Canada, Sept. 2025 – SalesChoice is proud to announce that two of its executives have been nominated for the prestigious 2025 World Leaders in Data & AI (WLDA) Awards.
- Dr. Cindy Gordon, Founder & CEO of SalesChoice, has been recognized as a Trailblazer in Responsible Innovation.
- Malay A. Upadhyay, Chief Operating Officer, has been named a nominee in the Rising Star in Data & AI category.
The WLDA Awards Gala, taking place on November 7, 2025, at FiDi Hall in New York City, celebrates visionaries, organizations, and allies who are shaping the future of data and AI with integrity, inclusivity, and excellence. Dr. Cindy Gordon and Malay Upadhyay will join an esteemed group of global leaders whose work is defining the next era of responsible innovation.
Recognizing Leadership in Responsible Innovation
Cindy’s nomination reflects her decades-long dedication to bridging technology and ethics. As CEO of SalesChoice, she has championed Responsible AI by advocating for transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI models, while also guiding initiatives that leverage predictive and generative AI to improve business performance and address challenges in sales, mental health, workplace well-being, and sustainability. Beyond her corporate leadership, Cindy has elevated women in tech, consistently opening pathways for underrepresented voices, and has shaped global thinking on AI through her thought leadership — including The AI Dilemma and her upcoming book, The AI Precipice: An Executive Guide to Balancing Innovation and Safety.
“The world we are living in is moving at an unprecedented rate, and AI is reshaping everything in ways that we are just beginning to comprehend. Although AI is adding value in precision-focused AI use cases, we have yet to close the AI value realization gap that persists in disappointing ROI’s. What’s key is that we must ensure the risks are understood and mitigated with thoughtful job re-design considerations. AI is not a silver bullet. It will surface up easily data biases, and guide humans in directions that are not always wise. We cannot forget that over 80% of our knowledge as humans is tacit, and this deep, more invisible ‘know-how” is not recorded in our AI training data. We must be vigilant to ensure we design new processes that keep in mind where humans are accountable for key interactions in all relationship types – our employees, our customers, and our suppliers. The value of humanity is having real conversations with real people. It is a true honor to be recognized by the WLDA community as our employees and customers have worked very hard to design and build Responsible AI SaaS products that are transparent, explainable, accountable, and respect privacy.,” says Dr. Cindy Gordon.
Malay’s nomination as a Rising Star underscores his 15+ years of experience across industries and countries, where he has led AI-driven transformations that combine digital strategy with customer-centric operations to deliver meaningful impact. He has also authored books, mentored executives, and spoken widely on AI, ethics, and operations, helping organizations adopt AI responsibly. Recognized with the Global Icon Award for Excellence in Business Operations and Thought Leadership, Malay continues to emphasize inclusion and the responsible governance of AI to ensure technology benefits diverse stakeholders fairly and transparently.
“I’m grateful to WLDA for this recognition, and wish the very best to my fellow nominee finalists in the category. Data and AI leadership today is at its most critical juncture as the rules are constantly being reset and organizations and communities worldwide are trying to figure out the optimal approach to leverage AI effectively and responsibly. The bulk of users, decision makers and investors in AI are folks who need not technical training in AI models but business training AI management. They are the ones organizations need to arrest poor ROI from AI investments. After years of training on this subject, I am encouraged to see the rapid rise in AI management education and a willingness to learn among professionals globally. To spearhead and influence AI adoption and the ability of today’s workforce to make the right decisions around AI is itself a massive reward, and I look forward to continuing that journey,” says Malay Upadhyay.
Looking Ahead to the WLDA Awards
The 2025 WLDA Awards Gala promises to bring together some of the most influential minds in data and AI from around the world. Winners will be announced across multiple categories, each recognizing the importance of leadership, responsible practice, and impact in the evolving AI ecosystem.
For SalesChoice, Dr. Cindy Gordon and Malay Upadhyay’s recognition shines a spotlight on the company’s mission: to create AI-driven solutions that improve sales performance, enhance decision-making, and uphold the highest ethical standards.
About Dr. Cindy Gordon
Dr. Cindy Gordon, ICD.D., is the CEO of SalesChoice, a SaaS AI company focused on Realizing Revenue Certainty for Human Advantage, and has been recognized by Onalytica as one of the top AI global influencers. Prior she held senior executive and partner roles at Accenture, Xerox, and Citicorp. She has also been a venture capitalist or angel, advancing B2B technology software companies. Internationally, she is recognized for her innovative thought leadership with over 15 books in market, and a new release in 2026 entitled: The AI Precipice: An Executive Guide to Balancing Innovation and Safety. Cindy is also a board advisor/ thought leader in SaaS /AI or AI education/ market research companies at The AI Forum, Corent Technology, Forbes, Kaji.AI, Tallywell, and USAII. Her AI educational track record is extensive, including University of Arizona – Business and Technology AI Board Advisor, Adjunct Professor, George Brown College, Applied AI. She regularly speaks at international conferences to advance AI Ethics and AI Education to board directors and C-suite executives. Academically, Dr. Gordon has an honorary Applied AI Certification from George Brown College, an MIT AI Strategy Transformation Certification, and a doctorate in Complexity Science, Knowledge Management, and Social Networks, using advanced technology methods. She is also a certified Board Director with an ICD.D. designation. Under Dr. Gordon’s leadership, SalesChoice Inc. has won over twenty international awards. Most recently, she was recognized as the Top AI CEO of the Year in AI and Ethics from the International Association of Top Professionals (August 2024) and the CEO Leader of the Year Award for Women in Digital Transformation. She has also received the Governor General Award for her Innovation and Community Leadership.
About Malay A. Upadhyay
An expert in AI-led growth enablement and the COO of SalesChoice, an award-winning AI platform, Malay is also an author and Masterclass instructor for the Certified AI Transformational Leader program at the US Artificial Intelligence Institute, where he trains global executives across industries.
Malay has served as a board advisor to both corporations and academic institutions, contributed to the European Commission’s AI policy, and helped launch the AI Directory. Recognized by CEOTime and Mirror Review as a top business leader, his global experience spans sectors including healthcare, telecom, logistics, manufacturing, and hospitality.
With a keen ability to link macroeconomic trends to business strategy, Malay brings forward-thinking insights that help leaders navigate the challenges of today—and tomorrow.
About WLDA
World Leaders in Data & AI (WLDA) is a premier global platform celebrating and empowering leaders who are shaping the future of data and AI. Through its awards, community, and initiatives, WLDA fosters equitable leadership, ethical innovation, and sustainable impact in technology.
For more information about the WLDA Awards and the full list of nominees, visit wlda.tech
About SalesChoice
SalesChoice InsightEngine™ is an award-winning AI SaaS platform that brings B2B sales and employee productivity apps to organizations. The company’s vision is to End Revenue Uncertainty for Human Advantage. While SalesInsights™ helps B2B sales teams to end revenue uncertainty and sales inefficiencies to increase top-line revenue, MoodInsights™ helps organizations reduce costs by tackling employee churn, operational risks, and workforce wellbeing. The company also provides AI Solutions to help its clients advance AI modernization from strategy to building complex AI and Generative AI models. A few of SalesChoice’s numerous recognitions include:
- Predictive Sales Analytic Advisory Firm of the Year in Canada by Corporate INTL Global Awards, 2025
- Top CEO of the Year in AI and Ethics by the International Association of Top Professionals, 2024
- Bizz Excellence CEO and Company Awards, 2023
- Xplorex IT Magazine Top 10 Revenue Management Solution Providers, 2022
- Corporate Excellence Awards Outstanding AI Sales Analytics Platform, 2021
- Top 20 Canada Technology Companies, 2020
For more information: media@saleschoice.com
For more AI thought leadership: saleschoice.com/resources
Follow SalesChoice on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/saleschoice
Follow CEO Dr. Cindy Gordon on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drcindygordon
X/Twitter: @SalesChoice_inc
