Gen AI Breakthrough

Welcome to The Hackett Group’s “ Gen AI Breakthrough” podcast, where top experts give actionable artificial intelligence (AI) insights, expert advice and strategies to achieve breakthrough business performance. In this episode, hosts Dan McCabe and Jay Ruffin explore how organizations can future-proof their technology stacks to fully capitalize on AI’s potential. 

On this episode of the Gen AI Breakthrough podcast, Kyle Robichaud and Jay Ruffin discuss the challenges organizations face in realizing value from their AI investments and explore why a lack of proper structure, rather than technology limitations, hinders success. They highlight the importance of establishing a Center of Excellence (COE) to provide the operating models, governance, and prioritiza...

On this episode of the Gen AI Breakthrough podcast, Harry Osle, Chief Human Resources Officer at The Hackett Group®, speaks with Laura-Elizabeth Ware, Senior Vice President of HCM Cloud and Agentic Applications for North America at Oracle, about how AI is reshaping the future of human resources. They discuss the shift from HR as a support function to HR as a strategic driver of business transforma...

On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, hosts Harish Murthy and Ryan Sebastiani discuss emerging technology outsourcing trends for 2025. They highlight an increase in outsourcing spend and a shift in contracting models due to economic uncertainties and growing demand for digital services. The conversation emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and long-term val...

On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Kyle McNabb leads a discussion with technology transformation leaders Jay Ruffin and Salil Kulkarni about the evolving landscape of digital technology organizations. They explore how proactive engagement from CEOs and a focus on AI automation are driving productivity and competitive differentiation amidst market uncertainty. The conve...

On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Jessica Haley and David Gibbens discuss the findings from their annual HR Digital World Class®, highlighting key trends in the evolution of HR practices. They emphasize the importance of technology investment and digital enablement within HR operations, which allows organizations to shift their focus toward more strategic activities....

 On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Chris Sawchuk and Nic Walden discuss the concept of digital world-class performance and its implications for organizations in today’s volatile environment. They explore how procurement teams can leverage AI and data-driven insights to develop agile supply chains that thrive amid uncertainty and complexity. By examining historical tre...

 On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough podcast" , the hosts delve into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on various industries. They discuss the concept of Digital World Class®, exploring how businesses can leverage AI to achieve operational excellence and enhanced customer experiences. Through insightful interviews and real-world examples, the episode highlights...

On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Andy Warzecka, Tracee Bowles, and Matt Merker discuss the newly released Digital World Class® Matrix Payroll study. They highlight the critical importance of payroll accuracy and the need for in-depth market analysis to understand provider capabilities and client satisfaction. The conversation also touches on the potential for automat...

On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Thomas Kellaway interviews Placid Jover, the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Teva Pharmaceuticals. They discuss Placid's leadership philosophy, which emphasizes leveraging data and analytics to unlock the potential of individuals and teams within an organization. 

 On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, hosts Matt Williams and Dan McCabe delve into the critical topic of successful deployments of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for organizations. They discuss the significance of ERP systems as a backbone for modern businesses and highlight the strategic steps necessary to overcome common misconceptions and challenges faced...

On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough” podcast, host and The Hackett Group’s Global Payroll Advisory practice leader Tracee Bowles facilitates the discussion exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and global payroll. Joined by Dayforce’s chief AI officer David Lloyd and The Hackett Group’s senior vice president and head of the AI practice John Thompson, they highlight the...

On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough” podcast, Associate Principal, Nic Walden interviews Chief Procurement Officer, Alex Farrow of the Kindred Group to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the digital gambling industry. Alex shares insights into how the Kindred Group leverages AI to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making and automate processes within their operations....

On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Kyle McNabb hosts a discussion on the importance of proof of concept (POC) in testing AI solutions, highlighting its role in feasibility assessment and resource efficiency. Guests Kyle Robichaud and Jay Ruffin emphasize key factors such as data quality, risk mitigation, and alignment with organizational goals that influence the success of...

 On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", host Penny Weller speaks with Opella's Karan R Bhatia about the critical role of branding for Global Business Services (GBS) hubs in a world increasingly influenced by Gen AI. Tune in to get answers to strategic questions like – Why having a reputation as a GBS hub can be beneficial to a company? How can Gen AI be an enabler for...

In this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", Kyle McNabb and Joe Nathan discuss how IT organizations are evolving to enable AI adoption across enterprises while transforming their own operating models. They explore the critical role IT plays in scaling AI responsibly, redefining governance, functions, and roles, and leveraging AI to enhance IT operations and development efficien...

 In this episode of "The Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", Jessica Haley and Amanda Newfield discuss the major challenges facing HR in 2025, including rising workloads, resource constraints, and persistent leadership gaps. They explore how strategic prioritization, HR tech optimization, and generative AI adoption can alleviate pressures and unlock capacity, particularly in talent acquisition...

This episode of The Hackett Group’s Gen AI Breakthrough podcast explores the evolving skill sets finance professionals need to thrive in the age of generative AI. Hosts Kimberly Myers Dennis and Sherri Liao discuss the impact of AI on finance talent, emphasizing data literacy, ethical decision-making, and digital business partnering to ensure organizations successfully integrate AI alongside human...

 In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Siobhan Riggott, Vin Kumar and Martijn Geerling discuss the findings of The Hackett Group’s 2025 GBS Key Issues Study. Key topics include the top challenges facing global business services (GBS) leaders – cybersecurity threats, labor costs and employee turnover—along with strategies for cost leadership, value creation, service expansion, and t...

 In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Andy Warzecha, Jessica Haley and Matt Merker discuss The Hackett Group’s Talent Acquisition Digital World Class® Matrix Study. They explore how tech vendors are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance recruiter efficiency, reduce hiring costs, and improve candidate quality, while highlighting key differentiators and emerging trends...

This episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast” explores findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Procurement Key Issues Study, focusing on top priorities like the scaling of Gen AI, cost reduction, supply continuity and the evolving procurement operating model. Hosts Vicky Kavan and Chris Sawchuk discuss the disruptive impact of generative AI, the need for digital transformation, and the growing...

In this episode of The Hackett Group’s “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Sherri Liao and Kimberly Myers Dennis of The Hackett Group explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping financial planning and enterprise advisement. From centralized service delivery models to the democratization of data science, the discussion highlights how finance professionals can evolve into strategic partners wit...

In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Kyle McNabb and Vince Griffin discuss findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Finance Key Issues Study, highlighting the evolving role of finance as a valued business partner. They explore major challenges, including AI adoption, while also addressing priorities like cash flow optimization, cost-efficiency and data governance. 

This episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast” explores findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Enterprise Key Issues Study, with a focus on the rapid adoption of generative AI. Hosted by Andy Warzecha – with insights from Kyle McNabb, Vince Griffin and Harry Osle – the discussion covers AI-driven transformation, workforce skill gaps, and the challenges of scaling AI initiatives while balancing...

In this episode of the Business Excelleration® podcast, Vin Kumar speaks with IBM about their new transformative strategy. Learn how data is the “secret sauce” behind AI-powered insights and how to get it right for meaningful outcomes. The conversation also explores strategies like fostering cultural adoption, empowering teams with self-service tools, and co-creating with IBM's “Client Zero”...