Andy Palanisamy is a seasoned technologist and public policy professional with nearly twenty-five years of public and private sector experience, tackling complex projects in mobility innovations and smart city technologies.

Andy serves as a Board Advisor for Obsession, advising the leadership and the clients on a variety of emerging technologies, particularly in the smart cities, infrastructure, and urban mobility space; he is currently building and launching a cutting-edge AI-platform for legal professionals across the GCC/Pan-Arabian markets

Until recently, he served as the Head of Practice for Smart Cities and Innovation at Parsons in Dubai and managed a variety of advanced technology/smart city projects across the Middle East/Africa region. Prior to this role, he served as Ford Motor Company’s Head of Mobility Engagements (U.S. Midwest & Canada) and also as Business Owner for the City Insights data platform, overseeing the development and delivery of this innovative analytics and data solutions platform to cities.

Before joining Ford, Andy spent nearly fifteen years supporting various Federal initiatives at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As an industry thought leader, Andy is recognized for his contributions to the USDOT’s pioneering Intelligent Transportation Systems program and various projects at the Federal Highway Administration’s Connected Automated Vehicle research program at the Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center.

Andy holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor in Civil Engineering.