As we move into 2026, the way people search and interact with brands is rapidly changing. AI is shifting discovery from traditional search toward personalized, context-aware experiences, and even the interfaces we use are evolving into agent-driven tools that act on our behalf.

In this interview we explore what these changes mean for businesses and how they can prepare for a year where search, ranking, and customer experience will look very different than they do today with one of the worlds experts in search and data.

About the Guest

Christian J. Ward is Executive Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Yext. He specializes in knowledge graphs and data asset optimization, helping clients identify, value, and structure their knowledge to maximize its impact in AI and search.

Christian is the co-author of the Amazon top release Data Leverage and has built hundreds of data partnerships worldwide, working with both startups and major global data companies.

He previously served as Chief Data Officer at Arizent and Data Axle, and as Global Head of Content Innovation at Thomson Reuters. His insights have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and Search Engine Journal. He frequently speaks on data strategy, partnerships, and the influence of AI.

Yext helps organizations build digital experiences across any channel on its open, composable platform. The Yext Digital Experience Platform organizes content to deliver AI-driven experiences for customers, employees, and partners.

For more than 15 years, thousands of companies have trusted Yext to create seamless experiences across search engines, websites, mobile apps, and hundreds of digital touchpoints.

Guest social media

- Website: https://mobile.twitter.com/yext

https://www.yext.com/index.html

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wardchristianj/

- https://www.linkedin.com/company/yext/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yextinc/

- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/YextDE/

Host social media

- Website: www.siinda.org

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberli-lewis-7a34053/?ppe=1

https://www.linkedin.com/company/search-and-information-industry-association/?viewAsMember=true

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followsiinda/

The End of Search as We Know It: AI's 2026 Revolution