There’s a moment in AI adoption where the question changes. You stop asking “should we try this?” and start asking “how do we scale what’s working?”
This week, I led a half-day workshop at Hellman & Friedman’s CMO Summit in NYC for CMOs in its portfolio companies like Baker Tilly, Zendesk, Athenahealth, Allfunds, Circana, Claritev, Enverus, PointClickCare, Checkmarx, and more.
We focused on driving change confidently with grace and compassionâpeople-first, AI-forward. We worked through four shifts critical in scaling AI:
From answer engine to thought partner
Go beyond simply asking AI to give an answer. Start using it to pressure-test your thinking and find blind spots.
From faster to better to different
Speed is table stakes. Quality separates you from the noise. But the real opportunity is doing work that wasn’t possible before.
From tools to teammates to workflows
Individual AI use is OK. But you get more value when you orchestrate AI teammates into full workflows that handle entire processes.
From org charts to work charts
Map how work actually flows across teams (breaking down silos), then design AI teammates to fit into those workflows with humans guiding them.
Lots of great discussion about changing buyer behaviors, real-life human + AI org transformation case studies with results, and practical learning seeing AI in action.
Then we traded slides and laptops for chef’s hats, aprons, and spatulas. Turns out execs transforming marketing orgs can also nail a perfectly seared salmon and Brussels sprouts with tamarind glaze, especially when there’s competition and 80s music.
And because Misty was determined to win, she worked with ChatGPT to write us a song about our cooking. Set to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, we performed it. The video will never see daylight. đ€Ș
A big thank thank you to Heidi Melin, Esmeralda Pelayo, and to the entire H&F team for your people-first values and for this annual CMO event. Heidi, you are truly an inspiration to CMOs.
RenĂ©e Gapen, Sarah Gavin, John Flannery, Karolus Viitala, Keri Brooke, Megan Hanley, Sabine Mullin, Misty Muscatel Davis, Scott Gainey, Piper Turner, Thomas KrauĂe, Stacy Simpson, Katherine Sloan, Melissa Humphrey, loved spending the last couple of days with you. You reminded me why I love this work. Looking forward to continuing on this AI learning journey with you.
And Karolus from Finland is right: this is hands down the most amazing, awesomest, best in the world CMO Summit. IYKYK.
P.S. Want to see where you are on the 4 shifts? I built a quick interactive assessment that gives you instant guidance on what to do next. Link in comments.