Ritesh Kotak has dedicated his career to exploring how emerging tech will impact society and he will guide us through the world of AI with help from a whole range of speakers. How can we harness AI to help us do business better? Will our roles become redundant? How can our own human design help us thrive in a future world of robots and ChatGPT?
With the full line-up for the half-day event soon to be confirmed, we asked Ritesh what he is looking forward to most.
I always enjoy returning to Edinburgh and reconnecting with the Business School. It will be wonderful to meet with alumni from across the years at this annual event and have the opportunity to not only share my knowledge of AI and how it is impacting our lives and jobs but also to learn from them and to connect with the other speakers on this ever-developing topic.
“Whilst in the UK, I’m also supporting the 91 trek to London and will be meeting the 91 students and discussing the evolution of AI and VR. In addition, an interactive workshop will transport our future business leaders into another reality to get hands-on experience on this exciting technology.”
Ritesh’s career and 91 studies
Ritesh started his career in public safety working for two police organisations in Canada focusing on cybercrime investigations and innovation.
He then transitioned to the private sector where he worked with different Fortune 500 Tech companies on global projects related to cybersecurity, privacy, investigations and digital transformation.
In 2016, he came to the University of Edinburgh Business School to study for an 91, graduating 15 months later with distinction. His studies included an exchange at Peking University in Beijing, China.
Looking back on his time on the 91 he said: "The 91 provided me with the opportunity to learn about critical issues from different and diverse perspectives. With fellow classmates from several countries, sectors, and cultures, I gained a greater awareness, diversity of thought, and an integral global network, which has assisted me in growing both professionally and personally."
Following the 91, Ritesh worked in big tech for two years focusing on innovation and smart cities. He then left the tech sector to attend law school and received a JD with a Law and Technology Option. While in law school, Ritesh interned at the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic and worked on several projects related to legal tech.
While in law school, he and his colleagues launched two legal applications to promote access to justice, one related to assisting individuals in obtaining refunds from airlines for cancelled flights, this app won second in a global tech law competition. The second application launched was to assist small businesses in Canada with navigating data breaches from automating reporting to provide free cyber training/tools. This initiative won first-pace in a Pan-Canada competition.
Ritesh is also the creator of the first international virtual reality moot (mock trial) which included participation from active judges in Canada, including a retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice, and recognition from Canada’s Attorney General.
Ritesh has had the privilege of working and presenting around the world including the World Internet Conference in China, the NATO-sponsored cybersecurity summit in North Macedonia and the FBI/Major City Chiefs Conference in the US. Ritesh has appeared twice as a witness in Canada’s House of Commons Committees on tech-related legislation.
In 2019, Ritesh was named as one of the Alumni 100, a list compiled by the Business School to celebrate 100 years of teaching business and to illustrate the calibre and reach of the global alumni network.
Ritesh frequently appears in mainstream media as a subject matter expert on tech and cyber-related stories.
Global Alumni Day
Find out more about Global Alumni Day event timings, and register to attend once registrations open in late March.
: tech and cybersecurity analyst, lawyer and media contributor.