Noelle Saldana is the Head of Research Analytics (AI & ML) for the Rapid Development Studio for AI/ML at Fortrea, where she drives innovative solutions that accelerate clinical trials and research innovation. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of data science, AI, and strategic leadership, Noelle has driven transformative initiatives across startups, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.
A proven builder of high-performing, cross-functional teams, Noelle brings a collaborative and deeply pragmatic approach to AI and data science—grounded in the belief that successful models require alignment across design, product, and engineering to deliver real-world value. Her leadership has shaped data-driven cultures and products at organizations such as Salesforce, where she served as Director of Product Management, Data Science & Analytics, and Pivotal, where she led efforts to apply data science to terabyte- and petabyte-scale datasets and embed intelligent insights directly into cloud-native applications.
Passionate about the social impact potential of data, Noelle also led global projects in economic resilience at DataKind, applying data science to challenges faced by mission-driven organizations around the world.
Noelle holds an A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis in Applied Mathematics and Physical Anthropology and a M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona.