Ilieva Ageenko

Education: Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
M.S. in Economic Cybernetics, Moscow State University of Management

Courses Taught: Visual Analytics and Storytelling DSBA 5122, Predictive Modeling and Their Impacts DTSC 3601-3602, Modeling and Society DTSC 2301-2302, Data and Society DTSC 1301-1302122, Data and Society DTSC 1301-1302

Biography:

Dr. Ilieva Ageenko is a strategic integrator and former senior executive with over 30 years of experience leveraging data-driven technology for business growth and innovation. She has held senior executive management roles at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Truist, and led the Model Risk Management Advisory Practice at Grant Thornton. In this role, she advised the world’s most prominent financial institutions, Chief Risk Officers, and Boards of Directors on macroeconomic risks impacting stress testing models.

Before joining UNC Charlotte in 2024, Dr. Ageenko was a Managing Director of Innovation at Truist where she spearheaded the extensive use of advanced analytics, machine learning, NLP, and visualization. She developed the Corporate Audit Services innovation strategy, leading to a significant cultural transformation and the strategic vision to “build assurance along the way with business innovation.”

Notably, she built the first commercial application of mobile banking and orchestrated its US market launch in a cross-industry partnership with Wachovia, AT&T and Verizon. 

Dr. Ageenko currently serves on the board of the Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crimes (AMLFC) Institute. She is also an advisor to RiskTech startups, guiding the design and industry application of AI-driven solutions. Her research interests encompass responsible AI, cognitive bias and training algorithms. 

In addition, Dr. Ilieva Ageenko is actively involved in mentoring young professionals, particularly women in STEM. Her work continues to bridge industry innovation with academic excellence preparing future leaders to thrive in a data-driven world.