Sidharth Thapar is an AI Manager and Senior Data Scientist at Staples, where he leads enterprise-scale AI initiatives in semantic search, retrieval systems, and dynamic pricing. He architected Staples’ first GenAI-powered product matching and multi-stage ranking platform (XREF), now central to the company’s B2B and public sector quoting strategy and delivering sustained, large-scale business impact since its launch.

Previously, Sidharth built applied AI systems across finance, manufacturing, and security. At FINRA, he developed anomaly detection models supporting market integrity and investor protection. At Stanley Black & Decker, he spearheaded global pricing optimization and delivered an AI-powered audio analytics engine for intrusion detection, deployed across central monitoring stations supporting more than 20,000 locations. His contributions have been recognized with multiple innovation awards, including Staples’ Believe & Achieve Award and Stanley Black & Decker’s AIDA WIN Award for AI excellence. In 2025, he was granted a U.S. National Interest Waiver (NIW) for sustained contributions to applied AI with national-scale impact.

Beyond industry delivery, Sidharth serves as an Industry Advisor and curriculum designer for Northeastern University and Manipal University, helping shape industry-aligned AI education. He also contributes through peer review and technical judging, bringing a practitioner’s lens at the intersection of technical rigor, operational readiness, and real-world impact in AI recommendations and retrieval.