Forte Spotlight: Building AI Foundations, Data Lineage at Scale, and the Road to CDAO Chicago

As Forte Group celebrates 25 years of delivering technology excellence, I’m proud to reflect on how far we’ve come, and even more excited about where we’re headed. In this month’s newsletter, I’m sharing some of the key advancements, innovations, and insights that are shaping the next era of enterprise transformation.

-- Lucas Hendrich, CTO, Forte Group

Strategic Priorities for 2026: Building AI-Ready Data Foundations

As we look toward 2026, organizations with AI ambitions face a deceptively simple question: Can your data support your strategy?

AI success will not hinge on cutting-edge model choice alone. It will depend on whether your data platforms are flexible, scalable, and trusted. That means modernizing not only your tech stack, but also your governance, architecture, and mindset.

In my latest article, I outline the three strategic priorities for companies aiming to build AI-ready foundations:

• Modularization over monoliths
• Governance as an accelerator, not a bottleneck
• Delivery as a cross-functional capability

Now is the time to align your data infrastructure with your business vision. Read more in my blog post “Strategic Priorities for 2026: Building AI-Ready Data Foundations”

From Pilot to Production: Why Data Lineage Is Critical for AI at Scale

Moving AI from experimentation to production introduces a new class of complexity, particularly around data lineage.

Most early-stage pilots fail to track how data evolves from source to model, and from model to decision. But as organizations scale AI, this oversight becomes a liability, impacting compliance, trust, and reproducibility.

This post from our team breaks down:

• Why lineage is non-negotiable in regulated industries
• How lineage enables observability, governance, and root-cause analysis
• What tools and design patterns matter most for lineage visibility

If you’re preparing for enterprise-scale AI, this is a must-read. Explore the insights.

Join Me at CDAO Chicago 2025

I’m looking forward to joining peers, practitioners, and industry leaders at the Chief Data & Analytics Officers (CDAO) event in Chicago.

We’ll be discussing the challenges and opportunities surrounding enterprise AI adoption—from data readiness and ethical design to operational maturity and business alignment.

If you're attending, I’d love to connect in person. These conversations are critical to shaping how we architect the next wave of data-driven transformation. Hope to see you there.

For more information, check out the event details.

CTO2CTO Podcast

New Episode: Jeff Miller on legacy modernization, AI in hiring, and leading with extreme ownership. In this episode of our podcast CTO2CTO I sit down with Jeff Miller, VPE at LinenMaster, to discuss what it takes to lead through complexity, from navigating legacy code to building high-performing engineering teams. Jeff’s journey from a small-town hardware store to leading technology at a critical SaaS business offers a grounded take on what modern tech leadership really looks like.

Listen to the full episode, and stay tuned for more real talk at the intersection of technology, product, and leadership on CTO2CTO.

Thank You

Thanks for reading this month’s Forte Spotlight. If any of these ideas sparked your curiosity, or you want to discuss how Forte can help accelerate your AI journey, feel free to reach out. Until next time!

– Lucas Hendrich,, CTO, Forte Group