The voice of AI, Data and Innovation
About the Guest
Joel Neeb
Chief Transformation and Business Operations Officer, 8×8
Joel Neeb, a Chief Transformation & Business Operations Officer at 8×8 and a former U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter pilot. Having flown presidential escort and post-9/11 air defense missions, trained 300+ lead fighter pilots, and later led large-scale operating model and SaaS transformations at companies like VMware. At 8×8, Joel now drives AI-enabled transformation at scale for over 50,000 enterprise customers, with a focus on execution, culture, governance, and decision velocity.
Brief About the Episode
We address a hard truth in enterprise AI: most organizations aren’t failing because of technology; they’re failing because they can’t execute. While 70% of enterprises have piloted AI, fewer than 15% have scaled it to meaningful business impact. How leaders can move from experimentation to real operational leverage, build an Enterprise Nervous System, and shift from the Information Age to the Insight Age where decisions, not dashboards, define success. The conversation also tackles culture, governance, and why being just a few months ahead in AI adoption creates a powerful competitive edge
Key Learnings for Leaders
✦
AI Success Is an Execution Problem, Not a Tech Problem
Most AI initiatives stall because they are layered onto broken processes and unclear operating models. Leaders must redesign how work actually gets done before expecting AI to deliver value.
✦
Optimize Before You
Automate
High-performing organizations visualize workflows, simplify processes, identify true bottlenecks, and only then apply AI where it accelerates outcomes instead of amplifying inefficiency.
✦
AI Risk Comes from Data,
Not Adoption
Avoiding AI does not reduce risk. Leaders must focus on responsible usage, governance, and clear boundaries to unlock value while protecting trust.
Learn how enterprise leaders are building insight-driven operating models, scaling AI responsibly, and moving faster in the intelligence era.
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