Matthew Duncan is the Head of Future of Work & AI Thought Leadership at Microsoft, where he helps organizations understand how AI is reshaping work, leadership, and organizational design. In this episode, Matthew explains what it means to build a frontier firm that is human led and agent operated.

He shares why intelligence is becoming an on demand resource, how agents are changing the role of managers and early career talent, and why simply adding AI tools is not enough. The conversation also explores the mindset shifts leaders must make, what holds organizations back from adoption, and why this moment represents a major opportunity for those willing to rethink how work gets done.

Links

• Matthew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewloysduncan/
• Microsoft WorkLab: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/

Dominik Rus is the Global Head of Learning and Development Innovation and Technology at TTEC, where he sits at the intersection of learning science, AI, and business performance. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Dominik shares how his team approaches learning innovation with a clear philosophy of science first, AI second.

He explains why scaling bad learning with new technology creates more problems than it solves, and how TTEC is using evidence based design, AI enabled practice, and agent driven tools to improve real world performance. The conversation also explores how learning roles are changing, what skills based and adaptive learning really mean, and what L&D leaders need to rethink as AI reshapes how work and learning get done.

Links

• Dominik’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikrus/
• TTEC Case Study: https://writer.com/blog/ttec-customer-story/
• Article on TTEC’s Learning Wizards: https://writer.com/blog/ttec-customer-story/
• Dominik’s Paper on Science First, AI Second: https://leonardo.institute/SPARK/September2025/
• Dominik’s Blog on AI and Learning Design: https://www.ttec.com/author/dominik-rus-global-head-learning-science-innovation-and-technology

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea shares practical guidance for leaders who are navigating constant, overlapping change. Drawing from his work with organizations, conversations with podcast guests, and real world experience, Al breaks down why change feels so difficult at work and what leaders often miss about the human side of it. He explores common reactions to change, including fear, loss of control, and identity threats, and offers five pragmatic practices leaders can use to drive meaningful progress.

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/