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Helenio Gilabert is the senior director for digital transformation with Schneider Electric. Right out of the gate, Helenio stresses that word “transformation” over “digital.” While technology is the enabler, meaningful implementation can’t happen without a process and cultural change. This process must include all enterprise verticals and every individual within an organization. As Helenio puts it, “You have to offer [employees] a clear view of the path that they can take as an individual to contribute to the organization. And that will require some investment from companies in training and professional development.” Lastly, Helenio defines edge solutions as a hybrid approach to cloud and AI. After all, data is only as good as what we do with it.

AI strategist for the Volvo Group, Jair Riberio, discusses Volvo’s decision to develop the AI and machine learning Center of Excellence. His interest in AI stems from his time at IBM, which he sentimentally outlines before moving on. Next, Jair talks about the difference between a company who is solely IT-based and a company like Volvo who is implementing those technologies into a product that isn’t inherently tech. As reliability and safety is and has always been Volvo’s number one concern, Jair explains how technology and regulations play into the modern innovations at Volvo. Finally, Jair closes with his thoughts on fully autonomous vehicles and what it means for our future.

Michael Xiao starts this conversation a little off topic with Daoism. Or is it? As the conversation goes on, the philosophies behind Daoism get compared to the way humans navigate technology in an almost primal way. Programs like Facebook are designed to be addictive, giving those types of platforms a negative connotation. But at Blue Cross Blue Shield, where Michael works, their approach to AI is for the greater good. However, in order to move any legacy company in the direction of digital transformation, a mindset shift must take place. Michael details three different techniques for change management: process engineering, relationships, and changing the narrative around AI.

Maneesh Kumar Verma is the team leader and head of operations at Lunar Zebro. He’s also a lead robotics at Stellar Space Industries. In this conversation, Maneesh talks about the future of space exploration. In order to thoroughly explore places like Mars, a high level of autonomy must be given to the devices sent there. On top of that, the devices must be agile, plentiful, and inexpensive—compared to a Rover, for example. Maneesh calls these futuristic devices "artificial ants." He then gets into the nitty-gritty of the moon’s role as home base in the future of space exploration, diagnostic technologies, and pilot programs for future missions.

Joining us again is Tony Saldanha, president of Transformant, to discuss the role of the CIO and IT in organization transformation. Tony first talks about the legacy role of the CIO and whether or not it’s still relevant. Traditionally, CIOs have excelled at their number one task: scaling. However, with Industry 4.0 on the horizon, scaling is replaced by transformation. Next, Tony outlines the ideal mentality and vision of a CIO for today’s enterprise landscape. Tony’s solution for IT’s new place in enterprise involves injecting some creativity and business savviness into the department. He then explains the hows and whys.

Barbara Hodge opens this discussion with why the world needs more English majors. She makes the point that, while STEM majors are on the rise, data is nothing without a story behind it. Today’s workforce needs to be adaptable, well-rounded, and, yes, technologically savvy. What gets overlooked is the importance of building a narrative. As our world becomes increasingly automated, our jobs as humans will be to influence. We must know the data, interpret it in a way that makes sense, and communicating it in a way that is influential. Finally, Barbara gets excited about where technology is taking the workforce—not scared. Listen to her explain why we can learn from the past to help us transition into the next golden age of mankind.

The CIO of Amsterdam’s Spectral, Stephen Donnelly, joins us to talk energy. Spectral is “on the bleeding edge of the energy transition” as a tech developer and systems integrator. Steven outlines the pros and cons of each renewable energy resource and also discusses smart cars and smart cities. He then offers solutions to these problems using AI. Before Spectral, Stephen was with the European Commission at the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. He describes what that level of upper bureaucracy is like.

Deepak takes us through structured data: what it is, when we need it, and when we don’t. He talks about how to discover the history of structured data at your enterprise and what to do with it. Data comes flooding in in mass quantities and various forms. Is it worth structuring that data? Will it fit into our old ideas of “structure?” Next, Deepak talks about unpacking the value of structured data and how to get the most out of it. He suggests asking the right questions before preparing reports from structured data to eliminate time- and resource-waste. Finally, Deepak suggests identifying “master data” in order to streamline the data processing process.

Ravi Rao defines “emotional business” and why the analytical, numbers-based approach to running an enterprise just isn’t enough. In this episode, he specifically addresses nonverbal communication. “As we roll out operational improvement programs in a lot of organizations, people are paying attention to what's being written in the email. People are paying attention to what's happening on a stage coming from the manager or executive. But the things that most executives and managers and program managers fail to think about is even their body language is sending messages.” Ravi wraps up with some advice from the trenches.

A digital workforce is useless without a plan. Delphine Bernard discusses the steps it takes to make sure your AI is working for you. She stresses the importance of a solid planning phase. During this time, an enterprise should be answering questions such as, what do I want my bots to do? What processes do I want to automate? Next, simulate scenarios with KPIs and ROI. Make sure to have backups in place if bots fail. Delphine outlines the importance of building a strong digital workforce before going live, because, unlike humans, bots can’t adapt on the fly if something goes wrong. Still, it’s worth the effort, as Delphine also notes.

Max Just talks us through digital environments in this installation of Future of Work. Max opens by discussing the importance of improving the employee experience with a focus on people “inside the tent.” HR and procurement services aren’t enough to satisfy today’s employee. Instead, employees expect a seamless digital experience more on par to the one they experience in their day-to-day dealings. If a company feels archaic to an employee, they are less likely to feel like they belong. Max offers tips on how to adapt to the future employee, such as investing in automation. Finally, Max discusses two future trends he is noticing: internal digital assistants and collaboration tools.

We spoke with Nicole Raimundo, the chief information officer for the town of Cary, North Carolina, and its tech appeal.. Brands like Cisco, SAS, and Epic Games call Cary home. Further, Raiumundo discusses her process in building Cary into the “connected community” it is today. From big data to IoT, the reinvention of Cary involved a lot of training and reskilling. The success in Cary’s transformation lies in the cooperation of universities, tech companies, and the city. Listen to Raimundo lay out more about exactly what technologies Cary deployed and how those solutions better the community in the full episode.

Juan Arya discusses his eight CoE keys to success. Juan doesn’t mince words when it comes to the importance of building a strong, nuanced team and fixing what’s broken. He also discusses why it’s critical to build and sustain capabilities. He reminds us that, while success comes in sets of sprints, ultimately, the race is a marathon. Goals and metrics are another key for Juan, but the numbers are a moot point without the right performance management. Finally, Juan focuses on sustaining and building team skillsets, regardless of who is coming and going.

Chief Analytics Officer for ING, Görkem Köseoğlu, talks data during this panel discussion. While modeling and analytics is not new in the banking sector, AI and machine learning has reinvented it. Görkem discusses his inspiration, motivation, and role in transforming ING—including a pivotal trip to Silicon Valley—and why now is the time. He doesn’t tread lightly when it comes to the ethics and regulations involved and offers advice on how to transform the right way. Learn what Görkem means when he says he applies a “yin and yang” strategy to scalability.

In this episode, Ty Grandison takes some time to step back from this flawed reality we live in and discusses some of the unintended consequences of tech in the past 30 years. First, Ty gets real about the power of AI—or lack thereof—and its tendency to be overhyped. He then lays out the three steps that need to take place before responsible change can happen. Ty speaks candidly about bias in AI, saying, “There are multiple different chasms that are actually being built in the AI machine learning spaces that we need to think really deeply about and try to address.” He then offers ethical solutions that will also appease shareholders.

Joshua Beaudry, cofounder of LPSTK Skateboards and professional skater, discusses the evolution of the brand-turned-nonprofit. LPSTK was a digital native from the start. “All of our sales, fulfillment, our shipping, our donation, handling, our accounting, that's all automated with robots.” Josh goes on to detail the solutions they deploy, such as UiPath, and the learning curve involved in a hybrid DIY-type solution. He compares the differences between change in a large corporation and a small startup. Further, Josh learned to build his own bot and lays out the advantages of knowing how to code. By automating as much as possible, LPSTK is able to stick to its mission efficiently and affordably.

Barbara Hodge gives us a glimpse into the future of global enterprise. She offers actionable advice on what can be done today to support tomorrow’s AI efforts. The power of predictive outcomes grows as our understanding and technology grows. In fact, our choices as humans are increasingly influenced by machines. Despite this, corporations still struggle with how to best cleanse data. More time is spent on data cleansing that is spent on analyzing, evaluating, and deciding combined. Without a clear vision, efforts toward leveraging AI are watered down and unfocused. Barbara offers customer-centric advice on creating an effective AI plan.

Digital transformation and its global impact is the topic at hand for this panel discussion. Dr Hamed Al Hashemi, Director, Strategy & Corporate Performance Division Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai; and Khaled ElShabrawy, Government Solutions Executive with Microsoft UAE discuss how AI can be used as a power for good. They get granular about how AI can assist with sustainable agriculture and poverty, global warming, and healthcare. As Dr. Hamed puts it, “What we want to do is really to make sense of all of this data available so that it help us to address some of the key challenges that we facing within the sector.”

Rohit Amberker opens this episode of Pace of Change with a clear disclaimer: he is no expert on this week’s topic. However, he does have some experience and insights on the Productivity Paradox. Rohit opens by outlining the definition and history of the Productivity Paradox. Then he moves on to the meat of the topic. Ultimately, the goal of technology is to create customer-centric value from something that doesn’t currently exist. As technology’s capabilities exponentially expand, the Productivity Paradox gap is shortening. Rohit looks to the past to shape the future by exemplifying Facebook and Amazon and examines the current “gap” in AI and blockchain.