Podcasts about Accenture

Dr. Adina Nichols of Uber joins the Inclusive Collective duo to reflect on the positive impact of AI on learning and development, how managers can create space for learning, and shares practical tips on driving behavior change. Nadia and Rob also discuss child care initiatives in Vermont and Accenture's push to monitor AI use as a key factor in granting promotions. All that and rants and raves!Mentioned in this episode:https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000010708448/vermont-affordable-childcare-act-76.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/accenture/2026/feb/19/accenture-links-staff-promotions-to-use-of-ai-tools?utm_source=chatgpt.comConnect with us: Visit www.nazconsultants.com to learn more about Dr. Nadia Butt's work in leadership, culture, and organizational effectiveness, and check out http://www.tekanoconsulting.com/ to explore Rob Hadley's approach to data-driven inclusive strategy. Connect with Dr. Adina Nichols: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adina-nichols-edd-94163420/Send us your thoughts or topic ideas at inclusivecollectivepodcast@gmail.comFollow Inclusive Collective LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/inclusivecollective/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inclusivecollectivepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inclusivecollectivepodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InclusiveCollective/ Connect with Nadia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadianazbutt/ Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hadley-utah/

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send a textIn this episode, Andy Davis is joined by co-host Pieter Schaap, Director at Soben (Part of Accenture) to discuss the fact that with RFS timelines shrinking to 12-14 months from construction start, the data centre industry is operating at unprecedented speed.  But where are the real bottlenecks?  Joining the discussion:  Miriam van Kooperen, GreenScale Luc Spin, Unica Datacenters Together, they explore supply chain constraints, power and infrastructure pressures, and the creative strategies emerging to meet aggressive timelines.  Recorded live at Kickstart Europe 2026  Topics: The impact of supply chain bottlenecks on data center project timelines Strategies for building effective supplier partnerships amid uncertainty The role of standardization versus customization in hardware procurement Modularization as a solution for accelerating delivery and reducing risks The influence of sustainability and innovation on procurement decisions How market dynamics have shifted from buyer's market to high-demand environment The importance of transparency, collaboration, and early planning in project success Quick-fire insights: procurement approaches, balancing deadlines and budgets, and industry collaborations https://sobencc.com/ https://greenscaledc.com/ https://www.unica.nl/expertises/datacenters    Support the showThe Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies. To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

In this Secur(IT) episode, host Philip de Souza talks with George Tsantes, Partner at Newport LLC, former Accenture partner, EY principal, and co‑author of Cyber Attacks: Managing the Risk and Results. They explore how boardscan turn cybersecurity into business strategy by prioritizing vigilance over pure prevention, protecting the “crown jewels,” and using business metrics instead of vanity dashboards. The conversation also covers AI‑driven threats, third‑party and “meta‑enterprise” exposure, incident readiness, and how CISOs can “prove cybersecurity” in clear board language

Plus: Mistral AI lands tech consulting group Accenture as latest big client. And Stellantis targets return to profit after scaling back costly EV investments. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're talking to Jelena Radonjic, an award-winning career and leadership coach, who has coached 350+ clients worldwide, empowering them to thrive in the careers they love. With 25+ years in global recruitment and business education management, including MBA and EMBA careers, Jelena works with senior and mid-career professionals helping them achieve an average of 38% annual compensation increase, in in addition to career alignment and fulfillment. Through her powerful blend of career, business and leadership coaching coupled with transformational coaching, Jelena has elevated careers of global talent from Amazon, Uber, eBay, Siemens, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, BP, AstraZeneca, Diageo, Vodafone, Accenture, Deutsche Bank, GSK, The Cabinet Office, and many others.A CTI qualified coach, Jelena has worked with thought leaders such as Deepak Chopra and John Demartini, she is a Forbes Coaches Council member, speaker, and author. Having lived and worked in 3 countries, including Japan, she is multilingual and culturally sensitive. She is passionate about the Future of Work, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and partners with individuals and organisations to create improved work life outcomes.Connect with Jelena:www.whatwork.co.uk  Jelena & What Work Career Coaching https://whatwork.co.uk/career-fitness-quiz/  Career Fitness Quiz - get a personalised report on the level of your Career Fitness!https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelena-radonjic-careerandleadership-coach/  Follow Jelena on LinkedIn to gain unique insights into the world of careers, and subscribe to her Career Growth Lane newsletter on LinkedinWhat resonated most with you?DM me on IG www.instagram.com/liveintechnicolor_If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and leave a review! Remember - you're amazing and thank you for being here!Love, BaibaSupport the show

My main takeawaysMain TakeawaysThe "Stargate" Collapse: The $500 billion partnership between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle is being labeled "vaporware." Reports suggest the deal is in shambles due to internal power struggles and a lack of actual liquidity, with SoftBank allegedly scrambling for 90% debt financing.Market Volatility vs. Reality: There is a disconnect between market reactions and product performance. While Anthropic's claim that Claude can streamline COBOL code caused IBM's stock to drop 10%, critics argue the public is still in a "demo phase" of awe and hasn't realized the tech often fails to work as advertised.Reliability Concerns: High-profile failures are surfacing, such as Claude reportedly deleting a Meta researcher's entire Gmail history. This raises alarms as these same models are being positioned to manage critical infrastructure like banking and the IRS.Corporate Espionage: Anthropic has reported "industrial-scale distillation attacks" from Chinese labs (DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, MiniMax), claiming they used over 24,000 fraudulent accounts to "siphon" Claude's capabilities to train their own models.The "Theranos" Comparison: Critics are drawing parallels between current AI labs and failed startups like Theranos, arguing that the goal of reaching AGI via Large Language Models may be technically impossible, creating a "feedback loop delusion" to sustain venture capital investment.Strategic Shifts: OpenAI is pivoting toward traditional consulting giants (McKinsey, Accenture) to integrate its tech, while the community continues to debate the technical distinctions between generative AI and autonomous agents.@XFreeze@MrEwanMorrison@sterlingcrispin@dwlz

In this episode, part of a special collaboration between ACM ByteCast and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)'s For Your Informatics podcast, Sabrina Hsieh and Li Zhou host AI safety and ethics expert Ray Eitel-Porter, Luminary and Senior Advisor for AI at Accenture and an Intellectual Forum Senior Research Associate at Jesuit College, the University of Cambridge. Previously, he served as Accenture's Global Responsible AI Lead. Ray is the author of Governing the Machine and sits on several boards and councils advising on data analytics and strategy. In the interview, Ray shares how he was inspired to research responsible AI by data privacy concerns and how biased datasets harm models. He describes his objective as helping people understand the potential risks of emerging technologies in order to confidently use them. He discusses case studies from his book where companies successfully implement responsible AI practices in the workplace, and shares how his framework will be useful even as technologies continue to emerge and change. Finally, Ray offers some advice for younger professionals in AI and medicine.

Recent analysis from Goldman Sachs indicates that $700 billion in AI investment during 2025 resulted in no measurable U.S. GDP growth, with most AI equipment imports negating domestic benefits and 80% of surveyed firms reporting no productivity or employment improvements. This pattern suggests that AI-related spending has primarily shifted margins from enterprise IT budgets to a small number of infrastructure vendors rather than delivering distributed value. Internal concerns are rising, with 90% of IT leaders questioning AI's return on investment, and 80% citing fragmented data as a primary challenge to measuring outcomes. Further context reveals that agentic AI initiatives face operational headwinds: Gartner expects 40% of such projects to be cancelled by 2027, and S&P Global found nearly half are abandoned before production, most often due to inadequate planning and data foundations. Margin erosion is widespread, attributed to AI implementation costs, and attempts to scale AI agents into production remain limited by inference costs and insufficient infrastructure. Despite increased adoption efforts, sustainable value delivery from AI platforms remains elusive for most organizations. Enterprise AI access is becoming increasingly concentrated. OpenAI's partnership with consulting firms such as BCG, McKinsey, Accenture, and Capgemini consolidates control of the enterprise distribution layer, narrowing competitive opportunities for smaller providers. Meanwhile, Amazon's 13-hour AWS outage, linked to the misconfiguration of an internal AI tool, underscores the liability ambiguity in agentic systems—where vendors may attribute autonomous actions to user error, complicating risk assignment. Additional updates from vendors such as Anthropic, Cloudflare, and New Relic address incremental technical capabilities, with a distinct focus on cost, operational governance, and policy enforcement. The prevailing themes for MSPs and IT leaders are increased scrutiny of AI value, heightened exposure to cost and accountability risk, and the emergence of managed service opportunities around data governance, cost instrumentation, and liability management. With enterprise market channels consolidating and risk shifting toward service providers, integrating robust contractual definitions for autonomy, incident attribution, and financial boundaries is essential to limit harm and clarify responsibility before incidents occur. Four things to know today 00:00 Goldman: $700B AI Spend Delivered Near-Zero U.S. GDP Growth in 2025 03:49 OpenAI Enlists BCG, McKinsey, Accenture to Distribute Enterprise AI Agents 06:44 Report: Amazon's Own Engineers Prefer Claude Over Its Mandated Internal Tools 08:56 AI Inference Costs Are Falling — But Governance Gaps Are Growing This is the Business of Tech.    Supported by: CometBackup  Small Biz Thoughts Community   

What do some of the more surprising stories of scale teach us about implementing the circular economy? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, Fin is joined by Rachel O'Reilly, Global Human Sustainability Design Director at Accenture, to discuss their upcoming report. The report, titled ‘Circularity is Working' provides direction on how to improve the consumer adoption of circularity. From musicians in Liverpool reinvesting savings from second-hand instruments, to informal sharing systems in Hamburg, the conversation explores businesses and communities where circularity is succeeding. Rachel shares insights into the hidden drivers of circularity and explains why they could be the secret to normalising, embedding, and scaling circularity.  If you enjoyed this episode, then please share with your colleagues, or leave us a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. The report will be attached in the show notes upon its release in Spring 2026.

Listen to Full Audio at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-business-and-development-daily-news-rundown/id1684415169?i=1000751248515

In this episode, I sit down with Kenneth Shek from Animoca during Consensus Week in Hong Kong.We talk about what it really takes to drive mass adoption in Web3. Not hype. Not narratives. Real users.Kenneth shares how Moca Network is building the identity layer for the future of programmable money. We go deep into AI-native infrastructure, stablecoins, loyalty systems, and why distribution is the real moat.We also discuss why most Web3 projects struggle with adoption, what Web2 got right, and how AI agents will reshape commerce by 2026.If you care about identity, payments, AI, or building the next killer app in crypto, this episode is for you.Key LearningsKenneth's journey from startups, AI, and Accenture to AnimocaWhy identity is the missing layer for stablecoins and AI agentsWhy blockchain hasn't hit mass adoption yetThe biggest lesson from talking to enterprise customersAIR: Account, Identity, Reputation explainedWhy one-click UX matters more than decentralizationAI agents replacing front-ends and changing product designRegulatory fragmentation and global crypto challengesWhy distribution beats building another “killer app”Stablecoins, RWA, and the future of programmable loansIf starting today: build AI-agent native from day oneHiring engineers, fintech builders & strategic partnersConnect with Mocahttps://moca.network/enhttps://x.com/Moca_Networkhttps://t.me/MocaverseCommunityhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ks20/ DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

La Formule 1 n'est plus seulement un sport.C'est une plateforme mondiale d'influence.1,5 milliard de spectateurs.Des deals à 8 ou 9 chiffres.Des États, des géants de la tech, du luxe et de la finance qui se battent pour exister dans le paddock.Mon invité aujourd'hui est au cœur de cette machine.Samuel Tamba est le fondateur d'Axe-One, un cabinet stratégique qui connecte les grandes marques aux écuries de F1.Ancien de chez LinkedIn et Accenture, il a quitté les cercles corporate pour signer des partenariats internationaux à plusieurs dizaines de millions d'euros.Dans cet épisode, on parle :• De la transformation de la F1 en outil de soft power• Des coulisses des partenariats à 100M€• Pourquoi 80% des marques échouent en F1• Comment entrer dans un écosystème ultra fermé• Et de la pression quand des millions peuvent vous passer sous le nezUn épisode sur le pouvoir, le réseau et… l'audace !Et sur ce que ça demande d'incarner son business.-----Je découvre en ce moment la plateforme IG pour investir en actions & ETF, de façon plus lisible et progressive.→ Découvrir IG : https://www.ig.com/fr?utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=meta&utm_campaign=invest_brand_serial_entrepreneurs Collaboration commerciale avec IG.⚠️ Investir comporte un risque de perte en capital. Ceci n'est pas un conseil en investissement.▬▬ L'INVITÉ : SAMUEL TAMBA ▬▬Ses liens :_ https://axe-one.com/ _ https://www.linkedin.com/company/axe-onegroup/ _ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-tamba/▬▬ SERIAL ENTREPRENEURS ▬▬Animé par François Allet, fondateur du podcast :_ https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoisallet/ _ https://www.instagram.com/fr_ancois/ _ https://linktr.ee/francois_ Retrouvez le podcast :_ https://taap.it/serial Un nouvel épisode à retrouver chaque semaine :- Ici, sur Youtube- Et sur toutes les plateformes audio (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music)Si vous avez apprécié ce contenu, n'hésitez pas à :▬ vous abonner (pour être au courant dès qu'un nouvel épisode sort

In this episode of A Voice and Beyond, we welcome Mónica Esgueva, spiritual guide, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Ascension Institute.Mónica's journey is extraordinary. After successful careers in economics and fashion, she embarked on a decade-long spiritual pilgrimage through India and Nepal, studying closely with Tibetan masters — including the Dalai Lama. Today, she is widely recognised for helping thousands of people deepen self-awareness, overcome emotional blocks, and live consciously aligned lives.We delve into her transformative new book, The 7 Levels of Wisdom, which offers a practical roadmap to spiritual awakening — grounded not in mysticism, but in neuroscience, mindfulness training, and emotional intelligence.In this episode you'll learn:• What wisdom truly means in modern life• How to transition from survival mode to conscious living• Why self-awareness is the foundation of every transformation• Tools for managing emotional pain without suppressing it• How meditation helps calm the mind and strengthen intuition• How to reconnect with purpose — especially during life transitionsMónica has worked with global organisations, including Accenture, Samsung, and Electronic Arts, guiding more than 2,500 executives through mindfulness and emotional mastery programs. She has authored nine books, created transformational retreats, and co-directed spiritual documentaries viewed by more than 1.8 million people.This conversation will leave you grounded, inspired, and deeply connected to the wisdom already alive within you.Find Mónica Here:Website: http://www.monicaesgueva.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgx0Zcwv9kr133GHY71SW2ABook:The 7 Levels of Wisdom: http://www.monicaesgueva.com/books/Find Marisa online: Website: https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmarisaleenaismith/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmarisaleenaismith/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marisa.lee.12 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avoiceandbeyond3519/videos Resources: MLN Coaching Program: https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/mentoring/ Schedule a Free Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/info-56015/discovery Gratitude Journal: https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/product/in-gratitude-my-daily-self-journal/ Download your eBook: Thriving in a Creative Industry: https://drmarisaleenaismith.com/product/ebook-thriving-in-a-creative-industry-dr-marisa-lee-naismith/ Like this episode? Please leave a review here - even ...

In this episode of “People in Transition”, we discuss what really happens inside the hiring process — and how understanding it can help you land your next role faster, smarter, and with far more confidence.My guest is Dan Waskow, founder of OnPoint Job Search Solutions. With more than 20 years as a corporate recruiter for organizations like Dell Technologies, Fidelity Investments, Credit Suisse, Accenture, NASDAQ, and Madison Square Garden, to name a few  — plus over a decade as a job search coach — Dan has seen the hiring process from every angle.He knows exactly what recruiters look for… and why strong candidates often get overlooked.If you've ever wondered:Why you're not hearing backWhy interviews stallOr how to position yourself strategically instead of emotionallyThis conversation is for you.In this episode, we discuss:• Why recruiters don't “connect the dots” for you — and how to clearly translate your background so they instantly see the fit.• The truth about the job market — there's no “good” or “bad” time to search, only busier and slower cycles. The candidates who consistently build relationships always win.• The two pillars of a successful job search: Marketing and Storytelling. Master how you present your value and how you tell your career story, and everything changes.• Resume strategy that actually works. Clean formatting. No colors. No text boxes. No graphics. Make it easy for both humans and systems to read.• How informational interviews and virtual coffee chats create momentum. They're not just conversations — they're relationship builders that open real doors.What an episode. Dan brings clarity, strategy, and straight talk to a process that often feels confusing and frustrating.To learn more about him and his coaching services, visit myjobsearchadvisor.com.

Listen to Full Audio at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-business-and-development-daily-news-rundown-gemini/id1684415169?i=1000750740639

Gemini 3.1 Pro arrives with big benchmark gains and a sharp jump in reasoning, coding, and efficiency—but in a world where the frontier rotates weekly, raw performance isn't the story. This episode looks at what actually matters: cost per task, multimodal dominance, and where Gemini fits in a model portfolio that now demands specialization over supremacy. In the headlines: India's AI Impact Summit and the Altman-Amodei moment, Walmart bets on AI for growth, Amazon tracks employee AI usage, and Accenture ties promotions to adoption. Want to build with OpenClaw?LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAW CAMP: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://campclaw.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠Or for enterprises, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://enterpriseclaw.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠Brought to you by:KPMG – Agentic AI is powering a potential $3 trillion productivity shift, and KPMG's new paper, Agentic AI Untangled, gives leaders a clear framework to decide whether to build, buy, or borrow—download it at www.kpmg.us/NavigateMercury - Modern banking for business and now personal accounts. Learn more at ⁠⁠https://mercury.com/personal-banking⁠⁠Rackspace Technology - Build, test and scale intelligent workloads faster with Rackspace AI Launchpad - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://rackspace.com/ailaunchpad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blitzy - Want to accelerate enterprise software development velocity by 5x? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blitzy.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Optimizely Agents in Action - Join the virtual event (with me!) free March 4 - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.optimizely.com/insights/agents-in-action/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AssemblyAI - The best way to build Voice AI apps - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.assemblyai.com/brief⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LandfallIP - AI to Navigate the Patent Process - https://landfallip.com/Robots & Pencils - Cloud-native AI solutions that power results ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://robotsandpencils.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Agent Readiness Audit from Superintelligent - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://besuper.ai/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to request your company's agent readiness score.The AI Daily Brief helps you understand the most important news and discussions in AI. Subscribe to the podcast version of The AI Daily Brief wherever you listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pod.link/1680633614⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Interested in sponsoring the show? sponsors@aidailybrief.ai

In this episode of the AI Leaders Podcast, Andy Truscott, Global Health Technology Lead at Accenture, is joined by Simon Nazarian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital & Technology Officer at City of Hope, for a deep, provocative conversation on what it really takes to scale AI in complex enterprises, especially in healthcare. Tune in for the full conversation!

Send a textIn this episode, Andy Davis is joined by co-host Pieter Schaap, Director at Soben (Part of Accenture) to explore how European data centre markets are evolving.   Joining the conversation:  JP Anten, Mainova Webhouse Edgar van Essen, Switch Datacenters  Together, they discuss regional differences in market behaviour, evolving approaches to permitting, power and fibre, and how project development dynamics have changed over time.  Recorded live at Kickstart Europe 2026 Key Topics: The future of sustainable data centers, emphasizing green heat reuse and renewable energy sources Challenges and opportunities in expanding data center operations across Europe, especially in Frankfurt and Amsterdam Strategies for talent acquisition, retention, and fostering entrepreneurial culture in a fast-moving industry Impact of geopolitical shifts on sovereign clouds and international data trends Innovative business models like third-party leasing, modular growth, and space-based data centers https://switchdatacenters.com/  https://mainova-webhouse.com/  https://sobencc.com/   Support the showThe Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies. To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

Merz sympathisiert mit einem Social Media Ban für Kinder. Google holt sich mit Gemini 3.1 die Benchmark-Krone zurück. OpenAI raist $100 Mrd. bei bis zu $850 Mrd. Bewertung – Nvidia allein soll $30 Mrd. geben. Das virale Video der Woche: Sam Altman und Dario Amodei verweigern sich beim India AI Summit den Handschlag. Perplexity gibt sein Werbemodell auf und schwenkt auf Enterprise. Klarna verliert 27% nach schwachen Zahlen – die Kreditausfallvorsorge steigt schneller als der Umsatz. Die CFTC versucht, Prediction Markets der Bundesstaaten-Regulierung zu entziehen. Milliardärs-Steuersätze sind ein Problem für die US-Wirtschaft.  Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠doppelgaenger.io/werbung⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Vielen Dank!  Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: (00:00:00) Social Media Ban für Kinder (00:19:45) Apple Event am 4. März: Brille und AirPods mit Kameras (00:25:21) Google Gemini 3.1 und OpenAI $100 Mrd. Runde (00:35:40) India AI Summit: Altman und Amodei verweigern Handschlag (00:51:25) Perplexity gibt Werbemodell auf (00:54:47) Accenture: Keine Beförderung ohne KI (01:59:40) World Labs $1 Mrd. und XAI Saudi-Investment (01:06:27) New York stoppt Robotaxis (01:10:42) CFTC vs. Bundesstaaten: Prediction Markets (01:19:40) X-Algorithmus verschiebt Meinungen nach rechts (01:22:37) Klarna und Figma Earnings (01:32:50) Freedom.gov: US-VPN für Europäer (01:39:20) Zuckerberg vor Gericht: Engagement war nie unser Ziel (01:48:14) Angermeyer | Palantir: DHS-Milliardendeal (01:58:05) WSJ: Milliardäre zahlen zu wenig Steuern Shownotes Garrison Lovely Dario Amodei Podcast - ⁠x.com⁠ Merz riskiert Streit mit Trump über Social-Media-Verbot für Minderjährige - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Apple intensiviert Arbeit an Brille, Anhänger und Kamera-AirPods. - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Apple kündigt überraschend "Special Apple Experience" an. - ⁠heise.de⁠ Google ist wieder führend in KI: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview. - ⁠x.com⁠ OpenAI-Chef: Dringende Regulierung für KI erforderlich - ⁠heise.de⁠ OpenAI-Finanzierung erreicht über $100 Milliarden in aktueller Runde - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Nvidia OpenAI - ⁠ft.com⁠ Sam Altman and Dario Amodei refusing to hold hands - ⁠linkedin.com⁠ OpenAI Has Poached Instagram's Celebrity Whisperer - ⁠vanityfair.com⁠ Perplexity - ⁠ft.com⁠ Accenture - ⁠ft.com⁠ AI Pioneer Fei-Fei Li's Startup World Labs Raises $1 Billion - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Saudi-Arabiens Humain investiert 3 Milliarden in Elon Musks XAI. - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Aktivistischer Investor Palliser Capital schrieb an japanischen Toilettenhersteller Toto. - ⁠x.com⁠ New Yorks Robotaxi-Plan gestoppt - ⁠bloomberg.com⁠ Wir sehen uns vor Gericht - ⁠axios.com⁠ Elizabeth Warren kritisiert Trumps CFTC - ⁠x.com⁠ Gouverneur Cox - ⁠x.com⁠ Meta startet $65 Millionen Wahlkampagne - ⁠nytimes.com⁠ X's Algorithm Pushes Users to Lean More Conservative - ⁠gizmodo.com⁠ Klarna - ⁠ft.com⁠ Klarna-CEO: Belegschaft wird bis 2030 um 1.000 reduziert. - ⁠fastcompany.com⁠ US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere - ⁠reuters.com⁠ Mark Zuckerberg said he reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss ‘wellbeing of teens and kids' - ⁠cnbc.com⁠ Philipp Kloeckner auf X: "Metas Zuckerberg ist voller

February 19, 2026: AI is rapidly becoming a career requirement and the workforce is splitting into those who can adapt and those who get squeezed. In today's episode, I cover 5 stories that reveal what's changing right now: The best AI job risk analysis I've seen: who's exposed, who can adapt, and which roles are most vulnerable Accenture reportedly tying promotions to AI tool adoption—what this signals and why it can backfire Why the "AI will replace you" narrative is dangerous—and how fear distorts leadership decisions Walmart's approach: training 1.6 million workers on AI instead of using AI as a reason to cut headcount Google + Ipsos data: only 5% of workers are AI fluent—and the gap is already linked to raises and promotions I also share the bigger takeaway: the future isn't just "learn AI." It's building adaptive capacity, creating real mobility pathways, and upgrading people at scale while keeping human judgment and accountability at the center. If you lead people, culture, or strategy, this episode will help you see what's happening—and what to do next.

Show Notes: Sarah Pomeranz, founder of Consultants for Impact, provides an overview of the organization. Sarah explains that Consultants for Impact was born out of her own struggle as an early-career consultant at Accenture during the COVID-19 pandemic. She felt a dissonance between the problems she solved at work and broader societal issues, leading her to explore how her skill set could address global challenges like pandemics, climate crises, and democracy preservation. Sarah took a one-year leave of absence from Accenture to explore opportunities for high-impact work and decided to help other consultants build careers in the public interest.  What Consultants for Impact Does The organization offers a peer-to-peer advising approach and matches former corporate consultants with social impact roles. They provide resources like career check-in templates and Career Conversations to help consultants identify their core values and find impactful roles. The process involves self-paced reflection prompts, one-on-one conversations with an advisor, and access to a network of consultants and high-impact organizations. The Advising Process Sarah describes the first step in the process: applying for a Career Conversation on their website. Applicants are matched with advisors, who are all former consultants, and are given curated resources based on their interests and background. The Career Conversation involves reflection prompts on values, problem areas, and previous roles, followed by a one-on-one discussion to address uncertainties and challenges. Participants join the Consultants for Impact community, gaining access to opportunities, events, and resources. Career Guidance for Consultants Sarah explains that the career guidance is personalized, depending on the individual's starting point and career goals. She uses the example of an independent consultant curious about impact to illustrate the process, emphasizing the importance of career as a tool for making the world better. The organization encourages consultants to think critically about where their skills can have the most impact, using the SELF framework (Significance, Efficacy, Leverage, Fit) to evaluate opportunities. The goal is to find roles that offer high impact, credible interventions, and opportunities for outsized effect. Job Search in the Impact Sector Sarah emphasizes the importance of thinking critically about problem areas and interventions, rather than just focusing on personal interests. She discusses the concept of Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) to highlight the importance of choosing roles where you provide more value than the next-best candidate.. The organization encourages consultants to consider unusual organizations and problem areas where their skills can have a significant impact. Roles for Consultants Sarah outlines various roles that consultants can transition into, including entrepreneurship, chief of staff roles, policy positions, product management, and grantmaking. She provides examples of successful transitions and the range of compensation levels, from bare-bones salaries to high six-figure earnings. The discussion includes the trade-offs between income and impact, with Sarah sharing her own experience of sacrificing future income increases for a more meaningful career. The organization helps consultants navigate these trade-offs and find roles that align with their non-negotiable values. Applying to the Impact Sector The conversation turns to preparing resumes and LinkedIn profiles for the impact sector. Sarah advises being thoughtful about solving core problems for resource-constrained clients and avoiding a salesy approach. She emphasizes the importance of demonstrating impact with metrics and specific examples. The organization coaches consultants on how to portray their experience in a way that builds trust and credibility in the impact sector. Building Relationships with NonProfits Sarah discusses how Consultants for Impact has built relationships with nonprofits and foundations around the world and created a reputation for providing high-quality referrals. Early efforts focused on building personal relationships and attending conferences in relevant cause areas. The organization now receives more referrals than they can handle, thanks to their reputation for curating top candidates. They also partner with other ecosystems like Umbrex to reach more consultants and build awareness of their services. Evaluating the Impact of Nonprofits Sarah advises evaluating the impact of nonprofits by focusing on the significance of the problem they address and the neglected nature of the issue. She recommends looking for organizations with external evaluators and focusing on real impact metrics rather than vanity metrics. Consultants for Impact works with third-party evaluators and foundations to assess the efficacy of nonprofits and ensure they are having a significant impact. They also provide resources and recommendations for high-impact organizations, helping consultants make informed decisions about their career paths. Promotion of Services Sarah explains how Consultants for Impact promotes their services through ads on LinkedIn, Meta, and Reddit, targeting consultants who are interested in self-discovery and career change. They also participate in workshops and events to raise awareness and connect with potential clients. The organization is committed to finding product-market fit and continuously improving their services based on feedback and referrals. Sarah invites listeners to visit their website and attend upcoming workshops to learn more about their offerings and connect with the community. Timestamps: 02:12: Consultants for Impact's Mission and Services 03:26: The Career Conversation Process 08:01: Personalized Career Guidance and Impact Framework 10:30: Sophisticated Job Search Strategies 15:05: Roles and Compensation in the Impact Sector 22:19: Preparing Collateral for the Impact Sector 24:39: Reaching Out to Nonprofits and Building Reputation 31:14: Evaluating the Impact of Nonprofits 36:17: Promoting Consultants for Impact and Future Plans Links: Consultants for Impact's website Application for free 1:1 career advising Consultants for Impact Career Check-In Template  Understanding your Value Over Replacement Player (VORP): School for Moral AmbitionConsultants for Impact LinkedIn Refresh Guide Sign up for the Consultants for Impact newsletter, including 10 high-impact jobs every other week This episode on Umbrex: Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.    

In de techniek zoeken werkgevers onverminderd door naar technisch geschoold personeel. Echter is de instroom aan nieuwe studenten in de techniek met 7,5% gedaald dit collegejaar. Gaat dit wel de goede kant op? Mark Harbers voorzitter van Techniek Nederland is te gast in BNR Zakendoen. Macro met Mujagić/Boot Elke dag een intrigerende gedachtewisseling over de stand van de macro-economie. Op maandag en vrijdag gaat presentator Thomas van Zijl in gesprek met econoom Arnoud Boot, de rest van de week praat Van Zijl met econoom Edin Mujagić. Ook altijd terug te vinden als je een aflevering gemist hebt. Blik op de wereld Wat speelt zich vandaag af op het wereldtoneel? Het laatste nieuws uit bijvoorbeeld Oekraïne, het Midden-Oosten, de Verenigde Staten of Brussel hoor je iedere werkdag om 12.10 van onze vaste experts en eigen redacteuren en verslaggevers. Ook los te vinden als podcast. Boardroompanel Hoe ga je als boardroom om met een datalek dat miljoenen (oud-) klanten raakt. En: Komt er dan eindelijk een overname van Warner Bros: de streamingsdienst stelt een deadline vast. Dat en meer bespreken we om 11.30 in het boardroompanel met: Inge Brakman, partner bij de Bestuurskamer en toezichthouder bij Accenture en Rob Oudman, Hoofd Benelux bij de Amerikaanse zakenbank Houlihan Lokey. Boardroompanel Zakenlunch Elke dag, tijdens de lunch, geniet je mee van het laatste zakelijke nieuws, actuele informatie over de financiële markten en ander economische actualiteiten. Op een ontspannen manier word je als luisteraar bijgepraat over alles wat er speelt in de wereld van het bedrijfsleven en de beurs. En altijd terug te vinden als podcast, mocht je de lunch gemist hebben. Contact & Abonneren BNR Zakendoen zendt elke werkdag live uit van 11:00 tot 13:30 uur. Je kunt de redactie bereiken via e-mail. Abonneren op de podcast van BNR Zakendoen kan via bnr.nl/zakendoen, of via Apple Podcast en Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. waste management industry moves more than 290 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. This is a potential trillion-dollar market, but much of the work still relies on paper tickets, clipboards, and spreadsheets. About 10,000 independent haulers handle a large share of collection and materials transfer in the U.S. In this business, a single truck costs $300,000, and profits depend on efficient routes. Most haulers do not have access to the digital tools that other logistics industries have used for years. Mike Marmo, CEO and founder of CurbWaste, is building a new operating system to change this. His goal is to create the data foundation needed for the circular economy to work. He is a fourth-generation waste industry professional who started his career as a scale operator at a family transfer station in New York and sold a hauling business in 2021. Since then, he's built CurbWaste into a platform serving more than 150 haulers in 40 states. Its CurbPOS system for transfer stations tracks inbound and outbound materials with scale integration. It generates automated LEED diversion reports and Recycling Certification Institute-certified documentation; the per-load, per-material chain-of-custody data that extended producer responsibility programs need, as seven states now require producers to fund and document the recycling of their packaging.Mike made a simple but important point: "Waste is being created when it's being manufactured." The waste management industry reflects the economy and could become the base for a circular supply chain that keeps materials in use. Mike compares this to Amazon, which learned about buyer behavior and then built warehousing, freight, and delivery systems around that knowledge. The waste industry can do something similar. By tracking what is produced, where it goes, and where it ends up, haulers and new operators can work together on a shared digital system that gives full visibility of materials. Mike calls this the "waste meter," and he thinks an AI-powered circular economy could be in place within 10 years. Accenture research estimates that the circular economy could add $4.5 trillion in economic output by 2030, a number supported by the United Nations Development Program. Right now, investment is far below what is needed to reach that potential. CurbWaste is working to build the transparency needed to connect collection and vision, helping turn a fragmented industry into a circular supply chain. To learn more, visit curbwaste.com.Subscribe to Sustainability In Your Ear on iTunesFollow Sustainability In Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube

The Deal You Never Knew Existed. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this deep dive, Jay McBain reveals the harsh reality of the “28 Moments” in a modern B2B buying journey, using a multi-million dollar SAP deal at AstraZeneca as a wake-up call for vendors. He explains how traditional marketing leads are failing in the “decade of the ecosystem,” where trusted partners like NTT and SoftwareOne are winning deals in “light blue” partnership moments months before a customer ever downloads an ebook. If you aren’t visible in the seven-layer stack or collaborating with the partners who hold the customer’s trust, you aren’t just losing the deal—you're losing the entire market. https://youtu.be/NO-P6X2dTAo?si=8e_sVesqvwaC0M-E Key Takeaways Most vendors lose major deals without ever knowing a transaction was even taking place. The average considered purchase involves 28 distinct moments of research and influence before a sale. Trusted partners often close the deal in the “middle moments” months before the money is actually spent. Traditional marketing leads (MQLs) are often too “flimsy” compared to deep partner-led relationships. Winning in the ecosystem requires being part of a “seven-layer stack” of integrated technology and services. Data-sharing platforms like Crossbeam and Workspan are now essential to seeing the “invisible” pipeline. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags: 28 Moments, Jay McBain, Ecosystem Strategy, AstraZeneca SAP Deal, Seven Layer Stack, B2B Buying Journey, Partner Ecosystem, NTT, SoftwareOne, Channel Strategy, Buyer Intent, Informa TechTarget, Collaborative Selling, Crossbeam, Partner Tap, Workspan, Marketplace Tracking, Co-selling, Tech Integration, Revenue Architecture, Pipeline Growth, Trusted Advisor, Digital Transformation, SAP Optimization, Microsoft AWS Competition. Transcript: [00:00:00] Jay McBain: So if you’re a vendor trying to get into that seven layer stack and you don’t have that relationship, or you don’t have the knowledge that NTT or software one is going in, this will have been a deal that would’ve never hit your pipeline and you’ll have no knowledge. So you will have lost this deal without knowing there was a deal. [00:00:19] Vince Menzione: We’ve been talking 28 moments, but you have a slide. I thought we’d spend some time here because, you know, every conversation with you is about 28 moments, but you finally took the time to analyze one of your deals or one of the deals that was going on with one of your clients and come up with the 28 moments. [00:00:36] Vince Menzione: I thought we’d spend a little time here because this journey slide is a wake up call. Uh, it’s, it’s, it’s all around. Why, why we need to think about all of those. Points we need to think about communities and analysts and marketplaces and proof of concepts and architecture and everything else. I thought maybe you’d take us through this a little bit. [00:00:53] Vince Menzione: ’cause this was for a client, AstraZeneca, by the way. This was, uh, if you don’t know this, ICI Americas was the precursor of mm-hmm. AstraZeneca. It was the first SAP customer in North America. [00:01:03] Jay McBain: Nice. I did [00:01:04] Vince Menzione: not know that. That’s why Microsoft and SAP both headquartered. In that area, near nearby, that client. [00:01:10] Vince Menzione: That’s, uh, news, new news. [00:01:11] Jay McBain: And by the way, this is an SAP deal we’re looking at. Yeah. Uh, so two things here. One is that, um, while I was declaring the decade of the ecosystem, you know, spending time with you and Boca, in between that time we got acquired. Canals, which was Latin for channel, got acquired by oia, part of Informa TechTarget, part of this bigger informa company, which is a Fortune 100 company outta the uk. [00:01:32] Jay McBain: Fantastic. You know, we’re part of this massive organization that is really around buyer intent. How, you know, a tech target and, uh, running hundreds of magazines like Information Week and Computer Week that customers and partners read running hundreds of events, the biggest events on the planet. [00:01:49] Vince Menzione: Crazy [00:01:49] Jay McBain: in B2B, like Black Hat and all these things are run by [00:01:52] Vince Menzione: Yeah, [00:01:53] Jay McBain: informa. [00:01:53] Jay McBain: So it’s got this massive mountain of data. About the 28 moments. So when you start to think if you’re a CMO and you start to think about the early moments, you, you think about somebody reading an ebook or, um, going to a, a webinar or going onto a LinkedIn live just like this one. Yeah, going to a major event and getting a pair of socks from you. [00:02:13] Jay McBain: Um, but anything early in the journey. These are the m qls. These are the things that I need enough of them to be credible before I hand them over to my sales team. ’cause I don’t wanna be laughed out of the room. Hey, they read an ebook. They must, AstraZeneca must be buying millions of dollars of stuff. [00:02:27] Vince Menzione: Traditional marketing lead. [00:02:29] Jay McBain: Traditional marketing lead. So they’re a bit nervous about sharing that. And then later on, the sales motions, the demos and all the progression of the sales. This was the two decades before us, the decade of sales, decade of marketing. But the 28 moments, just to take a step back, if you haven’t heard, it is just a considered purchase. [00:02:46] Jay McBain: It’s about psychology, human psychology. When you go and buy a car, second most expensive thing that you will purchase you on average will go through 28 moments getting ready for that purchase. Some people go through two moments and they just drive to the Cadillac dealership to see Larry, who’s been selling Cadillacs to the family for 80 years. [00:03:04] Jay McBain: Yep. Some people spend 58 moments. That’s probably me. [00:03:07] Vince Menzione: That’s you, a, [00:03:08] Jay McBain: you know, going through all the depreciation, watching every YouTube video, you know, going to the end of the earth. But the average is 28. So you start to think about this, this is the same buying a car considered purchase, that you would buy a million dollars in software. [00:03:21] Jay McBain: From Microsoft or SAP. So when you look at these moments, you start to think, you know, how is you before you buy that car, downloading the invoice price, downloading this month’s backend rebates. Should I buy it in January? Should I buy it in February? All these decisions you make before you get to that dealership, you’re smarter than the salesperson, smarter than the sales manager. [00:03:39] Jay McBain: You know what 5,000 people bought the car for within 50 miles of you? I mean, you’re just so smart. You actually don’t need the dealership anymore. Just Carvana to me, hand me the keys. Exactly. But now in buying technology, hardware, software services, customers are getting this smart. And here’s all the moments they take to get this smart. [00:03:57] Jay McBain: But the thing we always had in mind in this decade of the ecosystem was the 96% there are trusted people. Yeah. Spending decades building that trust that come in in critical moments. They’re not marketing moments, they’re not sales moments. They are fully partnership moments. Yeah. And they’re on this slide in light blue. [00:04:15] Jay McBain: So if you were to look at this deal and, and somebody in marketing is finding these eBooks and webinars and they think there might be something, AWS got a direct hit on their website. So there’s something brewing at AstraZeneca. It, it might be in, it’s a big pharmaceutical company, so you’re probably spending millions of dollars if something’s brewing. [00:04:31] Jay McBain: Yep. But guess what? At the same time, in December on this six month journey. Partners come in with five different paid projects, consulting, advisory design projects, and in this case it was NTT software one, Yash and uh, ISV was there. Yep. But NTT won three different. Deals right at that critical stage. It wasn’t Accenture, it wasn’t Deloitte, NTT at this particular department of AstraZeneca had spent the decades building those relationships. [00:04:58] Jay McBain: So they were the one, and they won critical part of this. And so that’s when the deal is won. And it’s not at April when the money’s being spent. Yeah, it’s, it’s not in March when a couple more ISVs joined the mix, that seven layer stack that solves this particular problem, it was right there. So if you’re a vendor trying to get into that seven layer stack and you don’t have that relationship, or you don’t have the knowledge that NTT or software one is going in, this will have been a deal that would’ve never hit your pipeline and you’ll have no knowledge. [00:05:30] Jay McBain: So you will have lost this deal without knowing there was a deal, which makes up again, the majority of your tam. [00:05:34] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:05:35] Jay McBain: But what if I did have this agentic ability to see this deal coming, and I’m a cybersecurity company, I’m just competing for layer five of the deal, but I know that it’s all happening in December. [00:05:46] Jay McBain: So the two things that jump out on this particular slide is one, they don’t just show up in December. [00:05:51] Vince Menzione: Yeah, [00:05:51] Jay McBain: this went closed one in their Salesforce CRM in August, September, well, before the customer ever read an ebook. So now you’re not dealing with a flimsy MQL. You’re dealing with a couple of great, you know, top partner 1000 sized firms. [00:06:09] Jay McBain: One of them is a partner, 30 firm. [00:06:11] Vince Menzione: Exactly. [00:06:12] Jay McBain: That is absolutely going into and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in services to guide the customer to a millions of dollars in purchase. And, and you can imagine in that boardroom. With A CMO saying, Hey, I got this stuff here. And the head of channels or partnerships saying, no, no, this is real. [00:06:32] Jay McBain: Here’s the names, faces, and places. Yeah. And here’s how it’s happening. And this is exactly, this is the Gantt chart, this is the show up, this is the project, this is the outcome. This is exactly how it’s playing out. Now if I could go back and the board and the C-suite should be asking us, well, how many more deals like this can you see? [00:06:50] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:06:51] Jay McBain: If our TAM is, you know, how many billions of dollars? Could you double our pipeline by seeing more of these middle moments? And if we got a couple of months to spend with these partners before they get in front of the customer, could they build more of our portfolio into the deal so we’re not just layer five, maybe we’re layer three and layer five. [00:07:10] Vince Menzione: This slide screams at me. Integr Tech integration Cha. A partner channel integration of tech, uh, whether it’s Crossbeam, whether it’s Partner Tap, whether it’s work span, or any of these other technologies, tackle any of these technologies that are tracking marketplace, that are tracking partner to partner, co-selling. [00:07:30] Vince Menzione: Getting the integration points. The only way to really understand the situation here, because this is a multinational company. Yeah. It’s being touched at all PO points around the globe. And to understand who’s calling who, who’s influencing who, and getting a real view, you know, a uber view of what that looks like is super important. [00:07:47] Jay McBain: It is. And you know, if I’m trying to sell like a cross beam or partner tab or work span or something into my executive team, I’m just showing them this slide. [00:07:54] Vince Menzione: Exactly. [00:07:54] Jay McBain: Would you like to know about this deal? Like you see, October is the start of the timeline here. Would you like to know about this deal in August, September? [00:08:00] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:08:01] Jay McBain: Would you like to know about it automatically? Again, we’re not waiting for somebody, a human in a cubicle to go fill out a form. We’re not waiting for them to call somebody at our in, in a cubicle at our company. Yeah. We’re literally age genically sharing platforms, and so when this triggers that AstraZeneca and now triggers in our CRM system as well, our team on AstraZeneca gets notified and it gets notified in September before the 28 moments even starts. [00:08:27] Jay McBain: This, the power of this, of doubling, tripling your pipeline and then winning a bigger yield, a bigger percentage of that pipeline. This is the holy grail of our industry, and no one’s gonna get to a hundred percent. You’re not gonna have a hundred percent of your tam covered by your pipeline. No one’s gonna win a hundred percent of that. [00:08:43] Jay McBain: But again, we only have to be 10 or 20% better than our competitors and we need to start moving on this now. [00:08:50] Vince Menzione: So your imperative for the partners here, well everyone watching here today, I mean, this screams to me build your ecosystem strategy in such a strong and succinct way. What else would you say to them? [00:09:00] Jay McBain: I mean, the second thing that jumps out, you see two AWS direct touches here. This is something that this would be inbound. This AWS would see this deal in their pipeline. [00:09:09] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:09:10] Jay McBain: Because the customer came to them. AWS lost this deal. Crazy. So Microsoft won this deal. I, I mentioned Microsoft outgrowing AWS Yeah. [00:09:19] Jay McBain: ’cause in this particular case, NTT and Software One and Yash came in with Microsoft. Yeah. To solve an SAP optimization, Microsoft, and, you know, seven layer deal. So whether you’re in AWS, whether you’re in Microsoft, whether you’re anywhere else in this industry, you’re thinking like, you’re not gonna probably overtake what happens in December. [00:09:39] Jay McBain: These are the most trusted, smartest people in the room. And whatever happens in those projects is the seven layer stack the customer’s gonna buy in March, April. So I, I start to think about this and go, I need to win. ’cause NTT has a wonderful relationship with AWS. [00:09:55] Vince Menzione: They do, [00:09:56] Jay McBain: I mean, partner of the year level. [00:09:57] Jay McBain: I mean, they’ve got 10,000 people certified. I mean, there’s just a, you know, there’s no one at AWS that, um, you know, would take a, a loss here because it’s a wonderful relationship. And Software One, they [00:10:09] Vince Menzione: go back to Microsoft actually 30, 40 years though they do. They were Dimension data before that. Yeah. [00:10:14] Vince Menzione: And they have the long hit Legacy And Software One. Software one as well. You, [00:10:19] Jay McBain: you know, well Software one is Microsoft’s biggest reseller, uh, in Europe. And now with Crayon, you know, one of the biggest in the world. So I would be nervous if I was looking at this and saw Software one coming in with NTT and watching these things take place if I were able to see this back in September, October and work with these companies. [00:10:38] Jay McBain: That’s where kind of Microsoft came into the picture. And this never hit Microsoft’s pipeline. No Microsoft salesperson ever worked on it, but millions of dollars came to Microsoft. Yeah. Uh, out of this deal. So there are examples of where Microsoft gets touched and AWS wins the deal. So this isn’t meant to say that it happens in every case, but it’s meant to say data rules the future, and agent ai, the ability to plumb in these boxes. [00:11:00] Jay McBain: Working with Informa tech, target people that can plumb in the boxes for you with third party data, helping you with the light blue boxes. We gotta be obsessed over these light blue boxes. [00:11:11] Vince Menzione: It’s incredible. The Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat is gonna be here in the Boca Studio. This is the third year that we’re gonna be here in Boca. [00:11:21] Vince Menzione: This is always a favorite of our community members, our executive members, our sponsors and speakers. We’ll all be here in the studio, which is a really intimate setting. We can see upwards of 40, 50 people. Uh, we’ll be hosting an incredible dinner at the Boca Resort overlooking the golf course. That’s an incredible property and, uh, we’d love to have you join us. [00:11:45] Vince Menzione: Thank you for being part of the ultimate Partner community, and I hope to see you this year at one of our events. Thank you.

Send a textIs Germany's data centre market on the brink of an AI-driven transformation?  In this episode, Andy Davis is joined by co-host Pieter Schaap, Director at Soben (Part of Accenture) to explore how AI is reshaping Europe's data centre landscape, with a focus on Germany and the Netherlands.  From Frankfurt to Amsterdam, they discuss whether traditionally enterprise-led markets are evolving to support high-density AI workloads - and what that means for future growth.  Joining the conversation are:  Dr. Béla Waldhauser, Telehouse Germany Konstantin Hartmann, NTT Global Data Centers  Key Topics Covered: Impact of recent acquisitions and industry activity (KKR, Singtail, STT Global) Germany's role in AI and hyperscale data centers amid power and regulation challenges Regional market differences: Netherlands vs. Germany in digital infrastructure tourism and policy AI's bifurcation: training in Nordic regions vs. inference in nearby European regions Speed and scalability of NeoCloud and modular data centers in Europe Sustainability initiatives: energy efficiency laws, green hydrogen, and greenwashing concerns Community engagement and education to reduce industry stigma The importance of global collaboration, data sovereignty, and cross-border AI initiatives Resources & Links: https://www.telehouse-rechenzentrum.de/ https://services.global.ntt/ https://sobencc.com/  Support the showThe Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies. To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

Why you should listenFerny reveals how Sherpaneer uses AI across operations, from capacity planning models to proposal development, giving you a practical blueprint for integrating AI into your own consulting workflows.Learn how Ferny and her partner built a fully self-sourced pipeline through reciprocal partnerships with adjacent vendors like Gong, Clari, and FinancialForce, without relying on Salesforce for leads.Get Ferny's approach to managing AI tools across a team, including shared projects in Claude, an internal AI use policy, and a quarterly review cycle to keep everything current.You know you should be using AI in your consulting practice, but where do you actually start without compromising client data or wasting time on tools that don't stick? In this episode, I talk with Ferny Bengali from Sherpaneer, a boutique Salesforce consultancy that works with enterprise clients across high-tech, financial services, manufacturing, and healthcare. Ferny walks me through exactly how her team of 12 uses AI day to day, from feeding anonymized staffing data into models for capacity planning, to using voice notes and LLMs to prep for pitches. We also get into how she structures client knowledge across projects, her approach to AI-optimized content for SEO, and why she hired a part-time BD person instead of going full-time. If you've been experimenting with AI but haven't operationalized it across your practice yet, this conversation will show you what that looks like in action.About Ferny BengaliFarnaz (Ferny) Bengali is Co-President of Sherpaneer, a women-owned, diverse Salesforce consulting partner that helps mid-to-large organizations implement the right way, the first time. With 20+ years of industry experience—including leadership roles at MicroStrategy, Accenture, and The Carlyle Group—Ferny chose the boutique path over big consulting, building a practice that delivers senior-level expertise without the agency bloat. She's also a board member of WISE (Women in Salesforce Entrepreneurship), co-invests in hospitality through Dogwood Hospitality, and is passionate about using AI as an operating layer to scale consulting without scaling headcount.Resources and LinksSherpaneer.comFerny's LinkedIn profileRead.aiNotebook LMScribeChatGPTClaudeGoogle Gemini

Send a textWhat happens when a global consulting giant decides AI proficiency is the new baseline? We dig into Accenture's headline-grabbing cuts, its billion-dollar bet on upskilling, and the ripple effects this kind of mandate has on culture, fairness, and everyday HR work. The story isn't robots taking jobs—it's people who learn new tools outpacing those who won't, and leaders choosing whether to invest, communicate clearly, and measure what actually matters.We start with the human side: how fast change collides with real teams, the pressure that public targets create, and why skills-based expectations land differently across age groups. Then we get practical. We share how we evaluate AI-enabled ATS options that free recruiters from busywork without outsourcing judgment, and why prompt craft, data hygiene, and clear workflows beat flashy features every time. We also zoom out to the trust problem—self-checkout friction, surveillance at retail, and what happens when technology feels like a cop instead of a coach. Those same dynamics show up at work. AI that reduces toil earns buy-in; AI that polices without context breeds resistance.If you're an HR pro, manager, or curious employee wondering where to start, we sketch a path: pilot small, track time saved and quality gains, reward learning in performance, and set explicit expectations that tools will change every few years. We trade doom for agency, making the case that your value grows when you can wield modern systems with judgment. And yes, we still make time for the real workplace issues that spark outsized drama—like cream cheese gone missing during a bagel drop.Hit play to get a candid, no-fluff take on AI at work, the skills race, and how to build teams that adapt without burning out. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more HR folks can find us.Support the showWe want to hear from you.Text us or leave a voicemail (252) 564-9899‬email: feedback@jadedhr.comWant to:* Share a dumb employee question* Share a crazy story* Ask us a question* Share a best practice * Give us feedback Our Link Tree below has links to our social media sites, Patreon, Apple podcasts, Spotify & more.Please leave a review on your favorite podcast player and interact with us online!Linktree - https://linktr.ee/jadedhrFollow Cee Cee on IG - BoozyHR @ https://www.instagram.com/boozy_hr/

In this episode of Resilient Cyber, I sit down with VP, Product Marketing and Strategy for Protegrity, James Rice. We will be discussing how traditional approaches to security aren't solving the AI security challenge, the importance of data-centric approaches for secure AI implementation and addressing issues such as AI data leakage.James and I dove into a lot of great topics, including:Why traditional perimeter-based and infrastructure-centric security models are failing in the era of AI, and why organizations need to fundamentally rethink their approach to securing AI workloads.The concept of data-centric security — protecting the data itself rather than the systems surrounding it — and why this shift is critical as data flows across cloud platforms, AI models, and agentic workflows.The growing risk of AI data leakage and how sensitive information (PII, PHI, PCI, intellectual property) can inadvertently be exposed through AI training data, model outputs, prompt injection, and RAG pipelines.Why many organizations find themselves stuck in an "AI circularity" — wanting to leverage AI but unable to do so because of the complexity of securing critical business data throughout the AI lifecycle.The importance of embedding security controls inline within the AI pipeline — from data ingestion and model training to orchestration and output — rather than bolting security on after the fact.How data protection techniques such as tokenization, anonymization, dynamic masking, and format-preserving encryption can enable organizations to use realistic, context-rich data for AI while maintaining compliance and reducing risk.The challenge of securing agentic AI workflows, where autonomous agents continuously interact with enterprise data, making traditional access control models insufficient.How organizations can balance the need for AI innovation and data utility with regulatory compliance requirements across frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and emerging AI-specific regulations.James's perspective on how security, risk, and compliance functions need to evolve to keep pace with the rapid productionization of AI across the enterprise.The role of semantic guardrails in governing AI inputs and outputs, ensuring that protection is applied contextually based on how data is being used — not just where it resides.About the GuestJames Rice is VP of Product Marketing and Strategy at Protegrity, a global leader in data-centric security. He brings over 20 years of experience in security, risk, and compliance, having provided solution engineering, value engineering, and implementation services to Fortune 1000 organizations across industries. Prior to Protegrity, James held leadership roles at Pathlock (formerly Greenlight Technologies), Accenture, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.About ProtegrityProtegrity is a data-centric security platform that protects sensitive data across hybrid, multi-cloud, and AI environments. Their approach embeds security directly into the data itself — enabling enterprises to unlock insights, accelerate innovation, and meet global compliance with confidence. Protegrity's solutions include data discovery and classification, tokenization, anonymization, dynamic masking, and semantic guardrails for AI and analytics workflows.Learn more at protegrity.com

AI didn't decide to reshape work. People did. And that distinction matters more than we like to admit. Dr. Rumman Chowdhury says the real story isn't about machines replacing humans. It's about the choices people in power are making—and the agency the rest of us still have. In today's episode, Jessi Hempel and Rumman unpack what responsible AI really means, why fear is the wrong default reaction, and how workers, leaders, and everyday users can shape a better technological future. Rumman Chowdhury is a leading expert in responsible artificial intelligence and algorithmic accountability. She previously led responsible AI efforts at Accenture, served on Twitter's product team before it became X, and advised governments in the U.S. and U.K. She is the co-founder of Humane Intelligence, an organization focused on independent AI auditing and public participation in technology oversight. Rumman and Jessi discuss: Why AI isn't “happening to us”—and how leadership decisions shape its impact What responsible AI looks like inside real companies and products The rise and fall of trust in Big Tech and Silicon Valley Algorithmic bias, content moderation, and the limits of internal oversight The root of why we fear AI The difference between techno-optimism and techno-solutionism How individuals can reclaim agency by understanding and engaging with AI If you want to hear more from Dr. Rumman Chowdhury listen to her recent Ted Talk here.  Follow Dr. Rumman Chowdhury on LinkedIn Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/hellomonday-LI-video-youtube  Watch/Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/hellomonday-LI-video-apple  Listen on Apple: https://bit.ly/hellomonday-LI-video-spotify

Since the start of this century, businesses have confronted a series of extreme and constant disruptions, including technological upheavals, a pandemic, and a global financial crisis. As a result, today's leaders, from startup founders to the managers of global giants, face unprecedented pressures from their bosses, investors, customers, peers, suppliers, and employees. For many, it's a recipe for disaster.Part of the problem is that these challenges, while acutely felt, are rarely articulated in a way that makes them graspable and actionable. Robert E. Siegel has witnessed the impact of these cross-pressures from different perspectives. As a lecturer in management at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, an operator, a venture capitalist, and a consultant, he sees countless teams of managers, at all sorts of companies, struggling to lead their companies into the future.Featuring exclusive lessons drawn from inside the business world, including from the CEOs of Accenture, Mubadala, Kering, Wells Fargo, and Box, The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies (Random House, 2025) is the essential guidebook that teaches readers “systems leadership,” Siegel's holistic framework that helps leaders understand and master five key dimensions where they are likely to feel contradictory pressures:• Priorities: The need to succeed at both execution and innovation• People: The need to project both strength and empathy• Sphere of influence: The need to focus both internally and externally• Geography: The need to think both locally and globally• Purpose: The need to pursue both ambition and statesmanship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

James Caton hosts Pavan Ganugapati, EMEA Leader at Accenture for the Microsoft Alliance, discusses the historic 20th consecutive Partner of the Year award, and the impact strategic partnership with Microsoft. The episode explores AI transformation, sovereign cloud, and leveraging sovereignty as a strategic advantage. Pavan emphasizes that sovereignty is not just about compliance but also a driver for value creation, with Microsoft technology supporting a full-stack sovereign architecture to adapt to evolving regulations.

Since the start of this century, businesses have confronted a series of extreme and constant disruptions, including technological upheavals, a pandemic, and a global financial crisis. As a result, today's leaders, from startup founders to the managers of global giants, face unprecedented pressures from their bosses, investors, customers, peers, suppliers, and employees. For many, it's a recipe for disaster.Part of the problem is that these challenges, while acutely felt, are rarely articulated in a way that makes them graspable and actionable. Robert E. Siegel has witnessed the impact of these cross-pressures from different perspectives. As a lecturer in management at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, an operator, a venture capitalist, and a consultant, he sees countless teams of managers, at all sorts of companies, struggling to lead their companies into the future.Featuring exclusive lessons drawn from inside the business world, including from the CEOs of Accenture, Mubadala, Kering, Wells Fargo, and Box, The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies (Random House, 2025) is the essential guidebook that teaches readers “systems leadership,” Siegel's holistic framework that helps leaders understand and master five key dimensions where they are likely to feel contradictory pressures:• Priorities: The need to succeed at both execution and innovation• People: The need to project both strength and empathy• Sphere of influence: The need to focus both internally and externally• Geography: The need to think both locally and globally• Purpose: The need to pursue both ambition and statesmanship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Nine, we turn to an urgent industry challenge: cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence.We sat down with Judith Pinto, Managing Director and U.S. Banking and Capital Markets Security Lead at Accenture, fresh off the stage at Nicsa's Asset & Wealth Management Summit where she presented “The Next Era of Defense.”In just nine minutes, Judith sharesHow AI is changing cyber defense across financial servicesEmerging AI-driven threats that concern security leaders mostThe evolving balance between human expertise and automationThe role of ethical hacking and bug bounty programsHow firms can maintain client trust in an era of constant threatsWhat organizations should do now to prepare for the next major shift in cybersecurityThis episode offers clear, forward-looking perspective for firms navigating an increasingly complex digital risk environment.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ https://youtu.be/-flNeKF6CxQ?si=xIIQ4LUl7oraQjkg Microsoft’s Cyril Belikoff joins Vince Menzione to reveal the seismic shift occurring within the newly reimagined Microsoft Marketplace. As the industry moves toward a predicted $300 billion partner opportunity by 2030, this discussion deconstructs the evolution of the “Frontier” vision, the launch of the AI apps and agents category, and the critical “Resale Enabled Offer” (REO) that is currently doubling deal sizes for early adopters. Whether you are a software company looking to scale globally or a reseller aiming to stitch together complex AI solutions, the message is clear: the flywheel is already spinning, and those who wait for a “perfect strategy” risk being permanently displaced by more agile competitors who are getting their feet wet today. Key Takeaways The Microsoft Marketplace has been reimagined into a single destination for discovering, buying, and deploying AI apps and agents. Analysts predict a staggering $300 billion opportunity for partners within the Microsoft Marketplace by 2030. The new Resale Enabled Offer (REO) allows software companies to authorize channel partners to resell on their behalf across specific geographies with minimal overhead. Cloud migration is far from over, as massive amounts of on-premise data and ISV apps still need to be modernized for the AI era. Marketplace deal sizes are doubling as customers use Azure commitments to retire their marketplace acquisition costs. Successful partners are moving away from “boiling the ocean” strategies and instead focusing on transacting one or two deals to learn the ecosystem’s mechanics. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags: Microsoft Marketplace, AI apps and agents, Resale Enabled Offer, REO, Cyril Belikoff, Azure Marketplace, AppSource, cloud solutions, software companies, digital transformation, AI strategy, channel led sales, ISV solutions, cloud migration, Azure commitments, Microsoft Cloud, Frontier vision, MSP opportunity, marketplace transacting, AI monetization, global scale, procurement, IT deployment, technical modernization, partner ecosystem, business applications. Opening Lines: [00:00:00] Cyril Belikoff: Marketplace is really the extension of our vision for Frontier, uh, and the Microsoft Cloud. You know, the, the Microsoft technology takes a customer a long way, but in many ways to complete the thought. If you’re in football terms, you want to cross over the line and score touchdown. You can’t just get, uh, to the red zone. [00:00:20] Cyril Belikoff: You actually need partner solutions. [00:00:26] Vince Menzione: So let’s, let’s kick off to Marketplace a little bit right, too, because, uh, it’s been a big year for Marketplace, or 20, the first half of 2026 fiscal year 2026 has been a big year. A lot of announcements, a lot of things going on in the world, in marketplace. Where do we wanna start there? Let’s recap some of it. [00:00:44] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah. Um, so, um. It feels like a long time ago, but in, at the end of September, [00:00:51] Vince Menzione: yeah. [00:00:52] Cyril Belikoff: Um, at the AR tour, uh, in Chicago, we announced a new Microsoft marketplace. We reimagined that experience. It’s a new customer experience, single destination for customers to. You know, discover, find, try, buy, and deploy cloud solutions, AI apps and agents all in one place. [00:01:11] Cyril Belikoff: And so historically, we’ve had a little bit, uh, of decentralization. We had this thing called the Azure Marketplace and AppSource for different experiences. AppSource was more for teams and, and copilot. Um, and, and office, Azure Marketplace. Of course, that was for Azure. We brought all of that into one place. [00:01:30] Cyril Belikoff: So customers, whether they are looking for a SaaS solution running on Azure, an agent that snaps into copilot, an experience that runs in our security store, now they can go to one place. Um. marketplace.microsoft.com. It’s one, it’s the new Microsoft marketplace. And we have an, of course, we have a, we had, we launched a brand new category, AI apps and agents, and we launched that category in September. [00:01:54] Cyril Belikoff: Uh, bringing together numerous, uh, uh, partner offerings. Yeah. And today we have the largest catalog, um, probably in the mid four thousands of AI and agents. Wow. Available to customer. So fantastic. There was, there was quite a big moment in September. Um, and then fast forward a little bit to November, we announced a resale enabled offer, um, at Ignite [00:02:15] Vince Menzione: eo. [00:02:16] Vince Menzione: Eo [00:02:16] Cyril Belikoff: eo. I, [00:02:17] Vince Menzione: I like EO reminds me of the band back in the day. [00:02:19] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah. R Speedwagon. There you go. Uh, well, and it’s, it’s not that far from it because Oreo accelerates. Yeah. Um, what partners can do, uh, with the marketplace and really connects. Software companies and resellers, which I’m sure we’ll talk about in a second. [00:02:34] Cyril Belikoff: But that’s really the recap, um, of, uh, you know, the new Microsoft marketplace, how we enabling it for, uh, for partners through the the resell enable offer. [00:02:45] Vince Menzione: So, I know we talked on this a little bit, but I wanna maybe just expand on it. What does the frontier push and the marketplace evolution mean for partners? [00:02:53] Vince Menzione: Because I, I think it’s huge for both, for these partners to really monetize and accelerate their success working with you. [00:03:00] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah. So, um. Marketplace is really the extension of our vision for Frontier, uh, and the Microsoft Cloud. You know, the, the Microsoft technology takes a customer a long way, but in many ways to complete the thought and to, you know, uh, uh. [00:03:20] Cyril Belikoff: If you’re in football terms, you wanna cross over the line and score a touchdown, you can’t just get, uh, to the red zone. You actually need partner solutions. [00:03:28] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:03:29] Cyril Belikoff: Uh, and so that’s where the partner solutions, combined with Microsoft’s first party offerings become a really, really. Great offering and powerful offering for our customers to, to become Frontier. [00:03:40] Cyril Belikoff: So we have obviously a ton of AI experiences, our own co-pilot experiences, uh, Microsoft Foundry, which is a platform for ai, but in, in many ways, we need those industry solutions. We need those AI apps and agents from partners to complete that offering. And that’s really. How it comes together and, uh, you know, uh, I heard you from o was just on before me. [00:04:01] Cyril Belikoff: They actually predict that the Microsoft marketplace, uh, is a 300 billion partner opportunity by 2030. Yeah, they’re talking about, I think, mid eighties growth. We have literally seen our business for the last three years, and we are in the middle of our, uh, you know, third year doubling. And so when you get three or four years of doubling every year, that’s compounded doubling. [00:04:24] Cyril Belikoff: Um, so, uh, we have seen lots of momentum from customers, lots of interest. We’ve made it, you know. Interesting for customers. Um, and incentivize our customers with their Azure commitments that can retire their marketplace, uh, acquisitions that way. We’ve made it, we’ve put incentives for partners and for our own sellers. [00:04:44] Cyril Belikoff: So we really creating the flywheel for everybody in the market to see value from, uh, the marketplace. So. Like, like, like you mentioned, like m the, uh, you know, suggested [00:04:55] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:04:55] Cyril Belikoff: It’s only exploding the opportunity on marketplace. [00:04:58] Vince Menzione: Well, and you both touched on the fact that the data is not in the cloud yet. [00:05:02] Vince Menzione: Not all the data that needs to be in the cloud in order to drive the future of where we wanna go from a society. Mm-hmm. And from a business application perspective needs to be in the cloud. So huge opportunities for partners around data states, around securing that data, governing that data, and so on, on top of all the business applications, [00:05:19] Cyril Belikoff: right? [00:05:19] Vince Menzione: As promise. So incredible. Yep. So let’s [00:05:22] Cyril Belikoff: talk about, yeah. The call migration. The call migration, people think that is over and it’s long from over because customers have plenty, uh, on premise, uh, not only Microsoft technology, but the, the, the, the software company or the ISV app that sits on top of it. Yeah. [00:05:36] Cyril Belikoff: And that needs to be migrated, managed, modernized, um, and marketplace is a big part of that too. Um, but there’s so many services and, um, opportunities around it. [00:05:45] Vince Menzione: Incredible opportunity. Let’s talk about the channel and the channel opportunity. You, you touched on this earlier, right? So this really lighting up the channel. [00:05:53] Vince Menzione: I saw this loud and clear when we were at Ignite. Like this is a huge opportunity for the Es, for the resellers, for all the partners. And as part of REO, you’ve got huge opportunities you’re laying out for them for the 500,000 part partners. You know, we talk about the Bill Gates moment down here in Boca. [00:06:09] Vince Menzione: This is where it all started. Uh, yep. How, how do you think about marketplace in the channel today? [00:06:16] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah. You know, it’s, um, it’s vital. You know, we have a customer need, um, from. The smallest is small business all the way to enterprise. And the really, the only way we serve that, the only way we know how to serve that is with our partners from the largest of partners that serve our top enterprises down through, um, what we call small and medium and then down to our small business. [00:06:41] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:06:41] Cyril Belikoff: Um, and so, you know, we have seen our. You know, while our, we’ve seen a doubling of our business, we’ve seen three, three and a half to four x doubling of our channel led sales. [00:06:53] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:06:54] Cyril Belikoff: Um, over the last year. And so while our overall business is doubling, channel is accelerating even, you know, even more. [00:07:02] Cyril Belikoff: And so there, there’s a need from our customers because they buy from our channel and there’s obviously a need from the channel. And so we created this resale enabled offer. As you mentioned, we, um. We announced private preview in September and launched GA at Ignite. So, you know, uh, November, just before Thanksgiving holiday and retail Enable offer is all about scale and how we connect a, a, an independent software vendor or a software company. [00:07:27] Cyril Belikoff: To authorize a channel partner to resell on their behalf on a particular geography. And then that allows software companies to expand into new markets with very little overhead. And it allows the channel partners to create a set of offerings, not only from one partner, but you might have multiple software companies or applications that you stitch that are together to create an end-to-end customer offering or experience. [00:07:51] Cyril Belikoff: And so we are seeing, we are seeing many to many relationships. So software companies might authorize many resellers, many markets they’re in, for example. Yep. And then resellers, um, they’re, they’re becoming authorized resellers from many software companies so that they can really stitch together, end into end solution. [00:08:09] Cyril Belikoff: And it, we’re loving it and we are getting great feedback. It is early days for our global availability for, uh, re office, which. But we had partners that were literally waiting, um, uh, and waiting for deals. And within the first week there was, they were, uh, processing the, the Oreo deals at, at, at quite large scale already. [00:08:31] Cyril Belikoff: So. We are excited about the feedback that we’re getting. We, as you know, we, we stay close to that feedback and we listen well, um, and adjust from it. So we got more work to do, but, um, it’s a great opportunity for, to connect our, our multiple types of partners, software companies, and resellers. [00:08:48] Vince Menzione: Yeah, I agree. [00:08:49] Vince Menzione: And you know, I talk to a lot of these organizations myself, and there is palpable excitement. In the channel from Distees that were sort of disengaged a couple of years ago, maybe, trying to figure out where they were gonna monetize. And the other way area that’s aligned to this as well is the Ms. P community. [00:09:06] Vince Menzione: So these MSPs are getting bigger and bigger, and organizations like Accenture, Avanade, and ndl. Or becoming MSPs or creating Ms. P practices within their own firms. But there’s even these smaller MSPs, but many of ’em are getting to a billion dollars or more. These were little mom and pop companies years ago, but the customer so needs to have, you know, especially with ai, right? [00:09:27] Vince Menzione: Because we’re in a constant state of evolution right now. I need somebody that can help me on the tooling and then also help me on, you know, getting the tooling to work. And so, uh, we’re seeing a lot of excitement from that. Community, which wasn’t really as engaged with Microsoft the way they that they are now. [00:09:43] Vince Menzione: They’re really getting engaged in a big way. [00:09:46] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah, it’s promising. Like you say, you know, the, the, we’re all learning this new AI world and obviously marketplace has taken off. We’ve had the classic SaaS solutions or cloud solutions on marketplace for a while, but really un having the local partner that’s close to the customer, what the customer’s trying to need to do and be able to connect the, the traditional. [00:10:07] Cyril Belikoff: Software as a service applications with these new AI experiences and really, uh, stitch them together and help them operationalize, you know, in their own, you know, cus in their own terms and what they’re trying to, uh, do is so important. You know, um, and to your point there, there are large, they’re the large ones that are seeing opportunity on the marketplace. [00:10:27] Cyril Belikoff: But the, you know, when you get down to, uh, medium and smaller businesses, they really need their local friendly resetter to help them. [00:10:35] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:10:35] Cyril Belikoff: Uh, so you’re right. We are seeing an, a new en energy engagement from not only our existing 500,000 partners, but a bunch of those new ones. [00:10:44] Vince Menzione: So, uh, again, second week of 2026, and people are really just starting to wake up from the holidays. [00:10:50] Vince Menzione: Now they’re getting ready for their s ks. All these partners are lining up and getting their teams aligned. Uh, you’re in front of them. Let’s have a conversation like what should they be doing better and differently? What do they need to go do now? It’s 2026. [00:11:06] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah. Um, you know, first of all, if you’re a software company, you know, understand what the, the Microsoft marketplace can help you with, uh, can help you scale to global markets, remove burdens like tax, um, a processing, engaging with customers. [00:11:21] Cyril Belikoff: Um, we’re seeing an acceleration and doubling of, uh, not an acceleration deals, but doubling of deal sizes, as you know, through the marketplace. Uh, and there. It helps with engagement at different types of companies, whether it’s, or different types of, uh, roles in a company, whether it’s a, a procurement person or an IT person or a business person. [00:11:42] Cyril Belikoff: So, you know, get onto the marketplace, create offerings, um, and give us feedback. And then on the reseller side, um, also lots of opportunities, you know, register as, as a reseller, um, you know, understand the benefits and. The, the Azure sponsorships that we have available for you, that you can close deals with their, their, their credits and, and incentives that we provide to you. [00:12:06] Cyril Belikoff: And then figure out how you do your first deal with a software company. Um, yeah. You know, a lot of people will say like, should I have a big strategy? And Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if you want to, that’s okay, but just getting into. Uh, the marketplace, figuring out one or two deals, transacting and seeing the opportunity is many ways the best way to do it and to learn it yourself. [00:12:28] Cyril Belikoff: And then you figure out, okay, where, where’s the opportunity for me in this deal? Am I in the transaction? Uh, am I in the services around the transaction or combination? Um, and just getting your feet wet will get you going and, and, uh, get you learning. [00:12:42] Vince Menzione: You know, I think about this in the, the time the partners are, they have this huge opportunity with Microsoft around marketplace and then thinking about how they build their own ecosystem. [00:12:52] Vince Menzione: And like you said, don’t, don’t try and boil the ocean, right. Don’t try and do it all at once. Mm-hmm. But start out small, but understand, you know, work with the Microsoft teams, understand how, how co-selling works, how to engage with the, with the Microsoft organization. How to, how to be up on marketplace, how to situationally. [00:13:09] Vince Menzione: You know, Jay and I were talking about this 28 moments and he talked about a deal that started out as an AWS deal, but it wound up a Microsoft deal because NTT and Software one were involved in the in the deal and influencing the customer’s decision process. Right working with Microsoft. And so we just need to be smarter, I think. [00:13:28] Vince Menzione: I think today it’s a very different model than it was 20 years ago when you and I got started in this business. Uh, yeah. And people just really need to go think about this more strategically in how they build this. [00:13:39] Cyril Belikoff: It’s great. I totally agree. Um, like I said, getting your feet wet, understanding the co-sell to your point and, and, and how Microsoft sells. [00:13:48] Cyril Belikoff: Um, and then understand what customers are trying to, you know, get, get, get out of it with their, their Azure commitments and how they can retire their Azure commitments through purchases on marketplace, which in sense them, um, to also work on the marketplace. So you, I think partners will find Microsoft sellers. [00:14:04] Cyril Belikoff: Own compensation, um, incentive to work. We’ll find that customers are incentive to transact on the marketplace. And so just enter that, you know, triangle and, and get engaged and, uh, and learn and then give us feedback. Like, like I’ve mentioned many times with you, we, uh, we take feedback every month from customers and partners in, in forums like this, um, in other forums, and then we evolve and, you know, build out, uh, stronger experiences. [00:14:31] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Cyril, I want to thank you again. So great to have you join us today and, uh, so excited to continue our, our mutual relationship and our beneficial relationship in 2026. So thank you again for everything you do and supporting us. [00:14:45] Cyril Belikoff: Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Happy New Year to yourself and uh, and your community and, uh, thanks so much again. [00:14:50] Cyril Belikoff: Appreciate it. [00:14:50] Vince Menzione: Thank you, Cyril. The Ultimate Partner Winter Retreat is gonna be here in the Boca Studio. This is the third year that we’re gonna be here in Boca. This is always a favorite of our community members, our executive members, our sponsors and speakers. We’ll all be here in the studio, which is a really intimate setting. [00:15:12] Vince Menzione: We can see upwards of 40, 50 people. Uh, we’ll be hosting an incredible dinner at the Boca Resort overlooking the golf course. That’s an incredible property and, uh, we’d love to have you join us. Thank you for being part of the ultimate Partner community, and I hope to see you this year at one of our events. [00:15:30] Vince Menzione: Thank you.

Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 otherwise. Register here. This week on the show: Andy Jassy tells Wall Street that Amazon is planning $200 billion in capital expenses this year, mostly to build out AI infrastructure, and investors give it a thumbs down. Microsoft's financial results beat expectations but the company loses $357 billion in market value in a single day after investors learn the extent of its dependence on OpenAI. Meanwhile, OpenAI leases 10 floors of office space in Bellevue, lawmakers in Olympia propose new taxes impacting startup exits and high-income earners, and the bots get their own social network. In our featured conversation, recorded at a dinner hosted by Accenture in Bellevue, GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop sits down with computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni to talk about AI agents, the startup landscape, the fight against deepfakes, and what good AI leadership looks like. Etzioni is co-founder of AI agent startup Vercept, founder of the AI2 Incubator, a venture partner at Madrona, and the former founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had to get this urgent episode to you sooner rather than later, given the climate of fear in the U.S. in current times.For many employees right now, work doesn't feel like a safe place. It feels uncertain, frightening, and deeply personal. In moments like this, how leaders respond matters more than ever. Michelle Feferman has spent decades helping organizations navigate complex DEI and workplace culture challenges in ways that protect people and strengthen the business. We talk directly about what leaders can do to support employees in the face of ICE raids and immigration-related fear, how to create real psychological safety at work, and why most DEI efforts are still entirely legal if you're focused on risk mitigation, clarity, and care.We also unpack how retention, engagement, and productivity are tightly tied to DEI and empathy work, and the key elements leaders need to think through right now to support their people while capturing the full business benefit.This is a practical, compassionate conversation for leaders who want to do the right thing without panicking, posturing, or staying silent.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.Listen in for…Creating a diverse team that goes beyond old-fashioned quotas.Key benefits of having a wide pool of differing viewpoints within your organization.Actions to put in place to keep your employees safe and informed about handling ICE raids that could be used as a template for other crises. Tips to create an FAQ that matters "If you can take the time now to get these things in place, the majority of people will relax, to some extent, and feel like they can come to work and just focus on work. People will relax more and be much more productive at work." — Michelle Feferman Episode References: Michelle's article: It is Imperative to Create Psychological Safety at Work Amidst ICE Raids: https://mfeferman.substack.com/p/12868206_ice-raids-and-psychological-safetyBook: DO DEI Right: Cut Through the Noise and Drive Lasting ResultsAbout Michelle Feferman, Founder and CEO, Equity at Work, Author of Do DEI RightMichelle is passionate about helping organizations have a profound impact on their employees, businesses, and communities through their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She is the Founder and CEO of Equity At Work, known for creating innovative, customized solutions for even the most complex DEI and workplace culture challenges. Her clients outperform their peers in revenue and margin growth, productivity, engagement, and retention.Michelle is the author of Do DEI Right, co-host of the podcast Your DEI Minute, and on the Investment Committee of RevTech Venture Capital. Before this, she spent 25 years working at Accenture, Kurt Salmon, Macy's Inc., and The Walt Disney Company.From Our Sponsor:Keynote Speakers and Conference Trainers: Get your free Talkadot trial and enjoy this game-changer for your speaking business! www.share.talkadot.com/mariarossConnect with Michelle:Equity At Work: https://www.equity-at-work.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleebogan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093183559876Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equity_at_workSubstack: https://mfeferman.substack.com/ Connect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader LinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceGet your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.comSign up for Optionality now! Go to optKeynote Speakers and Conference Trainers: Get your free Talkadot trial and enjoy this game changer for your speaking business! www.share.talkadot.com/mariaross

Jim McDonald is joined by Jeff Margolies, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Saviynt, to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and identity security. Jeff shares his decades of experience in the industry, from building the IAM practice at Accenture to his current leadership role at Saviynt. The conversation covers how AI is making manually intensive identity tasks more efficient, the emergence of Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM), and the critical need to govern identities for AI agents. Jeff also provides his perspective on the future of the identity practitioner and why he remains an optimist in a rapidly changing technological landscape.Connect with Jeff Margolies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmargolies/Connect with us on LinkedIn:Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.comTimestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction and Gartner Identity Conference Recap00:02:11 - Jeff Margolies' Career Journey in Identity and Security00:04:36 - Returning to Identity and Joining Saviynt00:06:13 - How AI is Impacting Identity Security and Governance00:09:56 - The Future of Identity Services in an AI World00:13:58 - Will AI Disrupt the SaaS Model for Identity?00:19:50 - The Impact of AI on the Identity Practitioner Job Market00:26:16 - Identity for AI: Governing Agents and Delegated Authority00:32:00 - Combating Deepfakes and Proving What is Real00:34:40 - The Rise of Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM)00:41:46 - Comparing Posture Management and ITDR00:44:17 - Advice for CISOs: Why Posture Should Come First00:49:35 - The Secret to Saviynt's Success and Future Outlook00:52:19 - Lighter Note: Why Jeff Chose a Tesla for His DaughterKeywords:IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Jeff Margolies, Saviynt, IAM, Identity and Access Management, AI, Artificial Intelligence, ISPM, ITDR, Cybersecurity, Identity Governance, SaaS, IGA

Banking executives know their industry is being disrupted. What they don't know is how much of their balance sheet they've already lost control of. According to Accenture, more than $200 trillion in global bank deposits and loans are now at risk, and that threat isn't coming from another bank. It's coming from stablecoins, AI agents that can automatically optimize finances, and platforms that can quickly move cash, often outside the traditional banking system. Today's guest is Mike Abbott from Accenture. His team's new report on the top banking trends for 2026 reveals some uncomfortable truths. Seventy percent of IT spending still goes to maintaining outdated systems. Margin compression could reduce US bank pre-tax income by 22%. And many of those loyal customers who've stayed with their bank for seven years? The research calls them "lazy loyalists." The real question for banking leaders isn't whether this shift is happening, but how much of the balance sheet they'll still control when it does. Mike joins us to discuss how banks can respond to threats moving faster than their modernization efforts.

I've got a very special guest from all the way on the other side of the globe to talk about how to tell the right story to make your message stick, why storytelling is more important than ever, and how AI can help.Gabrielle Dolan is a global expert and highly sought-after international keynote speaker and educator on strategic storytelling and real communication. Her clients include the Obama Foundation, Uber, EY, Accenture, VISA, Salesforce, Amazon and Vodafone.In 2024 she launched the successful podcast Keeping it Real with Jac and Ral that was rated in the top 5% of video produced podcasts on Spotify.Gabrielle is also the bestselling author of nine books. Her latest title, Story Intelligence. The Craft of Authentic Storytelling, Made Smarter with AI was released in November 2025.Tune into this episode to hear:Why personal stories can be more powerful than facts, figures, or case studiesWhy you have to be clear on your message before your identify a storyThe key elements of an effective storyHow a good story can become a rallying cry that connects teams long after the tellingWhat you can and can't use AI for when crafting your messagingLearn more about Gabrielle Dolan:WebsiteInstagram: @gabrielledolan.1Connect on LinkedInMentioned:Story IntelligenceKeeping it Real with Jac and RalResources:No BS Clients LabNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

Why you should listenChristine Duque, former Big Four consultant and CEO of Alonsera, shares why only 10% of global companies are seeing real impact from AI, and what separates the successful ones from the rest.Learn Christine's "Three A's" framework for making AI consumable: Automated, Anticipatory, and Augmented intelligence, plus how to progress toward autonomous operations.Get practical guidance on structuring AI transformation committees and coaching executive sponsors to drive cross-organizational buy-in.Feeling pressure to "do something with AI" but unsure where to start without wasting budget or burning out your team? In this episode, I talk with Christine Duque, CEO of Alonsera and former Big Four consultant who now helps mid-market companies in highly regulated industries navigate AI implementation. We dig into why most AI initiatives fail before they even launch, and it's not the technology. Christine explains why treating AI like a silver bullet creates more chaos than progress, and what the 10% of companies getting real results are doing differently. If you're tired of the hype and want a grounded perspective on what AI adoption actually requires, this conversation cuts through the noise.About Christine DuqueChristine Duque is CEO of Alonsera, a global AI consultancy helping organizations deploy AI solutions that actually scale. With executive experience at Accenture, Deloitte, and IBM, she's overseen $2B+ in AI and digital transformation projects for Fortune 50/100/500 companies—delivering results like 70% faster data ingestion and 30-50% customer engagement efficiency gains.A sought-after speaker on ethical AI and digital transformation, Christine is actively shaping international AI standards through partnerships with Oxford University and UC Irvine. She authored the Amazon best-seller Walking in My Shoes: Shattering Glass Ceilings in Corporate America and co-founded the Women's Empowerment AI Network. An accomplished operatic soprano, she debuted at Carnegie Hall.Resources and LinksDuquesacd.comAlonsera.comChristine's LinkedIn profileChristine on Instagram: @christineduqueChristine on Facebook: Christine DuqueChristine on TikTok: @duquesacdYoutube Channel: Christine DuqueChristine's book: Walking In My Shoes:...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson are joined by Mike Maresca, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Ulta Beauty. Mike delves into his career journey, highlighting his progression from consulting to leading a major technological transformation at Ulta. He discusses the critical components of Project SOAR, a multi-year effort that aligned teams, data, and platforms to enhance customer experiences both in-store and digitally. Mike emphasizes the importance of a strong guest-focused business-driven IT strategy, born of continuous learning and an innovation culture. He shares insights on Ulta's approach to AI, data centralization, and maintaining a customer-centric philosophy. With a focus on future growth and sustainability, Mike outlines Ulta's bold vision, which includes expanding into wellness and international markets, as well as scaling personalization and marketplace capabilities. Mike shares his advice for aspiring leaders: be bold, listen, harness the power of team, and approach challenges with passion.(00:00) Introducing Mike Maresca, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Ulta Beauty(01:22) Mike's Career Journey(03:08) Modernizing Ulta Beauty's Platform(04:47) Ulta Beauty's Customer-Centric Philosophy(05:58) Project SOAR and Digital Transformation(08:21) AI and Innovation at Ulta Beauty(19:07) Sustaining Innovation and Future Plans(22:16) Final Thoughts and AdviceMike Maresca's career spans technology and digital transformation initiatives, in the retail and consulting sectors. Currently, he is the Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Ulta Beauty. Previously, he held roles at Walgreens Boots Alliance, serving as Global Chief Technology Officer, and Accenture, where he spent nearly 25 years in various tech leadership positions. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Victoria Pelletier is recognized across North America as a dynamic, captivating keynote speaker, published author and dynamic executive. Her story of overcoming unspeakable odds to live a life of #NoExcuses is both moving, and incredibly inspiring.   Victoria draws from her 20+ years in corporate senior leadership at companies like IBM and American Express to deliver engaging, inspiring keynotes to audiences across North America.   Socials: Website: https://victoria-pelletier.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@VictoriaPelletierUnstoppable  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoria_pelletier_unstoppable/?hl=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriapelletier/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Pelletier.Unstoppable/   Summary:   In this episode of The Heartbeat for Hire Podcast, host Lyndsay Dowd welcomes Victoria Pelletier, a powerhouse executive who became a COO at just 24 and has held senior leadership roles at IBM, Accenture, and American Express. Victoria shares her harrowing journey from a childhood defined by abuse, addiction, and trauma to becoming a global voice on "healthy resilience". She discusses the pivotal moment when she realized her "Iron Maiden" nickname was a sign that her professional armor was actually distancing her from her humanity. The conversation explores how leaders can shed their protective shields, embrace vulnerability, and build cultures where people can succeed without breaking.   Key Takeaways:   - Resilience is a Muscle: While some resilience may be innate, it is primarily a muscle that can be developed and strengthened through intentional work. - Armor vs. Humanity: Wearing a "shield of protective armor" to appear strong can often be perceived by others as a lack of emotion or empathy. - Humanize Your Leadership: Small, deliberate actions—like spending the first few minutes of a meeting on personal connection—can bridge the gap between performance and humanity. - Embrace Discomfort: Stepping into the "zone of discomfort" is necessary for high-performers to learn how to show vulnerability and lead as their whole selves.   Episode Chapters:   00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:52 Meet Victoria Pelletier: A Story of Resilience 03:02 Victoria's Early Life and Challenges 05:07 The Iron Maiden: Leadership and Resilience 07:25 Balancing Strength and Vulnerability in Leadership  14:25 Maintaining Authenticity in Corporate Leadership 16:53 Closing Remarks and Future Plans 23:00 Final Thoughts and Farewell

FranBridge is led by its Founder, Jon Ostenson, a top 1% Franchise Consultant in the US, and a frequent contributor on franchising across a variety of outlets and publications. Jon is a multi-brand franchisee himself, and along with his business partners, he has great operators leading these ventures. As a result, he is able to commit over 90% of his time to helping others achieve their own dreams of freedom and wealth generation through business ownership. Prior to FranBridge, Jon was the President of ShelfGenie, a national franchise system with 200 locations. Before he began his franchising career with ShelfGenie, Jon spent 15 years in the corporate world, most recently as the Vice President of Sales for Carter's Inc., responsible for over $350M in annual sales. Jon began his career as a Consultant with Accenture, often working internationally on behalf of clients. Jon serves on the Board of the Entrepreneurs Organization and is active in supporting charitable organizations, including Growing Leaders and Hope International. Jon has BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Georgia and lives in Atlanta, where he and his wife, Jenny, have 3 children and are very active in the community.

What if your AI systems could explain why something will happen before it does, rather than simply reacting after the damage is done? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Zubair Magrey, co-founder and CEO of Ergodic AI, to unpack a different way of thinking about artificial intelligence, one that focuses on understanding how complex systems actually behave. Zubair's journey begins in aerospace engineering at Rolls-Royce, moves through a decade of large-scale enterprise AI programs at Accenture, and ultimately leads to building Ergodic, a company developing what he describes as world models for enterprise decision making. World models are often mentioned in research circles, but rarely explained in a way that business leaders can connect to real operational decisions. In our conversation, Zubair breaks that gap down clearly. Instead of training AI to spot patterns in past data and assume the future will look the same, world-model AI focuses on cause and effect. It builds a structured representation of how an organization works, how different parts interact, and how actions ripple through the system over time. The result is an AI approach that can simulate outcomes, test scenarios, and help teams understand the consequences of decisions before they commit to them. We explored why this matters so much as organizations move toward agentic AI, where systems are expected to recommend or even execute actions autonomously. Without an understanding of constraints, dependencies, and system dynamics, those agents can easily produce confident but unrealistic recommendations. Zubair explains how Ergodic uses ideas from physics and system theory to respect real-world limits like capacity, time, inventory, and causality, and why ignoring those principles leads to fragile AI deployments that struggle under pressure. The conversation also gets practical. Zubair shares how world-model simulations are being used in supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, and CPG environments to detect early risks, anticipate disruptions, and evaluate trade-offs before problems cascade across customers and regions. We discuss why waiting for perfect data often stalls AI adoption, how Ergodic's data-agnostic approach works alongside existing systems, and what it takes to deliver ROI that teams actually trust and use. Finally, we step back and look at the organizational side of AI adoption. As AI becomes embedded into daily workflows, cultural change, experimentation, and trust become just as important as models and metrics. Zubair offers a grounded view on how leaders can prepare their teams for faster cycles of change without losing confidence or control. As enterprises look ahead to a future shaped by autonomous systems and real-time decision making, are we building AI that truly understands how our organizations work, or are we still guessing based on the past, and what would it take to change that? Useful Links Connect with Zubair Magrey Learn more about Ergodic AI Thanks to our sponsors, Alcor, for supporting the show.

Ever wonder what it actually takes to turn hundreds of "no's" into a category-defining business? From rejection after rejection to building the fastest-growing water company in the world, Shadi Bakour's journey is the ultimate story of perseverance, focus, and execution. Recorded live at 2025 Business Mastery, this episode features Shadi, Co-founder and CEO of PATHWATER, sharing with Tony how a simple idea became a category-defining brand. Discover how Shadi navigated massive challenges—selling water door-to-door, scaling into over 60,000 stores, and eliminating more than 500 million plastic bottles—by staying resourceful, mission-driven, and authentic. This conversation dives deep into the mindset, resilience, and strategies that separate founders who quit from those who redefine their industries. Want to experience transformational growth for your own business? Join Business Mastery, happening virtually January 14–18, 2026, to learn directly from Tony Robbins and world-class faculty. Secure your spot to Business Mastery here: https://tonyr.co/4cB5IkU      Tony Robbins is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the nation's #1 Life and Business Strategist. For more than four and a half decades, more than 100 million people from 195 countries have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of his business and personal development events.  Mr. Robbins is the author of seven internationally bestselling books, including three #1 New York Times bestsellers: Money: Master the Game, Unshakeable, and Life Force. He created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time, and more than 10 million people have attended his live seminars. Anthony Robbins is the chairman of a holding company comprising more than 110 privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $7 billion a year. He has been named in the top 50 of Worth Magazine's 100 most powerful people in global finance for three consecutive years, honored by Accenture as one of the "Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World''; by Harvard Business Press as one of the "Top 200 Business Gurus"; and by American Express as one of the "Top Six Business Leaders in the World" to coach its entrepreneurial clients. Fortune's recent cover article named him the "CEO Whisperer." He is a leader called upon by leaders, and has worked with four US presidents, top entertainers -- from Aerosmith to Green Day, to Usher and Pitbull, as well as athletes like Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and the 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Billionaire business leaders seek his advice as well; casino magnate Steve Wynn, and Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff are among those grateful for his coaching.