AI has moved from experimentation to expectation — yet most enterprise initiatives stall before they scale. Technology leaders are caught between the pressure to show immediate results and the discipline required to build systems that actually last. The gap between a promising pilot and a production-grade AI capability is where most organizations get stuck.
In this GAP AI Talks session, a panel of enterprise AI practitioners and technology executives get candid about what it really takes to move beyond pilots and into sustainable AI. Drawing from real-world experience across global infrastructure, applied AI and organizational leadership, they explore why early wins so often fail to compound — and what separates short-lived experiments from long-term competitive advantage.
The conversation goes beyond tools and models to focus on what truly determines success: strategy, culture and execution. Whether you’re just beginning to invest in AI or looking to scale what you’ve already built, this session offers a practical, experience-driven framework for building AI that delivers enduring enterprise value.
Meet the Panelists:
- Bridget Fahrland
VP, Applied AI, DEPT - Fern Johnson
Former CTO & VP of Infrastructure and Operations, PepsiCo - Joyce Durst
CEO & Co-founder, Growth Acceleration Partners
Moderator:
- Jocelyn Sexton
VP of Marketing, Growth Acceleration Partners
Who Should Watch:
CTOs, VPs of Engineering and technology executives navigating AI investment decisions at the enterprise level. Growth leaders and product strategists who have run pilots but struggle to scale them into durable systems will find direct, practical guidance here. Organizations wrestling with ROI justification, change management or AI governance will come away with a clearer framework for building capabilities that evolve rather than expire.
You’ll Learn:
- Why most organizations are still “early” in AI adoption — and what that means for your strategy.
- How to reframe AI ROI beyond cost savings to include decision quality, adaptability and long-term competitive positioning.
- The strategy, ownership and KPI structures that separate successful AI initiatives from stalled ones.
- Why culture and change management — not technology — remain the biggest barriers to enterprise AI adoption.
- How to recognize when AI is the right solution — and when process improvement or simple automation is enough.
- How to design AI systems built for evolution, not permanence, in a rapidly shifting tools landscape.
- The case for human-in-the-loop design and why the best organizations keep judgment, creativity and ethics at the center.
Enjoy!