New featured speakers Jason Del Rey and Dr. Rumman Chowdhury join an expanded program focused on helping organizations make their data work for AI, with accountability and measurable impact

Qlik^®, a global leader in data integration, data quality, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), today announced an expanded program for Qlik Connect^® 2026, taking place April 13–15, 2026 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. As more organizations move from AI experimentation to scaled deployment, the conversation is shifting from what AI can generate to what teams can reliably operationalize in real workflows. The next wave will favor organizations that can make their data work for AI with the governance, transparency, and control required to act with confidence.

Qlik Connect 2026 will bring together customers, partners, and industry voices to explore what it takes to make your data work for AI as organizations move from experimentation to accountable action in real workflows. The program spans mainstage keynotes, featured customer sessions, and strategy briefings focused on what is changing in the market, what accountability requires, and how teams can do data differently to bring it all together, including the data and operating model needed for what comes next.

Newly announced featured speakers include:

• Jason Del Rey, founder and author of The Aisle, an independent publication covering how AI is reshaping commerce. Del Rey has reported on emerging technologies across Silicon Valley and global retail for more than a decade, previously serving as a technology correspondent at Fortune and a senior correspondent at Recode. He also co-chairs the Fortune Brainstorm Tech and Fortune Brainstorm AI conferences.
• Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, founder and CEO of Humane Intelligence, a nonprofit advancing ethical, explainable, and accountable AI through rigorous algorithmic evaluations. Chowdhury previously led Twitter’s META (ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability) team and has served on global advisory bodies including the UK Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, and Oxford University’s Commission on AI and Governance. She also serves on Qlik’s AI Council.

The two industry luminaries will join Qlik Chief Strategy Officer James Fisher for a conversation looking at what’s next in AI and strategies for the audience to consider in their roles as data professionals. The session will also feature audience interaction as the speakers discuss the near and longer-term opportunities in AI.

The Qlik Connect 2026 keynote program also includes previously announced guest speaker Jesse Cole, Founder of Fans First Entertainment and Owner of the Savannah Bananas, and an impressive lineup of customers offering their perspectives on the importance of a strong data strategy as foundational for AI success and business return on technology investments.

“AI is moving from an interesting capability to an operational expectation, and the moment it touches real decisions, trust becomes a hard requirement, not a slogan,” said Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik. “At Qlik Connect, we will focus on how organizations make their data work for AI so they can move faster while staying transparent, auditable, and in control as agentic automation becomes part of everyday work.”

“Qlik Connect is where we pressure-test what’s next through three lenses: what’s changing in our operations, what accountability requires, and how to close the loop from insight to action in the systems we run,” said Mark Green, Head of Data, Analytics and Insight, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. “We leave with practical steps we can implement now, and a clear path to be ready for what’s coming next.”

Qlik Connect 2026 will feature keynotes, customer-led sessions, and hands-on learning designed to help organizations operationalize data, analytics, and AI with speed and control, including:

• Keynotes and industry perspectives on how AI is reshaping business models, decision-making, and customer expectations
• Strategy and outlook sessions led by James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer, focused on what enterprises should plan for in the near term and longer term
• Customer sessions and technical breakouts highlighting implementation lessons, governance patterns, and measurable outcomes
• Product and roadmap sessions, previewing Qlik’s upcoming agentic capabilities and MCP-based interoperability, designed to help teams move from insight to governed action
• Hands-on workshops and training, plus partner demos and structured networking

Registration is open at QlikConnect.com. Current early bird pricing is available until February 20, 2026.

About Qlik

Qlik helps teams get more out of AI with data they can rely on and control. It delivers trusted data products, a powerful analytics engine, and AI agents. This helps teams reduce risk, keep operating costs in check, and scale AI responsibly as needs evolve. Used by 75% of the Fortune 500, Qlik supports customers worldwide. Qlik works with the systems and partners customers already use, so teams can stay flexible without lock-in.

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