What happens when America's bluntest business voice meets its sharpest industry analyst?  In this unfiltered and high-voltage conversation, HFS CEO Phil Fersht sits down with NYU Professor, best-selling author, and media provocateur Scott Galloway (aka Prof G). Together, they pull no punches unpacking the anxiety and opportunity in today's America—from broken capitalism and boomer-fueled burnout to the tech monopolies shaping our mental health and democracy.  Scott dishes out straight talk on generational rage, the illusion of innovation, and why young Americans are rightly pissed. But he's not all gloom—he's got a battle plan to rebuild the country through real reform, national service, and making masculinity cool again.  This one isn't for the faint of heart. It's for those who want to understand where America is heading—and how to help steer it.  What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  * Why young people feel cheated—and what's fueling their disillusionment  * Scott's take on Big Tech's grip on democracy and mental health  * Why national service and shared sacrifice might save the country  * How business leaders must adapt to a broken trust economy  * Phil and Scott's honest dialogue on capitalism, masculinity, and what comes next  Guest Snapshots Scott Galloway, also known as Prof G, is a professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcast host, and fierce advocate for economic reform. Known for his razor-sharp commentary on tech, business, and society, he's built a loyal following of professionals seeking unfiltered insight and big-picture truth. He's the author of Adrift, The Four, and The Algebra of Happiness, and regularly challenges the status quo across media and academia.  Timestamps  00:00 – Intro and Welcome 01:15 – Why young Americans are mad (and should be) 03:40 – The rise of rage in Gen Z and millennials 07:20 – Tech's failure to fix what matters 10:35 – Why the American Dream feels dead (and how to revive it) 13:50 – National service, masculinity, and purpose 17:15 – Can capitalism be reformed or is it broken? 20:05 – What the US election might mean for the future 23:10 – The Boomer problem and building generational empathy 26:30 – Realistic hope: what we can do next  Explore More  * Scott Galloway on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profgalloway/  * The Prof G Pod: https://profgmedia.com/podcast/  * The Prof G Website: https://profgmedia.com/  * Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philfersht/  * More from HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com

How do you drive transformation when every global signal is flashing red, yellow... and green? In this episode of From the Horse's Mouth, Phil Fersht sits down with Manish Sharma, CEO of  Accenture's North America business, to talk about navigating talent, geopolitics, trust, and transformation in an age of relentless change. They delve into the "rebalancing" of globalization, exploring how the future of service delivery is shifting, why AI maturity is about people, not just technology, and what global business leaders are still getting wrong about partnerships and accountability. What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes • How "re-globalization" is reshaping service delivery • Why automation alone isn't enough • What boards really want from providers today • The shift from cost to value: New KPIs for transformation • The talent mindset needed for the AI-first world • How Accenture is approaching trust, transformation, and partnerships Guest Snapshots Manish Sharma is the CEO of North America at Accenture, leading the firm's largest market. Formerly Accenture's Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Executive of Operations, Manish has been instrumental in evolving the global services landscape—from pioneering intelligent operations to advocating for borderless talent.  His leadership spans transformation at scale, digital reinvention, and deeply human leadership. Recognized as one of the top thinkers in global services and operations, Manish blends global delivery expertise with a sharp lens on what's next. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro and welcome 02:05 – From India to North America: Manish's journey and leadership lens 05:10 – The new rules of globalization: Borders, supply chains, and trust 08:40 – Are delivery centers obsolete? Manish on the future of service delivery 11:00 – Why AI maturity isn't just about tech—it's about people readiness 13:45 – Rethinking partnerships: From FTEs to outcomes 16:20 – The boardroom's new obsession: How to turn insights into execution 20:00 – Manish's challenge to the industry: "Don't just automate. Re-imagine." 23:30 – Lightning round: What's next for services, skills, and leadership 26:00 – Wrap-up Explore More • Manish Sharma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manish-sharma-bbb1a1 • Accenture North America: https://www.accenture.com/us-en • Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/ • More insights from HFS: https://www.hfsresearch.com/

Global alliances are shifting. Tech stacks are splitting. And social media is reshaping democracy in real time. In this electrifying episode, Fareed Zakaria, a renowned journalist, CNN host, and global affairs analyst, joins Phil Fersht to unpack the messy intersection of politics, AI, and power.   What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  * Why Fareed says global allies are hedging their bets on America  * The new Cold War over tech stacks: Chinese vs. non-Chinese  * Social media's algorithmic grip on democracy  * Are we facing the systemic breakdown of compromise?  * Why the next election might hinge on a TikTok  * Urban America's affordability crisis: housing, healthcare, education  * What Gen Z's radical turn means for politics  * How Fareed is fighting back against digital distraction (spoiler: karaoke is involved)   Guest Snapshot  Fareed Zakaria is a globally recognized journalist, author, and host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS [https://www.cnn.com/shows/fareed-zakaria-gps]. Known for his razor-sharp commentary on international affairs, economic policy, and technology, Fareed has been a leading voice on globalization, democracy, and disruption for decades. His work appears in The Washington Post, CNN, and bestselling books like The Post-American World [https://www.amazon.com/Post-American-World-Fareed-Zakaria/dp/039306235X] and Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World [https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Post-Pandemic-World-Fareed-Zakaria/dp/0393542130].    Timestamps  00:00 – Welcome and Introduction   00:36 – Global Alliances Are Fraying   02:41 – The Bipolar Tech Stack: US vs. China   04:42 – Nvidia, Intel, and Chips in Geopolitics   06:44 – Democracy, AI, and the Social Media Machine   09:45 – Charlie Kirk, Virality, and Political Radicalization   13:05 – The Power (and Danger) of Algorithms   15:40 – Is the American Dream Still Alive?   18:30 – The Urban Crisis of Affordability   20:22 – Why Gen Z is Embracing Radical Ideas   21:59 – How social media is Rewiring Our Brains   24:20 – Deep Work, Human Connection, and Staying Sane   26:30 – Fareed's Final Reflection   Explore More  * Fareed Zakaria on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed-zakaria-7098ba24b] * Phil Fersht on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/] * More from HFS [https://www.hfsresearch.com/] Related Episodes:  * Pascal Bornet: Lead with Agentic AI — or Risk Being Replaced [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijJqId6UoqQ] * May Habib: Why Agentic AI Needs Guts, Grit - and the Human Touch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v9C3t7Z5LE]

Ron Walker, Head of Global Managed Services at KPMG, sits down with Phil Fersht to unpack how AI is reshaping services—and why enterprise leaders can't afford to wait.   They explore the "Kodak moment" facing traditional tech firms, the critical shift from vendor to value partner, and why platform-enabled services are rewriting the outsourcing playbook. This is not your typical vendor chat—Ron gets candid about contracts, cost pressures, talent strategy, and the rise of agentic delivery models.  If you've ever asked, "Where is this all going?" — this episode answers it.  What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  • Why AI is forcing enterprises to rethink their entire services stack  • How geopolitical volatility is accelerating automation investments  • The rise of agentic delivery—and what it means for your contracts  • Why smart, curious generalists will define the next wave of talent  • The one thing every enterprise must do right now  Guest Snapshots  Ron Walker is the Global Head of Managed Services at KPMG, where he leads the firm's vision for reinventing managed services in the AI era. With deep roots in consulting, outsourcing, and global transformation, Ron is at the forefront of building outcome-based delivery models that blend human expertise with intelligent automation.  A trusted advisor to Fortune 1000 enterprises, Ron is passionate about aligning tech, talent, and trust to meet the demands of a volatile, high-speed digital economy.  Timestamps  00:00 – Welcome and Backstory  01:05 – How Trade Volatility Is Reshaping Global Services  02:50 – 83% of Enterprises Are Accelerating AI—What That Really Means  05:16 – From Talent at Scale to AI at Scale  07:30 – Machines Now Outperform Humans—Where Does That Leave Us?  08:52 – Reinventing Contracts for an Agentic Future  10:40 – The New Economics of Outsourcing  12:33 – Why Service Providers Must Become Educators  14:57 – KPMG's Hybrid Model: Productization + Partnership  16:40 – Redefining Talent for a Platform-Enabled World  19:03 – Vibe Coding, Agentic AI, and the Next Phase of Work  22:40 – Ron's One Piece of Advice for Enterprise Leaders  24:13 – Will We See a New Wave of Transformational Outsourcing?  25:32 – The Big Four + Scalers: Why Collaboration Is Key  Explore More • Ron Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronwalkerkpmg/ • KPMG's AI Thought Leadership: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights.html • Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/ • More from HFS on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com/

When you spin out of one of the world's largest agribusiness supply chains with the ambition to reimagine enterprise services, people take notice. In this episode, Suresh Sundararajan, CEO and Co-Founder of Mindsprint, joins HFS CEO Phil Fersht to unpack what it really means to be an AI-first services firm, and how legacy becomes leverage when you're bold enough to build. From training 3,000+ employees on AI tools to launching outcome-based pricing models for P2P and procurement, Suresh shares his honest view on tech disruption, change management, and why the small and agile are beating the big and slow. What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes • The birth of Mindsprint from agribusiness giant Olam • What being "AI-first" means inside and out • Scaling AI adoption across a 3,200-person workforce • Why change management—not tech—is the bottleneck • How outcome-based pricing is disrupting traditional service models • Why smaller firms are thriving in the new enterprise tech landscape • Suresh's personal mission to lead by doing—and upskill everyone Guest Snapshots Suresh is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mindsprint, a next-gen tech services firm born out of Olam Group—one of the world's largest agri-business supply chains. With over 30 years at Olam, Suresh brings a rare combination of operational depth, strategic foresight, and entrepreneurial grit. He's on a mission to prove that smaller, sharper firms like Mindsprint can move faster, lead AI transformation, and offer differentiated services at scale—all while being deeply human-centered in execution. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and origins of Mindsprint   01:15 – Spinning out of Olam: The backstory   03:29 – Why Mindsprint chose independence over division   06:57 – What it *really* means to be AI-first   08:57 – How Suresh trained 95% of employees on AI   09:42 – The reality of change management   12:29 – What happens when AI frees up time?   14:42 – How jobs and skillsets are evolving   17:02 – Adding 45 new logos in 18 months   19:40 – From FTEs to outcome-based pricing   21:58 – Selling services like software   24:49 – Global expansion and unexpected growth in APAC   27:00 – Advice for tech and non-tech leaders on AI transformation   30:13 – The productivity + innovation equation   31:44 – Wrap-up and parting thoughts  Explore More • Mindsprint: https://www.Mindsprint.org • Suresh Sundararajan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sureshsundararajan • Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht • HFS Research on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Are we stuck iterating when we should be innovating?   Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, joins Phil Fersht on From the Horses' Mouth to unpack the AI paradox. Why is AI maturity declining even as capabilities explode? The answer lies in mindset—not models.    Brian argues that leaders must stop using AI to simply optimize yesterday's processes and start reimagining what's newly possible. It's not just about doing things faster—it's about doing entirely new things.    What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes   - Why AI maturity actually dropped in 2024—and what it signals   - The difference between iteration and innovation in the age of AI   - Why rethinking jobs and workflows is now mission-critical   - How leadership must evolve from cost control to possibility design   - What it means to become an "AI-native" organization  - Why the pressure to change needs to feel urgent—but be inspiring    Guest Snapshots Brian Solis is the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, where he leads a worldwide network of futurists and innovation officers focused on helping enterprises navigate disruption with clarity and purpose. A world-renowned digital anthropologist, Brian has published nine bestselling books and over 60 influential research reports on innovation, transformation, and emerging technologies. He's been featured in HBR, Fast Company, CIO, and Forbes—and is consistently ranked among the top global voices in business innovation.    Timestamps   00:00 – Welcome & Brian's Background     01:30 – From Disruptive Tech to Enterprise Innovation     03:25 – Brian's First Generative AI Encounter     05:00 – Building the AI Maturity Model at ServiceNow 06:40 – Why AI Maturity Scores Are Falling 07:50 – From Quick Wins to Business Transformation 09:35 – Connecting Silos with AI (Not Just Automating) 11:00 – Reimagining Work, Not Replacing It 13:20 – Helping Employees Become AI-Native 15:20 – Leadership's Role in Inspiring AI-Driven Change 18:10 – Linear vs. Exponential Thinking 20:30 – Free Time, Dark Leisure & Organizational Curiosity 22:20 – Why Most Companies Still Think Like It's Web 1.0 24:45 – Iteration ≠ Innovation     26:50 – AI as an Extension of Human Creativity     28:10 – Who Will Win: Services or Software?     30:15 – Cost Center or Growth Engine? You Decide     34:00 – Sign Off & Canine-Approved Conclusion       Explore More   • Brian Solis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansolis/   • Brian's Latest Book: https://www.briansolis.com/books/   • ServiceNow AI Index Report: https://www.servicenow.com   • Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/   • More from HFS on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Are we outsourcing too much of our thinking to AI?   In this thought-provoking episode, Phil Fersht sits down with HFS's own Dana Daher, a trained anthropologist and research leader, to talk about how GenAI is subtly reshaping how we think, work, and show up.  Dana explores the idea of cognitive erosion—what happens when we rely so heavily on GenAI that we stop building our own creative, critical, and strategic muscles. She explains why this matters now, especially for the next generation of workers, and how leaders can protect what makes us uniquely human.  This isn't about resisting technology—it's about learning how to use it without losing ourselves.   What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  1. The concept of cognitive erosion—and how it's different from burnout  2. Why younger employees may miss critical thinking milestones if they over-rely on GenAI  3. How "co-creating with machines" can end up making everything sound the same  4. The importance of cognitive resilience as a leadership capability  5. The risk of workplace homogeneity in a world of AI-written everything  6. How to balance efficiency with authenticity in the age of digital assistants   Guest Snapshots  Dana Daher is Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, where she blends her background in anthropology and IT to lead research across employee experience, agentic AI, DEI, and sustainability. Before HFS, she held leadership roles at Unisys and Info-Tech Research Group, helping public and private sector clients shape their digital transformation journeys. Dana holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Anthropology from University College London, bringing a deeply human lens to technology's impact on business and society.  Timestamps  00:00 – Welcome: Dana Daher and the Anthropology of Enterprise  02:54 – What Anthropology Teaches Us About Tech Culture  06:04 – What Is Cognitive Erosion and Why It Matters  07:48 – Three Waves of Cognitive Offloading: From Google to GenAI  09:16 – How AI Affects Judgment, Creativity, and Critical Thinking  12:04 – Offloading Opinions vs. Gaining Insight: The Thin Line  13:27 – AI's Role in Creating a Sea of Generic Content  16:17 – Teaching Cognitive Resilience in the AI Era  18:07 – The Next Workforce Crisis: When Juniors Are Skipped for AI  21:03 – Is the Soul of the Workplace at Risk?  23:09 – Can AI Drive Us Back to Human Connection?  25:30 – Tech Efficiency vs. Human Cost: Finding Balance  26:52 – Closing Thoughts: Retaining Originality in a Machine World  Explore More 🌐Dana's Research on Cognitive Erosion: https://www.hfsresearch.com/analyst/dana-daher 🌐Learn more about Agentic AI at HFS: https://www.hfsresearch.com  🔗 Follow Dana Daher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-daher/  🔗 Follow Phil Fersht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

We don't need more dashboards—we need more listening.  In this episode, Phil Fersht sits down with Sandeep Dadlani, the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UnitedHealth Group, to explore what fundamental healthcare transformation looks like in the age of AI.  Sandeep dives into how UnitedHealth is deploying ambient AI and agentic systems to reduce clinical burnout, improve access to care, and, most importantly, bring empathy back into the doctor-patient relationship.  This is AI designed to serve, not replace. And it's already in the hands of thousands of clinicians.  What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  - Why healthcare has a tech problem and a humanity problem  - How ambient listening AI is giving doctors their time—and their focus—back  - What "agentic AI" really means in clinical workflows  - The risks of bad AI and the urgency of building trusted systems  - How to scale AI in ways that respect patients, doctors, and outcomes  Guest Snapshots  Sandeep Dadlani is the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital & Technology Officer at UnitedHealth Group, where he leads the charge in rethinking how one of the world's largest healthcare companies uses technology. With prior roles at Mars and Infosys, Sandeep brings a rare blend of consumer empathy and enterprise tech savvy. His current mission? Use AI to fix the system without losing sight of the people it's meant to serve.  Timestamps  00:00 – Welcome and Introductions  01:20 – Why Healthcare Needs a Reboot  03:48 – What "Frictionless" Really Means in Care  06:35 – Agentic AI: More Than a Buzzword  08:12 – Ambient Listening: Letting Doctors Be Doctors  12:47 – Creating Space for Human Connection  14:40 – Scaling AI to 2,000+ Clinicians  16:22 – Designing Tech That Actually Helps  18:57 – Building for Real People, Not Just Processes  22:10 – Where Healthcare Transformation Goes Next  24:36 – Closing Thoughts: A More Human Future Explore More 🌐 Learn more about UnitedHealth Group: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/  🔗 Follow Sandeep Dadlani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdadlani/  🔗 Follow Phil Fersht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/  🔗 More from HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com

From Recipes to Reasoning: Rethinking Enterprise Orchestration for AI  "We're not futzing around with chatbots anymore. We're bringing AI to the core." — Vijay Tella  In this episode, Vijay Tella joins HFS CEO Phil Fersht to challenge the outdated patterns of enterprise integration. As generative and agentic AI systems demand richer context and execution capability, Vijay explains why orchestration needs a foundational rethink—and what's next for the enterprise stack.  What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes   • Why agentic systems need both rich context and reliable execution   • The mindset shift from "recipe thinking" to goal-based system design   • The rise of enterprise skills as a trust layer for AI   • How to "change the wheels while driving" toward modernization   • Why developers will become essential again—even in a low-code world  Guest Snapshots  Vijay Tella is the CEO and co-founder of Workato, where he pioneered the concept of enterprise orchestration—bringing integration, automation, and AI under one platform. With a background at Oracle and TIBCO, he's spent his career simplifying complexity in enterprise systems. Today, Vijay is focused on enabling agentic AI by building the trusted infrastructure it needs to act, not just advise.  Timestamps  00:00 — Intro: Why Vijay Tella Thinks Integration Needs Reinvention  02:10 — The Origins of Workato & the "Recipe" Approach  05:52 — Are We Solving the Right Problems with GenAI?  08:45 — The Agentic Burn: AI Hype vs. Real Outcomes  10:30 — Recipe Thinking vs. Agentic Thinking  13:47 — Why Enterprises Must Bring All of Themselves to AI  16:16 — Enterprise Skills: The Trusted Execution Layer  20:33 — Workato's New Mission: AI That Can Be Trusted  21:01 — The Hidden Integration Challenge No One Sees Coming  23:23 — How to Modernize and Apply AI in Parallel  25:28 — Why Developers Are About to Get Cool Again  Explore More  🌐 Learn more about Workato: https://www.workato.com/  🔗 Follow Vijay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-tella-1a410a8/  🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

The Agent Economy Is Coming—with Blockchain as Its Backbone. "This is not about crypto hype. It's about solving trillion-dollar problems." — Paul Brody What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes • Why blockchain is thriving quietly—through real enterprise use cases • The new agent-to-agent economy and its AI + blockchain foundation • How stablecoins could collapse cross-border fees and reinvent payroll • Why security and privacy are prerequisites, not roadblocks • The coming shift from demos to delivery in blockchain adoption • Why simplification and use-case storytelling will define what scales Guest Snapshots Paul Brody is EY's Global Blockchain Leader and Chair of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance. From privacy-first payments to agent-integrated supply chains, Brody leads global efforts to evolve blockchain from pilot to production. Joining him is Saurabh Gupta, President at HFS, with over a decade covering blockchain's rise, plateau—and now rebirth. Timestamps 00:00 – Where Is Blockchain Now? 02:16 – From Tech Obsession to Real-World Use Cases 04:18 – Is Blockchain Still Too Secretive? 06:55 – Can Blockchain Solve AI's Security Problem? 08:53 – Agents, Predictive Maintenance & Blockchain Execution 10:34 – What Agent-to-Agent Economies Could Look Like 13:54 – Why Supply Chain Isn't There Yet 15:22 – Blockchain Still Lacks an "Intuitive UX" 17:16 – The Stablecoin Surge & Bipartisan Regulation 20:48 – Streaming Payments and the End of Payday Loans 24:11 – Public vs. Private Blockchains: What Won 26:40 – What's Next for Ethereum, Assets & Smart Contracts   Explore More 🌐 Learn more about EY Blockchain: https://www.ey.com/blockchain 🔗 Follow Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbrody/ 🔗 Follow Saurabh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfssaurabh/ 🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Lead Like You Mean It with Ethan Mollick, Professor at Wharton and Author of Co-Intelligence "You don't need an AI course. You need to get your hands dirty." — Ethan Mollick What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes - Why AI is exposing leadership gaps more than technical ones - How LLMs are reshaping research, training, and decision-making - Why interns and junior roles are being replaced before we're ready - What makes an effective internal AI lab—and why most aren't - How AI's personality could become a competitive differentiator - Why CEOs must experiment with the tools to lead with credibility Guest Snapshot Ethan Mollick is a professor at the Wharton School and author of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. Through his blog One Useful Thing, he helps organizations and individuals make sense of the generative AI wave. In this episode, Mollick shares how AI is challenging everything—from how we lead to how we learn—and why the best leaders are the ones who are hands-on.  Timestamps:  00:00 – Ethan's Otter Test and the AI Acceleration Curve  01:33 – Rethinking Research, Workflows & Analyst Roles  04:53 – Apprenticeships Are Broken. Now What?  06:30 – AI Is a Leadership Problem  08:22 – Building an Internal AI Lab That Works  10:41 – Why "Perfect Data" Is a Red Herring  14:08 – How to Prep LLMs with the Right Prompts  16:09 – AI Personalities and the Next Differentiator  18:50 – The CEO's 5-Minute AI Briefing  22:02 – No One Has the Answers—But You Still Have to Lead  24:22 – Can Google Win?  What Comes Next in the LLM Race Explore More  📘 Co-Intelligence: https://amzn.to/3Yk0QYQ  📰 One Useful Thing: https://www.oneusefulthing.org  🔗 Follow Ethan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanmollick/  🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Rewrite the Rules or Be Left Behind  with May Habib, CEO & Co-founder of Writer  "This is GenAI's COVID moment—don't waste the crisis." — May Habib  What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes  • Why enterprises are still miles away from building real agentic systems  • How Writer's Palmyra X5 enables self-evolving AI agents with memory  • What smaller firms can teach enterprise giants about speed and scrappiness  • The new formula for promotions in the age of automation  • Why "loving tech and loving people" is the ultimate success metric  Guest Snapshot  May Habib is the co-founder and CEO of Writer, an enterprise-grade LLM platform focused on AI agents that work. From translation tech to leading-edge self-evolving models, Writer's Palmyra models power agentic AI for the world's top brands—from Salesforce to Spotify. Habib shares how her early work in machine translation shaped Writer's agent-first architecture and why the next leap in generative AI isn't technical—it's cultural.  Timestamps:   00:00 – What Sets Writer Apart   02:35 – From NLP Roots to Real-World Agents   04:35 – Why Now: AI Urgency & Enterprise Inertia   07:45 – Enterprise Adoption: Challenges & Gaps   10:31 – Agentic AI in Action (Mars, Prudential, Salesforce)   14:27 – The Rise of Digital Personas & AI-Augmented Work   18:59 – Redefining Leadership & Recognition in the AI Era   22:00 – Scaling Up: Funding, Talent & What's Ahead   27:16 – Culture, Grit & Staying Close to the Customer  Learn more about Writer: https://writer.com  Follow May Habib: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayhabib  Follow Phil Fersht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht Loved the conversation? Follow, rate ★★★★★ & review From the Horse's Mouth to keep bold, practical AI insights flowing to your feed.

Hands-On Leadership in the Age of AI with Pascal Bornet, author of Agentic Artificial Intelligence "If your C-suite isn't using large-language models to make decisions, you're already behind." — Pascal Bornet What You'll Hear in 30 Minutes • Three competencies every leader needs now – AI-readiness, change-readiness, and uniquely human skills • Why 15–20 % "experiment time" should be baked into every employee's week • How AI agents fuse LLM context with automation action—and what that means for ROI • Taming "AI overwhelm" and choosing the right pilots • Pascal's journey from McKinsey & EY to 2 M+ social followers and a #1 Amazon AI bestseller Guest Snapshot Pascal Bornet is a former McKinsey and EY partner who built both firms' intelligent-automation practices. His newest book, Agentic Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing AI Agents to Reinvent Business, Work and Life (co-authored with Jochen Wirtz, Thomas H. Davenport, Phil Fersht, David De Cremer & others), explores how agentic systems bridge the gap between powerful language models and real-world business automation. The title currently ranks at #1 in Amazon's Robotics category and top-10 in AI & Semantics. Timestamps 00:00 — Intro & Pascal's origin story 02:48 — "Tech is nothing without people" 04:50 — The three future-proof competencies 15:25 — Why CEOs must fund a culture of experimentation 21:58 — Large-language models in the C-suite 28:55 — Agentic AI: the convergence of LLMs + automation 30:40 — Closing & next-step resources Resources & Links Book – Agentic Artificial Intelligence → https://a.co/d/9DD7S23 Follow Pascal on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalbornet/ Follow Phil on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/ Loved the conversation? Follow, rate ★★★★★ & review From the Horse's Mouth to keep bold, practical AI insights flowing to your feed.

Redesign Your Operating Model — Before AI Redesigns You with Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient and author of Digital Business Transformation "What you don't want is faster caterpillars; you want real butterflies." — Nigel Vaz What You'll Hear in 35 Minutes - Why AI is a chain of "sequential watershed moments," not a single leap - The S-P-E-E-D framework (Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, Data & AI) behind Publicis Sapient's transformations - Tackling the $1.5 – $2 trillion technical-debt mountain and flipping the 80/20 "run vs. change" budget - How Slingshot and Bodhi bring agentic AI + industry patterns into the SDLC to kill "spaghetti code" - Moving from "tools" to a digital-workforce mindset (Iron-Man-in-the-suit analogy) - Culture shift: learn → unlearn → relearn as an executive super-skill Guest Snapshot Nigel Vaz has spent 25 years at Publicis Sapient and became global CEO in 2019. His best-selling book, Digital Business Transformation: How Established Companies Sustain Competitive Advantage, introduces the SPEED model that Fortune 200 leaders still use to frame end-to-end digital change. Vaz now spearheads the firm's agentic-AI platforms Bodhi and Slingshot, aimed at collapsing delivery cycles and slashing tech debt for Global 2000 clients. Timestamps 00:00 — Origins: from early internet banking to CEO 03:30 — "Sequential watershed moments" & the post-Turing era 06:11 — Technical debt: why $2 T blocks innovation 11:00 — Fear vs. action: only 15% of firms truly embracing AI 14:45 — Inside Slingshot: combine-harvester for the SDLC 20:45 — Services-as-software: blending people, products, outcomes 24:55 — Operating-model redesign & the Iron-Man analogy 29:15 — Governance moves from review boards to real-time guardrails 34:30 — Closing thoughts: learning > knowing in an agentic world Resources & Links Book – Digital Business Transformation → https://www.publicissapient.com/insights/dbt-book-preview Sapient Slingshot overview → https://www.publicissapient.com/solutions/sapient-ai/sapient-slingshot Bodhi agentic platform → https://www.publicissapient.com/solutions/bodhi Follow Nigel on LinkedIn → https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nvaz Follow Phil on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/ Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate ★★★★★ & review From the Horse's Mouth so we can keep the bold, practical AI-transformation talk coming to your feed.

Inflection AI's CEO, Sean White, takes us behind the scenes to explore why trust is the cornerstone of the AI revolution. With boardrooms and tech leaders demanding an "AI-first" strategy, he reveals how building human-centered, conversational systems isn't just about technology - it's about forging genuine trust and empowering people. Drawing parallels to the transformative shifts of the 90s and the rapid innovations seen today, he explains how agentic systems and AI-driven insights are reshaping everything from customer service to enterprise data analysis.

In this conversation, Phil Fersht and Todd Lohr discuss the evolving landscape of technology consulting, particularly in the context of AI and ecosystems. Todd shares insights on KPMG's strategic shift towards ecosystem partnerships, the impact of AI on business models, and the importance of addressing workforce concerns amidst technological advancements. They explore the future of services, the trend towards onshoring, and the necessity for enterprises to adopt intentional ecosystem strategies to navigate the complexities of the modern business environment.

In this intrepid conversation, Phil Fersht and Kathryn Stein discuss the evolving landscape of customer experience, the impact of AI on service delivery, and the cultural challenges faced in the workplace. Kathryn shares her insights from her career journey, emphasizing the importance of driving change within enterprises and the need for a strategic shift towards a more integrated approach to operations. They explore the future of work, the role of technology, and the necessity of adapting education to meet the demands of a changing job market.

In this compelling conversation, host Phil Fersht speaks with Jason Averbook—renowned HR leader and Senior Partner at Mercer—about the seismic changes reshaping the modern workforce. They explore the looming "humanistic recession" driven by AI, and how leaders must shift from "change management" to "change leadership." Averbook warns that organizations failing to integrate human and machine teaming risk irrelevance, stressing that HR must move beyond counting heads to making heads truly count.

In this Season 2 Bonus Episode of From the Horse's Mouth, host Phil Fersht sits down with HFS President of Research and Advisory Services Saurabh Gupta for an in-depth discussion on the state of the services industry and the forces shaping its future. Reflecting on 2024's economic turbulence, they explore the dual pressures of innovation demand and constrained budgets, as well as the evolving role of global capability centers and emerging technologies like blockchain and AI. Gupta emphasizes the industry's need to shift from traditional people management to building competencies in product and ecosystem management to stay competitive. The episode serves as a thought-provoking analysis of how the services industry can adapt to a rapidly changing world, offering insights for 2025 and beyond.

In the second episode of Season 2, Phil Fersht is joined by Nitin Rakesh, CEO of Mphasis, for an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of the IT services industry in the age of AI and digital transformation. Drawing from his 30 years of experience, Rakesh highlights the critical inflection points shaping the sector, from the rise of cloud and mobile to the current AI-driven revolution. The conversation explores the challenges of adapting to rapidly shifting client demands, the growing importance of hybrid human-machine workforces, and the necessity for companies to invest in learning, innovation, and talent evolution to remain competitive. With insights on industry disruption, the future of talent, and the delicate balance between automation and human ingenuity, this episode offers a visionary perspective on the opportunities and challenges shaping the next decade of technology services.