AWS - Conversations with Leaders

Hear from Des Traynor, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, about the revolutionary impact of AI on customer service. Traynor shares insights into Intercom's AI journey, including the recent launch of their advanced AI agent, and discusses how their product management philosophy of "starting with the problem" has shaped their strategy. The episode offers valuable perspectives on fostering innovation, the current state and future of AI in customer support, and provides actionable advice for executives aiming to improve customer experience in the AI era.

In this episode, Kumar Chebrolu, principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and Elevance Health’s Chief Data and Digital Transformation Officer Ashok Chennuru discuss how cloud migration creates the foundation for exceptional "whole health" human-centric experiences in healthcare at scale with AI and generative AI. They explore how unified data management, digital transformation, and strategic technology choices are empowering healthcare organizations to better understand patient needs, personalize experiences, enhance operational efficiency, and offer insights executives can apply to their own industries.

In this episode, Dynatrace CEO Rick McConnell shares his insights on Dynatrace's mission to help organizations navigate the increasing complexity of modern software environments, and how the company's observability platform and AI-powered capabilities are empowering digital transformation. McConnell also highlights his unique approach to building a high-performing, collaborative culture that balances competitiveness with empathy and work-life harmony, and his perspecitve on what factors make an effective CEO.

In this episode, AWS Enterprise Strategists provide a roadmap for organizations who may feel they've missed the first-mover advantage with generative AI. They share practical advice on overcoming common barriers like analysis paralysis, managing risk, and upskilling teams. Listeners will learn how to unlock the true potential of generative AI by starting small, lowering the cost of failure, and leveraging the scalability and flexibility of the cloud, and get insight into a realistic, action-oriented perspective for organizations determined to catch up and thrive in the generative AI era.

The rapid advancement of generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the modern workplace. As organizations grapple with the challenges and opportunities presented by this transformative technology, leaders must develop strategic approaches to effectively integrate AI and empower their workforce. In this episode, AWS Enterprise Strategists Tom Soderstrom, Matthias Patzak, and Arvind Mathur will explore the evolving role of AI in the workplace and provide actionable insights to help organizations navigate this dynamic landscape. Learn more at: https://aws.amazon.com/executive-insights/workforce/

Many corporate innovation programs fail due to a disconnect between an organization's stated cultural values and its actual people practices. This episode explores how talent strategy - from performance evaluation to compensation philosophy - can either support or undermine an organization's innovation efforts, providing real-world examples of companies that have grappled with this challenge.

In this episode, Tanuja Randery, Managing Director of EMEA at AWS, is joined by Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy. They explore how Octopus is leveraging technology and data to reinvent the energy industry, with the goal of providing customers with greener power at a lower price point. Greg shares insights into Octopus' unique company culture and the principles that have guided the rapid growth and innovation of the business.

Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize industries and organizations, but how much will it cost your business, and how do you measure return on that investment? In this episode, get practical guidance on estimating the costs of generative AI adoption, from model selection to infrastructure requirements. Learn how to quantifying the productivity gains and efficiency improvements enabled by generative AI, strategies for upskilling your workforce, and advice on driving organization-wide adoption of generative AI capabilities.Resources:Amazon Bedrock: https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/Amazon Q: https://aws.amazon.com/q/AWS Generative AI Innovation Center: https://aws.amazon.com/generative-ai/innovation-center/

The concept of 'business resilience' traditionally centers on an organization's capacity to handle failures and endure disruptions. However, truly resilient businesses go beyond mere response strategies; they proactively design and rigorously test plans to prevent such setbacks. In fact, the most resilient businesses don’t just withstand disruption, they create it. In this discussion, AWS Enterprise Strategists Miriam McLemore, Chris Hennesey, and Clarke Rodgers will explore the notion of business resilience through the lens of a 'disruptor’s mindset.' They will highlight how embracing innovation not only fosters a competitive edge, but also propels the entire industry forward.

Explore the critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership with Rich Hua, AWS's Worldwide Head of EPIC Leadership, Innovation and Transformation Programs. Rich discusses how leaders can manage their own stress and mindset to effectively lead digital transformation and innovation initiatives in the age of rapid AI advancements. He also shares strategies for cultivating trust, psychological safety, and generative disagreement within organizations to unlock the full potential of human-AI collaboration.

In the evolving landscape of cloud technology, effectively managing finances is paramount to organizational success. However, while many organizations reap the benefits of cloud services, they often have blind spots that reduce financial visibility and control. This episode, co-written by AWS Enterprise Strategist Chris Hennesey and Rich Hoyer, co-founder of FinOptik, examines four common blind spots that can evade even the most vigilant executives’ radars.Read more on the AWS Enterprise Strategy blog: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/enterprise-strategy/

Many companies have found that a cloud center of excellence (CCOE) can accelerate their migrations to the cloud and broader digital transformations. These CCOEs take many forms, which is appropriate because each company has unique challenges to overcome. Nevertheless there are certain patterns and antipatterns for using a CCOE, and in this episode Enterprise Strategist Mark Schwartz will clarify the purpose of a CCOE, its composition and operation, and the impact you should expect from it. Hear more on these topics on the Enterprise Strategy blog: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/enterprise-strategy/

Hear from Mike Linton, co-founder and CTO of Parsyl, a data-powered risk management and insurance solution for essential supply chains. By leveraging real-time data and generative AI, Parsyl is able to offer more transparent pricing that incentivizes customers to improve efficiency and sustainability within their supply chains, ultimately reducing waste and emissions. This novel approach has allowed Parsyl to quickly scale and reshape what the insurance industry can look like.Resources:Amazon Bedrock: https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/Amazon Q: https://aws.amazon.com/q/AWS Generative AI Innovation Center: https://aws.amazon.com/generative-ai/innovation-center/

Join Tanuja Randery, AWS VP and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa, in a conversation with Nuno Teles, Managing Director for Diageo Great Britain. Nuno shares insights into the company's commitment to talent development, as well as his own leadership journey and the influential mentors who have shaped his approach. This episode offers a unique glimpse into the strategic and human-centric perspective driving one of the world's leading consumer brands, including how they're using AI to personalize their customers' experience.

In this special episode, listen in on a panel from AWS Summit Washington DC 2024, featuring: Elizabeth Kelly, Director, US AI Safety Institute, National Institute of Standards & Technology; Rep. Ami Bera, M.D. , U.S. House of Representatives; Michael Sellitto, Head of Global Affairs, Anthropic; Dr. Radha Plumb, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Department of Defense; and Olivia Igbokwe, Head of Federal Affairs and Federal AI, AWSLeaders from government and industry discuss the rapid advancements in generative AI technology and the critical need to ensure its responsible development and use. Experts explore the opportunities AI presents, such as improved healthcare and national security, as well as emerging challenges around mitigating risks like disinformation and misuse. The conversation highlights the importance of public-private partnership, global coordination, and iterative research to advance AI safety and enable ethical innovation.

In this special episode, listen in on a panel from AWS Summit Washington DC 2024, featuring: Steve Schmidt, Vice President and CSO, Amazon; Avery Alpha, Director, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Intelligence & Analysis, Department of Homeland Security, and Jake Braun, Acting Principal National Cyber Director, White House office of the National Cyber Director.In an age where technology reigns supreme, it's time to shift our focus from the technical to the human aspect of information security. While many perceive cybersecurity as solely a technical challenge, our adversaries are undeniably human, driven by complex motivations ranging from financial gain to ideology. Drawing parallels to espionage, our panelists will dissect the importance of embedding security into organizational culture and DNA. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion as we explore the critical role of people in safeguarding against cyber threats. From understanding adversaries' motives to fostering a security-conscious culture, our panel will delve into strategies for navigating the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Gain invaluable insights into asking the right questions and crafting an integrated security strategy tailored to the demands of this new tech-forward era.

In this episode, Tanuja Randery of AWS sits down with Dave Hallett, Chief Science Officer and Interim CEO of Exscientia, to discuss how the company is leveraging AI and cloud technology to transform the drug discovery process. Hallett explains Exscientia's approach to improving efficiency and patient success rates, and explores the importance of partnerships and building diverse, high-performing teams in the rapidly evolving landscape of scientific innovation.Resources:Amazon Bedrock: https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/Amazon Q: https://aws.amazon.com/q/AWS Generative AI Innovation Center: https://aws.amazon.com/generative-ai/innovation-center/

In this episode, Nobuo Asahi and Dr. Shoji Tanaka of Mitsubishi Electric discuss their journey to drive digital transformation across the 100-year-old manufacturing conglomerate. They share how they have leveraged the Working Backwards methodology from Amazon to better understand customer needs and develop innovative new solutions, as well as the cultural challenges of shifting from a siloed, rule-driven organization to one that is more agile and data-driven. The conversation highlights the importance of patience, embracing new technologies, and fostering a mindset of experimentation to successfully lead large-scale organizational change.

New research from IBM and AWS shows that 76% of generative AI projects aren't being secured. Join us for a conversation with Dimple Ahluwalia and Ryan Dougherty of IBM and Clarke Rodgers of AWS as we dig into the research findings to answer why 70% of executives say their organizations are prioritizing innovation over security. Listen in and learn what it takes to securely implement generative AI technologies.Read the full report on Executive Insights: https://aws.amazon.com/executive-insights/content/securing-generative-ai-what-matters-now/

In today's episode, hear from Jean-Simon Venne, the CTO and co-founder of BrainBox AI, a company using artificial intelligence to optimize energy efficiency and reduce emissions in commercial buildings. Venne discusses how BrainBox AI's technology leverages AI and machine learning to autonomously manage building systems, leading to energy savings of up to 40% and significant emissions reductions across their portfolio of over 13,000 deployed buildings. Listeners will learn how implementing a virtual assistant powered by AI and natural language processing can help building managers and portfolio owners quickly identify issues, diagnose root causes, and implement solutions without extensive manual effort.Resources:Amazon Bedrock: https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/Amazon Q: https://aws.amazon.com/q/AWS Generative AI Innovation Center: https://aws.amazon.com/generative-ai/innovation-center/