Raj Venkatachalam has over 20 years of experience in Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and Systems Engineering, with a strong track record of innovation and leadership. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and a Bachelor’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of Madras, India. Raj currently serves as the Director of Industrial Systems Engineering at Varex Imaging, where he leads cutting-edge initiatives in imaging technology. Prior to joining Varex, he held key roles at Oceaneering, GE Inspection Technologies, and GE Global Research. Widely recognized as a Subject Matter expert in Digital Radiography, Raj holds nearly 15 patents and was among the first to successfully develop and deploy a flat panel-based subsea detector capable of operating at depths of up to 10,000 feet underwater—a breakthrough in underwater inspection. Raj also plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of NDE through AI. He is the Chair of ASNT’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Committee, collaborating with industry and academic leaders to develop guidelines for AI in NDT. Recently, he was appointed Vice-Chair of ASNT’s Critical Emerging Technologies Working Group, further expanding his influence in emerging tech for the inspection industry.