What industry leaders say
Perspectives on what it takes to turn AI ambition into day-to-day practice.
The greatest determinant of AI success isn't technology—it's whether people understand and trust it, and know how to apply it responsibly. Organizations that listen to their employees before making AI decisions will consistently outperform those that focus only on the tools.
Steve Shipley
Managing Director, Destiny's Fortunes
Australia
AI presents a major opportunity for New Zealand organisations, but value doesn’t come from technology alone. It depends on whether people understand it, trust it, and are ready to use it well. AI ORA™ has provided our leaders with an independent, evidence-based view of where EMA stands today, helping us make informed decisions of where to next, with greater confidence and clarity.
John Fraser-Mackenzie
CEO, Employers and Manufacturers Association
New Zealand
We did not earn the trust of regional communities by assuming we knew what mattered to them. We earned it by listening and holding ourselves to real evidence. AI deserves the same discipline. Before an organisation asks its people to adopt new technology, it owes them an evidence-based understanding of where trust and readiness actually stand, so the right support can be put in place.
David Heine
CEO, Regional Australia Bank
Australia
In most transformations, technology is developed well before anyone asks how it will land across the workforce: whether the people understand it, trust it, and are ready to work differently because of it. AI is following the same pattern. Answering those questions early, with independent evidence, is what separates transformations that build momentum from those that stall.
Kumar Abhishek
International HR Leader & Adjunct Professor
Singapore
The best science only creates value once it reaches people, whether through a product on a shelf or a new way of working. Most leaders can describe their AI strategy, but far fewer can say whether their people understand it, relate to it and are ready to act on it. Bringing a strategy to life is a shared responsibility: the CEO owns the business outcome, the CIO enables the technology, and the Chief People Officer prepares the workforce for change. That alignment needs to shape the investment case from the start.
John Cahalane
President & CEO, Kerry North America
United States
AI ORA is one of the clearest and most practical AI enablement services I've seen. It identifies the challenges that truly matter and provides actionable guidance to address them. I believe leaders who adopt it will gain a significant advantage in turning AI ambition into real business impact. This is exactly what organisations have been asking for, and those who act early will save significant time, money, and effort.
Kate Minogue
AI Advisor and Fractional Executive
Ireland
AI only delivers when people are at the centre of it. The organisations that get real value aren't the ones with the best technology — they're the ones who bring employees into the decisions early, listen to how work actually gets done, and build trust in how these tools are used. Get the people part right, and the technology follows.
Ryan Gishi
Head of People Operations and Experience, 2degrees
New Zealand
The hardest part of AI isn't the models or the software. It's helping people rethink work, leadership and decision-making in a world where humans and intelligent systems will increasingly work side by side. Every AI project eventually becomes a people project, so it just makes the most sense to start there.
Peter Carr
Director and Principal Analyst, Councilio
Australia
We believe organisations need to work across three dimensions simultaneously: helping leaders understand AI and set the right environment for it, helping teams and individuals re-imagine their work with AI, and driving structured experimentation to build a deeper understanding of what AI can unlock. AI ORA™ gives leaders the clarity to understand where they are today, so they can focus their energy on how AI will deliver the greatest business impact.
Husain Al-Badry
Co-founder & Managing Partner, Seen Ventures
New Zealand
Ready to see where you stand?
Not sure which fits? Three quick questions will tell you.