Math into Margin: Navigating Volatility with AI and Decision Intelligence

In today's volatile business environment — marked by supply chain disruptions, commodity price swings, and geopolitical uncertainty — making the right decision isn't enough. You need to make the optimal one. In this episode of the Optimization Catalyst, host David O'Keefe sits down with Dr. Alison Cozad (Aimpoint Digital) and Aakash Deep (ORMAE Group) to explore how companies can use mathematical optimization, AI, and advanced analytics to navigate volatility and unlock measurable business value. They discuss how static planning systems are giving way to dynamic, real-time decision intelligence — and how the combination of optimization and AI is helping business leaders not just find the best solution, but understand it, trust it, and act on it. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE → Why today's volatility is structural, not temporary — and what that means for your supply chain strategy → How companies are moving from static planning to dynamic, AI-powered decision systems → The relationship between AI and optimization: predict, decide, execute, infer → How large language models (LLMs) are becoming the "explainability layer" for optimization results → Why executives need trade-off visibility — not just a single recommended solution → How scenario planning and "what if" analysis turn optimization models into strategic playgrounds → What the future of AI + optimization looks like for supply chains, pricing, and operations GUESTS Dr. Alison Cozad Principal, Aimpoint Digital Specialist in analytics and optimization applied to complex business decision-making LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alisoncozad Aakash Deep ORMAE Group Specialist in custom business solutions with optimization, AI, and data engineering LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aakashdeep HOST David O'Keefe Director, Strategic Alliances — Gurobi Optimization LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidokeefe ABOUT GUROBI OPTIMIZATION Gurobi is the leader in decision intelligence technology. The world's leading enterprises — including Uber, Google, Airbus, and the NBA — rely on Gurobi to solve their most complex optimization problems and make better decisions, faster. Learn more: https://www.gurobi.com ABOUT OPTIMIZATION CATALYST Optimization Catalyst is the podcast for business leaders who refuse to leave value on the table. Every episode, we talk with executives, data scientists, and industry experts using mathematics and AI to solve their hardest problems — and unlock measurable results in an unpredictable global economy. Subscribe to stay ahead: https://www.gurobi.com/podcast