GenAI Day Agenda

Chris Knotts: “AI Adoption in Real Organizations”

• Will they let us use it?
• Will I let them use it?
• How do big orgs roll out AI compliantly?
• What does use policy look like?
• What's the business strategy for AI?
• Are there AI frameworks I can use?
• How do I scale safely and what are the common roadblocks?

These are just a few of the questions I've been thinking a lot about lately, and a lot of our customers have too. In this session I'll go over the answers we are finding to deal with some of them.

During my time I'll focus on two things: first, what adoption looks like out there in the world right now, but also how to guide your own org's adoption. These are fascinating management questions and the answers, though often not easy, are out there. 

Without adoption, there's no value. This is especially true with AI. Of course, if we're going to get out past the shallows of early adoption and really see enterprise value at scale, there are a lot of strategic considerations. Clarifying and prioritizing your strategic considerations are the keys to creating a useful adoption plan, and that's how we'll frame this presentation. I'm so happy to be speaking at our fifth GenAI day, and I'll see you there.

Laura Mahalel: “Meet Your Power Tool for Personalized Learning & Productivity”

AI is like an e-bike for the mind—helping you go farther, faster. But how do you make it work for your specific needs? In this session, we’ll cut through the hype and show you how to personalize AI as your on-demand tutor, workflow optimizer, and strategic research assistant. Walk away with real-world applications for making AI your most valuable tool in project management and business analysis—boosting both learning and productivity instantly.

Julio Fernandez: “From Zero to Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) in Five Steps”

Generate your own GPT — no technical background required!

Discover five simple steps to create a GPT you can start using today: identify a problem, gather relevant data, set up the GPT model, craft powerful prompts, and test for reliable results. You’ll learn how to leverage OpenAI’s Generative Pre-trained Transformers to streamline workflows, minimize repetitive tasks, and make better decisions in any industry. You’ll also understand how GPTs can simplify everyday life.

Dr. Mark Lane: "AI With Ambition: Why Agentic Systems Are Business's Next Competitive Battleground"

While most organizations are still experimenting with basic AI tools, industry leaders are quietly deploying something far more powerful: autonomous AI agents that think, plan, and solve complex problems with minimal supervision. Dr. Mark Lane, at the forefront of this transformation, reveals why agentic AI represents such a dramatic competitive advantage and how it's reshaping entire business models. This session demystifies the technology for non-technical listeners while providing substantive insights for AI practitioners. Dr. Lane addresses the practical implementation challenges, ethical considerations that keep executives awake at night, and what businesses must do now to avoid falling behind in this next wave of digital transformation.

Zaki Medina: “Go Beyond ChatGPT with AI Agents: Sell More, Market Smarter, & Support Better”

AI is evolving beyond ChatGPT and simple chatbots—AI agents can now autonomously prospect leads, craft marketing campaigns, and handle customer support like never before. But how can you harness them for your business?

We'll explore...

• What AI Agents Are & How They Work
• Real-World AI Use Cases in Sales, Marketing & Customer Success
• Actionable Insights from Real-world AI Agents

Discover how AI agents can boost revenue, automate workflows, and create seamless customer experiences. Whether you're in sales, marketing, or customer success, this session will provide practical takeaways to help you get ahead.

Jessica Katz: Beyond the Hype: What GenAI Can’t Do (and How That Helps You Shine!)

GenAI is transforming the way we work, but it has limits—and that’s a good thing! While AI can automate, summarize, and generate content, it still lacks the human creativity, judgment, and strategic thinking that make you invaluable. This session explores what GenAI can’t do and how those gaps present an opportunity to amplify your unique skills. Learn how to use AI as a tool to refine your expertise, communicate your value, and showcase what makes you irreplaceable.

Omer Hashmi: “TPMs as AI-Value Catalysts – Bridging Business Goals with Technical Feasibility”

Technical Program Managers (TPMs) play a pivotal role in ensuring that Gen AI programs drive real business value, not just technical innovation. To do this, TPMs must bridge the gap between business objectives and AI model feasibility, translating strategic goals into high-impact AI use cases while ensuring the underlying technology can deliver scalable, reliable solutions. This requires a deep understanding of AI model architectures, data pipeline constraints, and enterprise scalability challenges. TPMs must assess feasibility early—evaluating whether fine-tuning large language models, implementing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), or leveraging API-based AI solutions best align with business needs. By proactively identifying risks, optimizing AI workflows, and driving cross-functional collaboration, TPMs ensure that AI initiatives move beyond proof-of-concept to enterprise-wide adoption, delivering measurable impact in efficiency, cost savings, and customer experience.

George Churchwell: “AI Training Development- What you did not know”

How to harness AI-powered tools and GPTs can slash content creation costs by 60-80% without sacrificing quality. I’ll show you exactly how to get consistent, scalable results using cutting-edge tools like ChatGPT Marketplace, Gemini Deep Research, NotebookLLM, and Gamma AI. We'll also discuss how to overcome common AI pitfalls. Whether you're building training programs, Sales Enablement or scaling content production, this session will give you the AI competitive edge you need.

Marc Balcer: "Generative AI in Agile Programming: From Automation to Collaboration"

Over the last few Generative AI Days, we’ve seen how AI can augment our work as business analysts and software testers. Of course, there’s the elephant in the room—if AI can just write code, do we need analysts, testers, or even programmers? Yes, we still need them—but as editors with lots of content, not just writers staring at blank pages.

After experiencing the initial joy of seeing code written by AI for carefully chosen toy projects, the real question emerges: how does AI fit into Agile programming in practice? In this talk, I’ll explore how AI can support test-driven development, automate test generation, improve code quality, and act as an intelligent teammate.

We’ll look at how AI can enhance unit testing, refactor code, suggest meaningful test cases, and even turn user stories into executable tests. Whether you’re an early adopter or a skeptic, this session will focus on practical ways to integrate AI into Agile development while keeping programmers, testers, and analysts at the center of the process.

Andy Cooper: “The AI Movement at Skills Group: Building an AI-Enabled Organization Through Cultural Transformation”

In this presentation, Andy will discuss how Skills Group has approached AI adoption through a people-first lens, focusing on cultural transformation and capability building.

Key topics include: 

• • Formation and evolution of the AI Acceleration Team - a cross-functional initiative driving AI adoption
  • Practical examples of AI integration across different business units
  • Building an AI-friendly culture through policy development and training
  • Measurable impacts and success stories from 2024
  • Lessons learned and strategies for scaling AI adoption
  • Vision for 2025 and beyond

Drawing from Skills Group's experience of increasing AI tool adoption from 0% to over 10% of staff in less than a year, Andy will share practical insights on fostering responsible AI adoption while maintaining alignment with organizational values.

This session will be valuable for:

• • Leaders driving digital transformation
  • Learning & Development professionals
  • Those interested in building AI capabilities across large organizations
  • Anyone looking to implement responsible AI adoption at scale