David Bishop

As electric utilities accelerate digital transformation, interoperability and data standardization have become foundational to grid modernization and AI adoption. This session provides a practical overview of the IEC 61968 standards (better known as CIM) for distribution system integration, highlighting their role in enabling seamless communication between enterprise applications such as outage management, asset management, work management, and distributed energy resource systems.

Participants will explore the latest developments and emerging trends within IEC 61968, including evolving information models, integration frameworks, and their alignment with modern utility architectures. The session also examines how standardized data models create the foundation for advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI-driven operational intelligence.

Attendees will gain insight into how IEC 61968 supports more scalable, interoperable, and intelligent utility ecosystems—and why it is becoming a critical enabler of next-generation AI solutions across the electric power sector.

Biography:

Dr. David A. Bishop is a technologist, consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, and instructor with over 28 years of experience in telecommunications, transportation, government, and utility industries.  David holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA with a concentration in IT management, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University.  He is the author of  Metagility: Managing Agile Development for Competitive Advantage, Elizabeth’s Song, The Big Brother’s Guides, and numerous other books and articles and is a frequent contributor to IEEE’s Engineering Management Review, public speaker, podcaster, and an inventor of several U.S. patents.  A serial entrepreneur, David has been a founder of multiple startups and is currently a board member of BlockchainFOB.

David is currently a Director with Enernex, a boutique energy consulting firm, and previously served as Director at Cognizant Consulting.   He is a member and committee chair for the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) based in Geneva Switzerland, a member of ANSI, and a Senior Member of the IEEE and the Association for Computing Machinery. David is also a research associate with the Center for Engaged Business Research at Georgia State University and founding chair for the Atlanta chapter of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society.  David was recently awarded the Lars Mathiassen Decade Impact Award from Georgia State University in March 2024.