Leading an AI transformation? IBM’s Transformation SVP breaks down what you need to know
Whether you’ve just been named chief AI officer at your company, or you’re a technical exec stretching your scope, one of the biggest accelerators in AI deployment isn’t better technology; it’s better orchestration. Joanne Wright, SVP of Transformation and Operations at IBM, says the leaders who crack AI at scale are those who can connect the technology to the business strategy—and new research from the IBM Institute of Business Value (IBV) suggests that distinction is worth roughly USD 48 million in annual value.
IBM Think spoke with Wright to get her tips for any leader tasked with deploying AI at scale looking to reap these same returns.
Why do you think so many organizations are establishing the role of chief AI officer now?
The timing makes complete sense when you look at where companies are in their AI journeys. For the past few years, most organizations were running pilots—testing AI in contained environments, celebrating early wins, learning what worked. But pilots don’t transform a business; scaling does. Scaling requires someone who can connect the technology to the business strategy, which is a new leadership role.
Several IBMers I interviewed suggested you are the equivalent of IBM’s chief AI officer. Does that resonate with you?
Yes and no. As Senior Vice President of Transformation and Operations, I am accountable for how we use AI to fundamentally change how the company works. This means how we serve clients, work with partners, manage our workforce and automate processes that used to require enormous amounts of human effort.
But I don’t “own” AI—what I am so proud of is that we have built an operating model where AI strategy is deeply embedded into the business strategy. Each of my leaders is accountable for AI adoption on their own teams, and my role is to accelerate that and remove any points of friction. We actually have an entire AI-First Transformation organization that sits under me.
In my remit, I lead across Quote to Cash, Procurement, AI-First Transformation, our Chief Data and Analytics Offices, Global Real Estate, CIO and more. I am sitting at the intersection of every operational domain, which gives me the unique vantage point to see exactly where AI should be deployed—and when.
Without a central orchestrator, your business ends up with solutions that don’t talk to each other, are fragmented and can’t effectively scale. This has required me to develop an AI fluency in which I can discern what’s feasible versus what is aspirational.
We have had to shift our mindset from “Where can we plug AI into what we already do?” to “If we rebuilt this business process with AI tools to make the most effective human-machine teams, what would it look like? What would we eliminate? What would we simplify? And then, where can we inject AI to really drive that transformation across the entire enterprise?”
What’s an ideal background for someone leading AI transformation at a company?
AI adoption is not just a new tool to roll out, but rather an organizational transformation that thrives with top-down leadership support, bottom-up workforce empowerment and a clear, repeatable execution model. The most valuable lesson we’ve learned is that real change happens when people, process and leadership move together with clarity and intent.
Catch Joanne Wright, Nickle LaMoreaux, Chief Human Resources Officer at IBM, and leading brands at Think on May 6 to learn how enterprises are excelling in the AI era.