When AI steps into the boardroom, it’s rarely a quiet arrival. Expectations are set high, with promises of sharper productivity, streamlined workflows, and measurable efficiency gains. But as Francesco Brenna, Global Leader of AI Integration Services at IBM Consulting, points out in this episode of Consulting the Future, the true opportunity lies in something far deeper than speed. It’s about reimagining the way entire businesses function.

Recorded during a sweltering summer in New York, our conversation breaks down what “agentic AI” really means for leaders under pressure to make AI more than a buzzword. Francesco draws a clear line between the passive assistants many companies have experimented with and the next generation of intelligent agents that not only advise but act. This shift, he argues, demands more than dropping AI into an existing system. It calls for rebuilding processes from the ground up with business outcomes as the starting point.

We dig into why data readiness remains the number one barrier to success, despite years of investment in platforms and governance. Francesco introduces the concept of “data products” to ensure AI agents operate with the right context and memory. He outlines IBM’s three-layer approach to agentic applications: user experience, orchestration, and data. He also explains why standards like Model Control Protocol (MCP) may be the key to integrating AI with legacy systems at scale without sacrificing security or trust.

Francesco shares real-world results from IBM’s work in customer service, insurance, and pharma, where agentic AI has dramatically improved containment rates, reduced months of work to weeks, and enabled smarter decision-making for knowledge workers. He is candid about the human side of adoption, detailing how IBM uses hackathons, hands-on experimentation, and human-centered design to build confidence and capability across the workforce.

For enterprise leaders grappling with how to move AI out of the pilot phase and into meaningful, measurable impact, this conversation offers a grounded, practical roadmap built on doing the right AI, and doing it right.

In this episode of Consulting the Future, I’m joined by James Osborne, Chief Digital Officer at KPMG UK, to explore how one of the world’s largest professional services firms is approaching AI with clarity, intention, and scale.

James shares what he’s learned in his first year as CDO, including the rollout of Ava, KPMG’s internal generative AI assistant now used by over 11,000 employees. We unpack how Ava is surfacing firmwide expertise, why adoption is about people before platforms, and how KPMG’s Trusted AI Framework is helping to embed ethical, human-centric principles into every use case.

We also dig into:

• The mindset shift required to move from AI hype to real-world impact
• How the “Summer of AI” initiative reached 16,000 participants across 14 countries
• The role of digital ninjas in driving cultural change
• How AI is augmenting professionals rather than replacing them
• Why KPMG is focused on curated knowledge and client-specific intelligence
• Lessons learned from early adoption, including why managing expectations matters

James also reflects on how AI can be both revolutionary and familiar, referencing the 1966 ELIZA chatbot as a reminder that hype cycles always have history. His advice to other organisations is simple: don’t wait to get started. Start small, stay pragmatic, and bring your people with you.

Why do up to 90% of new product launches still fail, even in the age of AI?

In this episode of Consulting the Future, I’m joined by Stuart Jackson, Vice Chair of L.E.K. Consulting and author of Predictable Winners, a new book that distills nearly four decades of innovation strategy into a practical framework for reducing failure rates in product and service development.

Stuart shares the hard truths behind failed innovation efforts, from siloed thinking and unmanaged risk to the myth of the “big idea.” He also reveals what top innovators do differently and how AI is beginning to play a critical role in spotting demand signals, identifying unmet needs, and shaping smarter bets.

We explore:

• Why many great ideas still fail without systems to manage risk across the innovation lifecycle
• How AI is improving forecasting, testing, and early-stage product screening
• The power of external innovation strategies like acquisitions and licensing
• Why speed matters, but discipline matters more
• What established firms can learn from startups without falling for the “fail fast” trap
• Real-world examples from litter robots to autonomous aircraft landings

Whether you're building a startup, leading R&D, or navigating innovation inside a Fortune 500, this episode is packed with grounded insights to help you innovate with more clarity, more precision, and a lot less waste.

If you want to shift from product guesswork to a repeatable innovation strategy, this is the place to start.

In this episode of Consulting the Future, I sit down with Brad Herndon, a partner in PwC’s Customer Transformation practice, to unpack the real-world challenges and opportunities at the intersection of customer data, AI, and marketing strategy.

Brad draws on over 20 years of experience in data and analytics to explain why businesses still struggle to use their data effectively, what’s changing in the way customer information is collected and applied, and how organizations can evolve their personalization strategies without crossing into territory that risks trust. He also reflects on the shift from isolated data silos to more unified, audience-level insights that still respect privacy and consent.

This conversation offers a clear-eyed look at the practical uses of AI, the limits of over-personalization, and the technologies helping companies move toward more relevant and respectful customer engagement. Brad also shares his thoughts on the value of slowing down, citing Cal Newport’s book Deep Work as a personal and professional inspiration for navigating this complex digital landscape.

If you want to understand how customer-centric strategies are evolving inside real enterprises, and how firms like PwC are helping shape that future, this is the episode to hear.

In this episode of Consulting the Future, I sit down with Varun Bijlani, Global Managing Partner for Hybrid Cloud Services at IBM Consulting, to unpack the real-world challenges and opportunities facing enterprise leaders today.

Varun shares candid insights on why the shine has come off many digital and cloud transformations and what needs to change to deliver measurable returns. We discuss the pitfalls of being hybrid by default and how a hybrid by design strategy can radically shift how businesses deploy AI, manage data and keep costs in check.

Drawing from global client examples, Varun outlines how companies are moving from generic IT spending to targeted investments that protect margins, speed up time-to-market and unlock new value from AI-driven innovation. We also touch on the future of infrastructure, from embedded security and energy efficiency to the evolving role of agent-based AI.

If you are navigating the next phase of your company’s cloud journey or questioning how to align IT architecture with financial results, this conversation will give you a clear-eyed perspective from someone helping shape transformation at scale.

Listen in and join the discussion on how consulting, design thinking and practical frameworks can turn technology promises into real business performance.

What does reinvention look like inside a global consulting firm with nearly $20 billion in revenue? In this episode of Consulting the Future, I speak with Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President at IBM Consulting, about how the company is navigating the shift toward generative AI—one practical use case at a time.

Mohamad brings a rare blend of experience across cybersecurity, data, and enterprise software, shaped by leadership roles at IDG, Carbonite, and now IBM. This conversation unpacks how that background is informing IBM Consulting’s current transformation, including how teams are working differently, where AI is being applied effectively, and why an open ecosystem matters now more than ever.

We look closely at how generative AI is already changing day-to-day consulting work. From improving decision speed to redesigning complex workflows, Mohamad shares examples of client engagements that show real outcomes rather than hypothetical benefits. There’s a strong focus on using AI to amplify human expertise, not displace it—a theme that carries through his approach to upskilling and workforce development.

As consulting shifts toward more software-driven models, Mohamad outlines how IBM is adapting its own culture and mindset to stay relevant in a digital-first environment. That means faster iteration, deeper client collaboration, and new ways of thinking about what consulting looks like in the age of automation.

If you're wondering how to build an AI strategy that works in the real world—not just in pilot programs—this conversation offers grounded insights from inside one of the largest consulting organizations on the planet. It also raises a broader question that every leader should be asking: how do we make AI something that empowers, rather than replaces, the people at the heart of our businesses?

Listen in to learn how IBM Consulting is approaching the future—not as a trend to chase, but as a challenge to shape.

Inside the Accenture Tech Vision Report and the Future of AI-Driven Business

What does it really take to turn AI from hype into value? In this episode of Consulting the Future, I sit down with Mary Hamilton, Global Lead for Accenture's Connected Innovation Centers, to unpack the key findings from Accenture’s 25th Tech Vision report and explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping business.

We discuss how AI is moving beyond automation to become a true collaborator in the enterprise. From generative design to intelligent agents and robotics, Mary explains how technology is evolving from instruction-led tools to systems that understand intent and adapt in real time.

Topics we cover include:

• Why trust is the foundation for AI adoption and how to build it rationally and emotionally
• How organizations can inject personality into AI to avoid sounding the same as everyone else
• The concept of cognitive digital brains and how multi-agent systems are transforming operations
• How robotics are becoming more flexible and applicable across logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare
• The importance of experimentation, upskilling, and making employees part of the AI journey
• How to measure AI success using adoption, engagement, customer satisfaction, and ethical alignment

Mary also shares how Accenture is helping clients bring these ideas to life through its innovation centers and how leaders can start turning AI into meaningful impact.

If your organization is thinking seriously about how to scale AI, build trust, and stay competitive in an increasingly autonomous world, this episode offers a practical, research-backed roadmap to help guide your next steps.

Is your business ready to treat AI as a partner rather than just a tool? Let’s find out.

In this episode of Consulting the Future, we explore how Generative AI is quietly reshaping the consulting profession, not through bold predictions, but through real-world experimentation and measurable outcomes.

Recorded as part of the Tech Talks Network, this conversation features Vladimir "Vlad" Lukic from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who unpacks findings from a major research collaboration between BCG, Boston University, and OpenAI’s Economic Impacts team. The study set out to measure how GenAI tools like Enterprise ChatGPT with Advanced Data Analysis perform in the hands of consultants tasked with complex data science assignments.

What they found is already shifting how professional services firms think about productivity, talent, and technical capability. Vlad explains how BCG consultants with no prior coding experience were able to complete predictive modeling and statistical analysis tasks at 86 percent of the performance benchmark set by experienced data scientists, and even did so 10 percent faster on average. But the implications go far beyond speed.

We discuss what happens when AI becomes an exoskeleton for knowledge workers, why over-reliance on tools can create new learning gaps, and how firms can design workflows that balance automation with skill retention. Vlad shares how GenAI is being used at BCG to transform onboarding, speed up ideation, and even shift the number of hires needed on high-volume projects.

This is not about replacing consultants. It’s about enhancing their capabilities and rethinking how expertise is developed and deployed. Vlad also touches on how these insights extend beyond the office, from helping his kids understand entrepreneurship to reimagining family travel planning through AI-assisted decisions.

Whether you're leading a consulting practice, working in enterprise transformation, or simply looking for a grounded understanding of how GenAI is being applied today, this episode offers a candid look inside a firm that is already putting it to work.

What will GenAI change in your workflow? And how are you preparing your teams to not just use these tools, but think with them?

Join the conversation and let us know what the future of consulting means to you.