innovation with strategic business outcomes. Doug represents SAP’s AI leadership at key industry events, including NRF, Gartner conferences, and flagship SAP gatherings such as Sapphire and SAP4U. His keynote speaking engagements include: Open Data Science Conference East (Boston), 2025 Sempra Analytics Day: Being Human in the Age of AI (2024, 2020, 2019) SAP Digital Workforce Kickoff, 2019 Decision Science Institute, Chicago, 2018 Cisco Analytics Symposium (2018 & 2017) MIT Technology Review, San Francisco: Disruption Made Simple: Integrating Machine Learning Models into Your Enterprise Systems, 2017 Doug is also committed to advancing the broader AI community. He has mentored emerging talent through Data Science for Social Good initiatives and authored widely read articles on AI’s role in business transformation.