AI, Analytics, and the Future of Information Systems: A Conversation with Northwestern Faculty

The field of information technology is accustomed to rapid change, but even so, the rise of AI and advanced analytics is reshaping information systems in unprecendented ways, transforming how organizations operate and IT leaders work.

Organizations are increasingly looking for professionals who can not only understand emerging technologies, but also apply them strategically, responsibly, and effectively across the business. As these expectations evolve, universities and employers alike are rethinking which skills matter most for the next generation of information systems leaders. Northwestern University School of Professional Studies’ MS in Information Systems (MSIS) program is adapting to these shifts by integrating AI, analytics, leadership, and hands-on project work throughout the curriculum.

To better understand how the field is changing and how professionals can prepare for it, we spoke with Northwestern MSIS faculty members about the evolving role of information systems leadership.

How AI Is Reshaping Information Systems Leadership

In the last few years, IT teams have begun to apply AI and analytics across enterprise information systems to improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making, and support digital transformation initiatives.

Today, AI is commonly used to:

• Automating routine help desk solutions
• Detecting cybersecurity threats
• Organizing and identifying patterns in large data sets
• Predicting and correcting network efficiency issues

Rather than rendering technical professionals obsolete, this adoption is changing the nature of the role, and in some cases, even increasing demand for experts with high-level skills.

Though AI’s constant evolution makes the future of information systems difficult to predict, the faculty of Northwestern’s MS in Information Systems program is observing these changes closely to keep the program ahead of the curve.

According to faculty director Faisal Akkawi, the MSIS program is “anticipating what the industry wants” from IT leaders in the modern AI era. To ensure graduates are prepared to successfully oversee modern information systems and combat the most pressing IT challenges, the latest iteration of the program prepares students to develop cutting-edge AI skills in:

• Data governance
• Risk assessment
• Data architecture
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Human/computer interactions

As AI adoption continues to reshape enterprise technology, many information systems professionals are recognizing the need to expand their skills beyond technical execution alone. Employers increasingly value leaders who can combine AI fluency with strategic thinking, communication, governance, and business problem-solving—driving growing interest in advanced education and hands-on professional training.

What Northwestern Faculty Say About the Evolving Role of Information Systems Leaders

We spoke with five MSIS faculty members about how AI and analytics are changing the role of information systems leaders, what skills matter most in today’s technology workforce, and how the MSIS program is preparing professionals for the future of enterprise technology.

• Faisal Akkawi: The faculty director for the MSIS as well as the undergraduate major in information systems, Akkawi currently teaches the Database Systems Design and Implementation course and Telecommunication Networks.
• Amul Chapla: A principal AI architect at Microsoft, Chapla teaches courses in the MSIS data science specialization.
• James DeMarco: DeMarco, director of insurance strategy at Microsoft, has most recently taught the Digital Transformation Strategy and Planning course and Enterprise Architecture.
• Terry Cottrell: Cottrell is the VP of IT and planning at the University of St. Francis and teaches the IT Management and IT Strategy courses.
• David Ostrowski: The artificial intelligence leader for Ford Motor Product Development, Ostrowski teaches the courses Innovation with Blockchain Technology and Web Application Development. 

This conversation offers an inside look at how the program helps professionals connect innovation with impact, turning data and AI into tools for smarter, more strategic leadership.

How are AI and analytics changing the role of information systems leaders?

Amul Chapla: AI is fundamentally changing how enterprises look at end-to-end data and analytics platforms and processes. The focus is now on using generative AI to reduce the time it takes to produce value. This shift requires changes in how organizations are structured, how we think about tools and platforms, and how programs are designed and executed. As a result, many initiatives are becoming increasingly AI-enabled and outcome-driven. This also means information systems leaders must increasingly act as strategic enablers—aligning data strategy, AI capabilities, and business outcomes rather than focusing solely on technology implementation.

James DeMarco: Traditionally, we’ve asked information systems leaders to spend most of their time focusing on the solution because somebody else's job was the problem. Not anymore. Leadership roles now are more about understanding the problem we're trying to solve than implementing the solutions to solve them. Information systems leaders have to be problem solvers, problem identifiers, and humanistic thinkers who can understand first the milieu in which they're solving a problem, and second, what the problem is. That's a big shift from just managing a bunch of people who keep the systems alive or deploying relatively stable processes.

What does an information systems leader do in the AI era?

Faisal Akkawi: See, AI automates execution. So if AI automates executions, then the information systems leader must be capable of judgment, governance, strategic thinking, and critical thinking. The MSIS is not training students to compete with AI. We’re training them to lead AI initiatives. AI will automate the task, but not the expertise. The professionals who understand how to guide intelligent systems will be much more valuable, not less.

Terry Cottrell: The first thing a leader has to do is engage: start meeting with the teams they manage and start doing experiments. Assume they've been uploading some company data to open systems as experiments, and educate on the dangers of capricious uploading. Second, tech leaders have to advocate for the tools they endorse and provide. If they can find a way to budget for enterprise AI to keep their company data in their own systems as much as possible, then do that. They’ve got to convince their higher-ups to put some time, dollars and energy into this in order to remain secure and competitive.

How does the MSIS prepare students to step into these changing roles?

David Ostrowski: I think that there's a very false narrative that AI is going to run all by itself. That has never been the case. It's a tool; it'll always be a tool. What gives a company a competitive advantage is having something unique. If you're always using AI, which is trained on everything that everyone else has, you just come up with more of the same. Organizations really need one good solution, not the aggregate of everyone else's good solution. At the end of the day, people who understand how the technology works enough to come up with that solution will always be valued. That's where education comes in.

James DeMarco: As our MSIS program has evolved, we’ve focused less on technical certification and more on leadership skills. We’re placing greater emphasis on developing design and delivery, reforming the teams that actually deliver the solutions, and establishing the governance needed to put those solutions in place. MSIS programs overall are going to have to shift toward those higher-level skillsets because we’re providing AI enough autonomy to do a lot of the legwork that we once relied on humans for and required program managers to go manage. If we don't need that anymore, let's focus on getting more done using those higher-level skills.

What about the MSIS gives graduates a competitive edge in today’s job market?

Faisal Akkawi: It is the combination of the faculty and the students. The faculty who teach digital transformation are two Microsoft engineers, Amul Chapla and Jim DeMarco, who work in digital transformation, data science, machine learning, and enterprise strategies. The head of the security team at CommonSpirit Healthcare is teaching the security track. And then the students in the program come from the industry. They come in with these very impressive titles, amazing points of view, and diverse backgrounds. What makes the MSIS unique is absolutely the network.

Amul Chapla: Our program is highly hands-on. While we cover research, trends, and core concepts, we emphasize industry case studies to ground these ideas in real-world applications. Students apply what they learn through industry-relevant projects, following processes and using tools that are currently used in the industry. As a result, the program helps minimize the gap between academic learning and real-world practice. This approach ensures graduates are job-ready with both practical experience and the ability to solve real business problems from day one.

How are AI and analytics integrated into Northwestern’s MS in Information Systems program?

Amul Chapla: We have a strong portfolio of courses that have been successful over the years. With generative AI becoming mainstream, we have updated many of these courses to keep the curriculum current with emerging technologies and business needs. In addition to updating existing courses, we are introducing new Gen AI-first courses. These focus on how generative AI can fundamentally transform business processes, using a practical, industry-driven approach. This dual approach ensures students are equipped with both modern AI capabilities and a strong foundation in traditional analytics.

What are some examples of the hands-on laboratory-based coursework we’re using to broaden students’ knowledge of new and emerging IT?

Faisal Akkawi: This program is a project-oriented, skill-driven program. We don't focus on theoretical components; we focus on the skills that the market wants. Every course has a project. Every week of every course has multiple case studies. Every case study comes from the industry; faculty bring actual issues from the industry into the classrooms. So in the database course, you create a backend database. In the internet course, you build the front-end. In the Java course, you learn how to write object programming in security, you strengthen security, and perform ethical hacking. The capstone project is a full-blown application where all these components become part of it.

James DeMarco: In our Digital Transformation Strategy and Planning course, students complete a project centered on a real-world business transformation challenge. They evaluate a real-world business of their choice—I’ve had students learn and present on everything from Boeing to a funeral planning service—develop a strategy for how that business might transform itself using technology, and then create a multi-year, multi-level strategy for that transformation path. This is exactly what the head of AI or digital transformations for any business would be required to do. Students walk away from this course with a very practical framework for leading digital transformation initiatives.

Why is hands-on, project-based learning essential in information systems leadership?

David Ostrowski: What I’ve found with consulting and other high-level technical roles is that for technical capabilities, the hiring teams are looking for a portfolio. Twenty years ago, you could say, "I worked on that system." Now, people want to see it. All of my courses take a portfolio-based approach. Then students can show employers and say, "Hey, this is what I did,” whether they’re pursuing a job opportunity or launching a company.

Faisal Akkawi: Companies no longer care about what your degree is. A degree from Northwestern can get you a job interview, but companies want people who have the ability to do things. As an employer, I’m most interested in, “Can you take my business problem and find me a solution to it? Can you look at my system and be able to automate it and succeed? Can you tell me why this system is going to fail, if it's going to fail, and how it's going to fail? What is the application of this tool? What is the risk? What is the cost analysis?” The MSIS focuses on preparing students to answer these questions and implement those solutions.

What skills will define successful information systems professionals moving forward?

David Ostrowski: It all comes down to creating value. I aim to provide students with exposure to technology alongside an environment that encourages entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship. When I develop courses, I really infuse them with the theme of being globally competitive and understanding how to identify opportunities, create value, and leverage your skills in those areas. That way, no matter the economic climate, you'll always be able to find work. You do that by learning how to create value, whether as an entrepreneur or as a professional driving impact within a company.

Faisal Akkawi: Critical thinking. Professionals need to possess the ability to evaluate the outputs that AI has given. There's also a growing need for skills in governance, ethics, and data cleansing, because the output of AI is only as good as the data.

Terry Cottrell: Patience, communication, empathy, and charisma. We have so much access to information today, that knowing how to fix things is available at the touch of our smart devices.  Convincing other people of what to do, however, informing relationships, and speaking clearly? That’s what we have left after we introduce robotic automation, LLMs and more and more AI tools. In the future, we might turn over low-stakes decisions to AI, but for any sort of higher-stakes decisions, we're still going to want accountability from human beings. And that's where patience, interpersonal skills, and the ability to clearly convey what you know come into play. These skills eventually overshadow almost every other piece of technical knowledge and expertise.

Explore Northwestern’s MS in Information Systems Program

As AI and analytics continue to reshape enterprise technology, organizations need information systems leaders who can not only manage technical infrastructure but also guide digital transformation initiatives, evaluate AI-driven solutions, and connect technology strategy with business goals.

Northwestern University School of Professional Studies’ MS in Information Systems program is designed to help professionals build those capabilities through hands-on coursework, industry-informed instruction, and practical experience with emerging technologies. Students develop expertise in areas including AI, analytics, cybersecurity, data governance, and digital transformation while strengthening the leadership and communication skills needed to generate buy-in for their goals.

To learn more about Northwestern’s online MS in Information Systems program prepares professionals to lead the future of enterprise technology, fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch with you soon.