Agentic AI is pushing leaders to rethink roles, processes, and governance far beyond another automation wave.

In this episode, Andreas Welsch speaks with Danielle Gifford, PwC Managing Director of AI, about how organizations should prepare for agentic AI. Danielle draws on frontline experience with enterprise pilots and deployments to explain why agents require new infrastructure, clearer role boundaries, and fresh approaches to governance and workforce design.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Why agents are different from classic rule-based automation: they’re goal-driven, context-aware and can act with autonomy, which creates both opportunity and risk.
• Where companies (especially in Canada) are on the adoption curve: pilots and POCs are increasing, but full-scale deployments need better data, guardrails, and change planning.
• How leaders should approach agent projects: start with the business problem, map processes, and decide where human + agent collaboration delivers the highest value.
• Workforce design and the “digital coworker”: practical advice on defining role boundaries, delegation rules, and how to evaluate outcomes when humans and agents collaborate.
• Multi-agent orchestration and governance: how to prevent agents from converging on weak solutions and how to build review, control, and accountability into agent systems.

Key takeaways:

1. Business first: define the problem before choosing technology. Agents aren’t a silver bullet — they must solve a real, scoped pain point.
2. Move from experimentation to implementation: Canadian enterprises are ready to progress beyond proofs of concept and invest in production-ready agent solutions with proper controls.
3. Agents ≠ automation: treat agents as goal-based collaborators that need explicit boundaries, evaluation metrics, and workforce redesign.

If you lead teams, product strategy, or AI initiatives and want practical guidance for turning agent hype into measurable outcomes, this episode is for you. Listen now to get the full conversation and actionable next steps.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

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AI agents are arriving fast, but the winners will be the organizations that pair them with trusted data, clear processes and security — not those who chase scale alone.

In this episode, Andreas Welsch talks with analyst and diginomica co-founder Jon Reed about what’s actually next for agentic AI: where real value is emerging, why many pilots stall, and how to move from hype to measurable outcomes. They cut through the noise around model releases and scary headlines, and focus on practical pathways for enterprise adoption.

Highlights include:

• Why throwing scale at models isn’t a cure-all and how enterprises succeed by constraining problems and adding domain context
• The “last mile” problem: when out-of-the-box LLMs miss industry-specific language, and when to fine-tune or use smaller domain models
• Data readiness as a multi-year journey — and how to weave data cleanup into early AI use cases so you can get wins fast
• Real business examples (procurement long-tail, finance workflows, shop-floor QA) where agents and ML already drive measurable impact
• Security, trust and identity for agents: new threat vectors, authentication challenges and when agent-to-agent interactions create additional risk
• Practical tech signals to watch: RAG + tool-calling, MCP/A2A protocols, zero-copy data approaches, and when to favor internal wins over multi-vendor orchestration
• People and culture: empower middle managers and junior staff to experiment safely, avoid short-sighted headcount cuts, and build communities of practice
• Legal and fairness considerations, including why frameworks like the EU AI Act offer useful risk-drive guardrails

If you lead an AI initiative, build data platforms, or are responsible for secure automation, this conversation gives realistic next steps — from choosing the right model size and partners to hardening agent deployments and capturing the first ROI moments.

Listen to the episode to learn how to move past hype and design agent strategies that actually deliver business outcomes.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

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AI is reshaping every job from the C-Suite to the front line. It's happening at a pace unlike any change we’ve seen before.

But most leaders are uncomfortable leading this change. Despite all the talk about technology, AI-driven uncertainty is a deeply human topic. Sitting it out or waiting for someone else to solve the big questions of self-identity, value, and skills is not an option.

In this episode of "What’s the BUZZ?," host Andreas Welsch sits down with Alison McCauley, Author and Digital Change Strategist, to explore how leaders can navigate the uncertainty AI brings to the workplace.

Catch the BUZZ:

• Why will every role will change and how can leaders prepare?
• What's the critical role of expertise in the AI era?
• How can you equip your team with AI skills and big-picture thinking?
• When should you use AI as a thought partner?

Whether you’re a CEO, a mid-level manager, or just starting your career, this conversation offers actionable ways to lead with confidence when the future feels unclear.

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

Level up your AI Leadership game with the AI Leadership Handbook:
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Large corporations and startups are dominating the AI conversation. But how do non-profits adopt AI without compromising trust?

In this episode of "What’s the BUZZ?," host Andreas Welsch welcomes Scott Rosenkrans, VP of AI Innovation at DonorSearch, to the show to discuss how non-profits use AI to make a measurable impact.

Catch the BUZZ:
• Why does “just because you can” not always mean you should?
• How can predictive and generative AI work together to support human fundraisers?
• Why must donor relationships come before fundraising transactions?
• How does culture readiness in addition to tech readiness drive AI success?
• Which success metrics in fundraising go beyond total dollars raised?

If you’re a non-profit leader or change manager tasked with delivering results from AI, this conversation will help you set yourself up for success.

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

Level up your AI Leadership game with the AI Leadership Handbook:
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Chasing hype is easy. Delivering results with AI in the enterprise? That’s where leadership is tested.

In this week’s episode of "What’s the BUZZ?," I sat down with Jon Reed, industry analyst and co-founder of diginomica, to unpack some of the biggest myths that hold organizations back from real Agentic AI success.

Here are four myths that stood out:

1) Myth: It has to be Generative (or now, Agentic) AI
Predictive models, machine learning, and other “less flashy” approaches often deliver the most immediate ROI. Success starts with the problem you’re solving, not the trendiest tool.

2) Myth: Perfect data guarantees perfect results
Even with high-quality data, AI is probabilistic and not deterministic. Outliers and unusual errors happen. That’s why audit trails, risk management, and cultural readiness matter just as much as data quality.

3) Myth: AI replaces expertise and creativity
AI amplifies expertise but cannot substitute for it. Domain experts are critical for spotting flaws and guiding outcomes. And while AI can generate content, true creativity and ingenuity still rest with people.

4) Myth: Leaders don’t need to understand the tech
Courage and vision are vital, but without data and AI literacy, leaders risk reimagining the future on the wrong foundation. Both human leadership skills and technical fluency are essential.

If you’re serious about moving past AI buzzwords and building sustainable success in your organization, this conversation is for you.

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

Level up your AI Leadership game with the AI Leadership Handbook:
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AI in the enterprise has moved from theoretical discussion to real deployments, with measurable business impact.

In this episode, host Andreas Welsch sits down with Bob Sakalas, Innovation Strategist at SAP, to explore how leading organizations are moving past the hype and actually delivering business value with AI.

Together, they discuss:

• How can you move your organization from a “what could go wrong” to a “what’s going right” mindset?
• Why does good AI start with good data, and does your business data really move the needle?
• What’s the bottom-line impact industry leaders in retail and transportation achieve with built-in AI?
• How does a collaborative approach fuel AI success, and what does it look like?

Whether you are an IT leader to hear how others are doing AI or tasked with maximizing the value from your SAP deployment, this episode offers insights straight from the source that you can apply right away. Are you ready to hear more?

Join SAP's Platform & Data Summit series in North America this September and October to hear from IT leaders and practitioners how they are getting value from AI in the SAP applications they use every day: https://events.sap.com/us-2025-sap-data-summit-home/en_us/home.html?source=Andreas3

Thank you, SAP, for sponsoring this episode.

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

Level up your AI Leadership game with the AI Leadership Handbook:
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What if your AI agents could not only collaborate but also autonomously safeguard your enterprise?

In this episode, host Andreas Welsch sits down with Steve Wilson, Chief AI and Product Officer at Exabeam, to explore the nuances of securing agentic AI and the emerging landscape of multi-agent communication.

Together, they discuss how businesses can enhance their cybersecurity measures while adapting to the rapid evolution of AI capabilities, from agency levels to ethical governance.

Learn about practical strategies for evaluating AI agent frameworks, mitigating insider threats, and implementing security-first approaches in a world increasingly dominated by AI:

• What are the internal and external threats and challenges of AI agents and Agent-to-Agent (A2A)/ multi-agent systems?
• How can organizations defend against those threats?
• What can also go right with Agentic AI security?
• What do AI and IT leaders need to do to ensure enterprise security despite all the Agent sprawl?

Ready to navigate the complexities of AI security? Don't miss this insightful conversation and tune in now to tap into the potential of secure AI agents for your business!

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

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What if you could navigate the complex landscape of AI projects with a proven methodology?

In this episode, host Andreas Welsch welcomes Kathleen Walch, Director of AI Engagement at the Project Management Institute, as they explore CPMAI, an essential framework for leading successful AI initiatives.

From identifying real business problems to understanding crucial data requirements, Kathleen shares her expertise on the importance of a data-centric approach:

• What are the most common challenges new AI leaders run into?
• What are the key steps to successful AI projects?
• What’s the #1 surprising thing about AI projects and leadership?
• What’s next with Agentic AI and how will it change the paradigm of what AI leaders need to do?

With actionable insights and compelling examples, this episode provides an invaluable resource for any business leader seeking to leverage the power of AI.

Don't miss out on learning how to transform AI hype into meaningful outcomes—tune in now!

Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.

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Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.

Level up your AI Leadership game with the AI Leadership Handbook:
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More details:
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