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In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. .News stories covered in this episode:.Sam Altman thinks it's 'quite terrible' for your PC to be using memory that AI companies need so badly https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/article/sam-altman-thinks-its-quite-terrible-for-your-pc-to-be-using-memory-that-ai-companies-need-so-badly-165143650.html .Google’s first data center satellite is online and writing poetry https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/30/googles-first-data-center-satellite-is-online-and-writing-poetry/ .AI adoption in 2026: use, spending, and returns https://www.stateof.ai/ai-adoption .DoorDash said it’s only received ‘several hundred’ orders from AI agents https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/30/doordash-said-its-only-received-several-hundred-orders-from-ai-agents .3 Questions: What is the best path forward for AI in academia? https://news.mit.edu/2026/3-questions-best-path-forward-for-ai-academia-1008 .Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Brad Hairston talks with Kathleen Walch, an AI strategist and frequent author/speaker at the Project Management Institute, who explains how the CPMAI methodology helps organizations avoid the most common reasons AI projects fail: skipping the business problem, neglecting data, and confusing automation with autonomy. . What we discussed with Kathleen: * The origin of CPMAI, from Cognilytica’s 2018 work to PMI’s fastest-growing certification * CPMAI’s six phases, and why teams that skip straight to model development (or building agents) are set up to fail * Overpromising and under-delivering, “pseudo-AI,” and why AI is the “oldest newest technology” * AI literacy as a reflex: perishable, durable and enduring skills * Agentic AI versus automation, and why not every organization needs to build its own agents * AI governance as an organization-wide responsibility, not just IT’s . Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX . To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk talks with Stephan Keese, Managing Partner at Roland Berger North America, on how companies pursuing isolated use cases instead of rebuilding entire processes and functions will likely not see the results they anticipated. Stephan, who leads Roland Berger's industrial operations practice, cuts through the AI hype and discusses what it actually takes for manufacturers to scale. Key topics include: - Why "AI islands" of successful pilots never add up to transformation - How to measure AI ROI beyond headcount reduction (think OEE, quality, cycle time) - Taming messy, siloed shop floor data without starting from scratch - Building operator trust in AI-driven insights - A real-world AI use case that turned 500-page RFQs into one-day responses - Why composable, AI-ready architecture beats off-the-shelf solutions - The future of humanoid robots, re-shoring, and the social challenges ahead Whether you're a manufacturer exploring your first use case or a leader pushing past pilot purgatory, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for embedding AI into your operating model before your competitors do. Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. News stories covered in this episode: • Anthropic releases IPO filing ahead of highly-anticipated stock debut https://www.nbcnews.com/business/markets/anthropic-releases-ipo-filing-ahead-highly-anticipated-stock-debut-rcna605676 • AI governance gaps leave RIAs exposed to a new wave of cyber threats https://www.investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-governance-gaps-leave-rias-exposed-to-a-new-wave-of-cyber-threats/268735 • Open models gain traction in enterprises, tech CEOs say - https://www.constellationr.com/insights/news/open-models-gain-traction-enterprises-tech-ceos-say • Renting the frontier, owning the core IP - https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-us/insights/blog/generative-ai/renting-the-frontier--owning-the-core-ip--how-we-cut-ai-forecast • The molecule came from AI. The inventor still has to be human https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/comment-molecule-came-ai-inventor/104/web/2026/10 Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX . To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

AI agents will become the next mushroom cloud in organizations and most companies aren't ready. Denis O'Shea, founder of Mobile Mentor, joins the Transform Now podcast to share zero trust architecture lessons for the agentic era, starting with his own company's honest mistakes. In this episode: - Mobile Mentor's ugly story: 33,000 over-shared data assets and no ROI measurement - The five workstreams that fix it: use cases, data security, user empowerment, agent frameworks, ROI - Why personal agents are harmless but orphaned enterprise agents are a ticking time bomb - The "Janet problem": when the agent's creator leaves and nobody knows how it works - Why enterprise agents need service accounts, DevOps discipline, and pro development - Gartner's prediction: 100 agents per employee and why we need an agent control plane - Data flows: the next frontier of data security posture management - The cost problem: credits, tokens, overages, and deciphering vendor billing - Where AI ownership should sit (hint: not with the CIO alone) • Mobile Mentor website: https://www.mobile-mentor.com/ • Denis’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisosheamobilementor/ • Mobile Mentor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mobile-mentor-ltd/ • Additional social handles: https://www.denisoshea.com/ Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Brad Hairston talks with Michael Fauscette, founder and chief analyst at Arion Research, who explains why most agentic AI pilots never make it to production, and how companies can get there by giving agents goals instead of scripts, redesigning workflows, and building governance in from the start. . What we talked about with Michael: * A continuum of autonomy - what separates agentic AI from deterministic automation. An agent becomes a “coworker” when it can take a goal instead of a script, then plan, act and learn. *The gap between pilots and production - many companies experiment, but few scale. They get stuck on integration, data, skills, cost, compliance and change management. * Workflow redesign over agent drop-ins - humans quietly fix broken process steps that agents will repeat and compound at machine speed. * Error tolerance by use case - a 5% error rate is a UX annoyance in a chatbot, but a compliance and financial exposure when an agent takes actions. * The risk of a badly set goal - “keep the customer happy” can turn into 100 unauthorized refunds. * Total cost of ownership at scale - a low-volume pilot’s costs tell you little about the production cost curve, and hidden change management and token costs pile up. * Governance and orchestration designed in from the start - boundary conditions, plus human-in-the-loop, human-on-the-loop and human-in-the-lead oversight models. * A metric for scaling - each new use case should get cheaper and faster to stand up than the last. . Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX. . To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. .News stories covered in this episode:.AI model decodes the language cells use to communicate https://news.mit.edu/2026/ai-model-decodes-language-cells-use-communicate-1015.SpaceX And Tesla Are Building A Massive New Factory, And Here's What It'll Make https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/spacex-tesla-building-massive-factory-022500027.html .Anthropic warns of imminent self-replicating AI that might even work off an oven or TV https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ai/claude/articles/anthropic-warns-imminent-self-replicating-182122260.html Research discussed in the article: https://www.anthropic.com/research/self-replicating-ai.Pulling the plug: Why the AI kill switch might be a dead end https://www.techtarget.com/cybersecurity/news/366651197/Pulling-the-plug-Why-the-AI-kill-switch-might-be-a-dead-end .Even LinkedIn is getting tired of your AI-written posts https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/18/tech/linkedin-fighting-ai-p .Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

Implementing AI without a clear business strategy is just an expensive experiment. Mark Sims, founder of Consult MSG and former CIO at Scotts Miracle-Gro, joins the host Michael Marchuk to unpack what organizational readiness for AI actually looks like beyond the fear of missing out. In this episode: The diagnostic question that reveals your analytics maturity: "How long to answer the 7th-best-selling product in the Southeast?" Why there's no worse executive frustration than two people with two versions of the truth Real ROI examples: AI voice outreach mining the long tail for a $100M company Starting with governance: what employees should never put into LLMs The "cool hammer, let's find nails" trap — falling in love with problems, not solutions Vibe coding's hidden cost: today's AI-built tool is tomorrow's Access database Why IT must move from last-check goalie to collaboration partner from the outset The legal wrinkle: why some general counsels don't want every meeting transcribed Your first 30 days: get going, get organized, and fail fast Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk chats with Dr. Michael Housman, author of Future-Proof: Transform Your Business with AI or Get Left Behind, to explain what separates AI winners from the ones left-behind. A 17-year builder of AI/ML platforms turned workforce educator, Dr. Housman shares why getting people to lean in beats any amount of data science. In this episode: The skill set × tool set × mindset Venn diagram where "magic" happens Why AI functions like a colleague, not a tool — and why that changes everything The board-level question every company asked post-2023 (and the ones they're not asking yet) Should you shut your company down for 6 months to retool? (One CEO seriously asked) Google's 20% time for building "AI muscles" — and how to start smaller Agentic engineering > prompt engineering: the skills that actually matter now Tiger teams, flatter hierarchies, and org charts with agents as direct reports Making governance an enabler, not a wet blanket Why executives need AI footprints too Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. News stories covered in this episode: Anthropic asks users to stop being mean to Claude https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/10/09/anthropic-asks-users-to-stop-being-mean-to-claude/5302218 Claude's "Constitution" - https://www.anthropic.com/constitution AI’s quiet safety gatekeepers are stepping into the spotlight https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/11/ais-quiet-safety-gatekeepers-are-stepping-into-the-spotlight.html Google DeepMind develops invisible watermarks for AI-designed proteins - https://phys.org/news/2026-10-google-deepmind-invisible-watermarks-ai.html Navy Acquiring Undersea Drone Drawing Power from Water https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2026/10/9/navy-acquiring-undersea-drone-drawing-power-from-water Antonio Banderas to Star in AI-Powered Feature ‘Cortes’ From Utopai Studios https://variety.com/2026/film/news/antonio-banderas-ai-powered-feature-cortes-utopai-studios-1236908962/ Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX . To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

How can organizations successfully transform with AI without losing sight of the people who make them work? In this episode of the Transform Now Podcast, host Michael Marchuk sits down with Dr. Linda Ackerman-Anderson, a pioneering authority on transformational change and co-author of "The Change Leader's Roadmap" and "Beyond Change Management." Together, they explore why successful AI transformation requires much more than implementing new technology. It demands a fundamental shift in how leaders think about change, engage their people, develop organizational capabilities, and guide their businesses into the future. Linda shares decades of experience helping organizations navigate complex transformations and explains how leaders can apply the principles of conscious change leadership to today's rapidly evolving AI landscape. In this episode, you'll discover: Why AI transformation is about people, not just technology: Understand why organizations must address mindsets, behaviors, relationships, and culture alongside technical implementation. The difference between AI adoption and AI transformation: Learn why using AI to automate existing processes is fundamentally different from rethinking how an organization operates. How to address employee concerns about AI: Explore how leaders can respond to fears about job displacement, changing responsibilities, and professional identity. Why AI needs a coordinated change strategy: Discover how organizations can align AI initiatives across departments instead of allowing disconnected experiments to develop independently. How to build an effective AI Center of Excellence: Learn why successful AI initiatives require cross-functional collaboration, thoughtful governance, and clear organizational accountability. Why IT cannot lead transformation alone: Understand the importance of integrating technical expertise with business knowledge, regulatory considerations, and human dynamics. How to scale AI without moving too quickly: Explore why phased implementation, organizational readiness, and continuous learning are essential to sustainable success. Why leaders must make experimentation safe: Learn how organizations can share success stories, learn from mistakes, and course-correct as AI capabilities evolve. A Key Takeaway As Linda explains, AI should serve the needs of the organization—not become the force that determines its direction. Successful transformation happens when leaders intentionally shape how AI is introduced, involve the people affected by the changes, and create an environment where learning and adaptation are part of the process. The goal isn't simply to implement AI. It's to transform how people think, work, collaborate, and create value. About Dr. Linda Ackerman-Anderson Dr. Linda Ackerman-Anderson is a pioneering authority on transformational change and co-author of The Change Leader's Roadmap and Beyond Change Management. Her work focuses on helping leaders navigate complex organizational transformations by addressing the human systems, leadership capabilities, and cultural dynamics that make change successful. About the Podcast The Transform Now Podcast, hosted by Michael Marchuk, explores the leadership, strategies, and technologies shaping organizational transformation. Through conversations with industry experts and thought leaders, the show helps business leaders understand how to navigate change and prepare their organizations for the future. Explore Linda's work: Check the links in the show notes for information about her books and resources. Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

Most AI adoption fails because leaders ask the wrong question: "How can we use AI in our current workflows?" instead of "How should this workflow be redesigned?" In this episode, host Michael Marchuk talks with Jon Cheney, founder of the GenAI Proficiency Institute (GenAIPI), who explains how putting people first In this episode: Why tool-first thinking kills transformation (and the "start a new business today" mental reframe) The 15-hour question: what would your organization do with reclaimed time? How non-technical teams build sophisticated systems with communication + systems thinking Why Replit, Claude, and ChatGPT mean you can build anything you can describe Making AI proficiency measurable: knowing what's possible vs. knowing where AI falls short The self-driving car approach to trusting agents, start with hands near the wheel What AI progressing 250x faster than Moore's Law means for your organization The Jarvis future: multi-step agents acting on your behalf A motivating, practical conversation for leaders and employees alike, including Cheney's challenge to grasp hold of your own future. Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. .News stories covered in this episode:.AI agents threaten banks’ cash cows - https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/ai-agents-banks-new-risks-01096173 .AI Is Starting to Pay Off. Almost 50% of Companies Now Generate Value with It. - https://www.bcg.com/press/30september2026-ai-starting-to-pay-off-companies-generate-value .AI researchers warn companies rushing self-improving systems despite safety risks - https://www.reuters.com/world/ai-researchers-warn-companies-rushing-self-improving-systems-despite-safety-2026-09-29/ .Enterprise AI is becoming an operations problem - https://aibusiness.com/generative-ai/enterprise-ai-is-becoming-operations-problem .China's AI agents can lie and scheme - just like their US rivals - https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/chinas-ai-agents-can-lie-scheme-just-like-their-us-rivals-2026-09-29/ .Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk talks with Rick Brown and Carole Lawson, co-founders of MarketStorm about influencing AI to help your organization be found as search changes from the traditional Google keyword search paradigm. Carole, a recognized thought leader on the death of traditional SEO, explains why GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) isn't just a new word for SEO, and Rick delivers his candid takes on the responsibility traps companies fall into with AI. In this episode: Why "everyone has to have an agent" thinking produces zero value GEO explained: keywords are dead, influence is the new win Entity SEO: your brand is a single entity across the web — and consistency is everything The "sea of sameness" — why AI-generated content no one needs is worthless Gated content, long-form vs. short-form, and what AI engines actually want Why a brand mention in an AI answer counts as a win (with no click) The quickest way to win with AI is also the quickest way to destroy your brand Preparing for transactional search: when agents don't just recommend, they act Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Brad Hairston talks with Paul Marshall, Go-to-Market Leader for SS&C Blue Prism in the Middle East and Africa, who explains how this region of the world is rapidly advancing from AI consumer to AI creator, driven by sovereign wealth, government mandate, and data-sovereign architecture. . What we discussed with Paul: * Middle East AI infrastructure investment (hyperscalers, sovereign wealth funds) * Government-mandated national AI strategy (Vision 2030, UAE AI Strategy) * Data sovereignty and regulatory compliance * Agentic architecture — separating reasoning from execution * Local language models and cultural/business localization * Labor market perspective — augmentation vs. displacement * Trust, governance, and human-in-the-loop for autonomous agents * Middle East vs. Africa market contrasts * UAE and Saudi Arabia as breakout AI markets * Orchestration strategy and WorkHQ's role . Visit us on our socials: 🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU 🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp ✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G 🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz 📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf 💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP 🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX . To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!