Professional Services

Daniela Petronic, the head of AI Transformation for Adecco, discusses the company’s early AI deployments; employee training initiatives; and the five principles that guide the use of AI at Adecco.

With annual revenues of nearly $21 billion, the human resources software and services is looking to artificial intelligence to help it maintain — and build on — an already strong position in the market. We talk to the company’s Chief Product and AI Officer.

Isabel Parker joined White & Case as Chief Innovation Officer in 2024. She now leads global innovation efforts at the $3.2 billion firm. We spoke with her about building a culture of innovation, integrating GenAI into legal services, and how the firm balances bold experimentation with responsible AI use.

Client needs are outpacing traditional consulting models. And the rise of AI is not just changing the tools consutants use — it’s redefining the power dynamics between consultants and their clients. Humberto Salicetti explains…

Right now, says Ilya Vedrashko, Vice President of AI Products, the focus when it comes to creating and deploying new AI software “is on creating the solutions for Syneos [employees], and upgrading a lot of the internal processes with the solutions.” Eventually, the company may offer some of the software it develops to client companies.

Joe Atkinson, PwC’s Chief Products & Technology Officer, explains the firm’s hybrid upskilling strategy for generative AI, and what those fearing job loss due to AI can do to help with those anxieties.

Amol Bargaje, Global Chief Innovation Officer of law firm Mayer Brown, shares his insights on why it can be difficult to innovate in professional services; how firms differ from companies; and what his team’s metrics are.

“What I’m trying to figure out here is, how do we fuse innovation into all different areas of the agency?” says Rori DuBoff, who began as ad agency TBWAChiatDay NY’s first-ever Chief Innovation Officer in June 2022. “The idea wasn’t to come in and create this isolated little group.” More from DuBoff inside…

Mark Karbownik is the Practice Systems Information Specialist at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, a business law firm and lobbying group headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with twenty offices across the country. In his role, Karbownik focuses on scouting innovative practices outside of the legal industry in order to bring better practices in his own organization. We spoke with him as part of our Member Spotlight series. 

One tool that tech integrator SAIC relies on as it works to develop a portfolio of new offerings is a Maturity Model. It helps the company “to rapidly discover, with minimal investment, whether something begs to be invested in — or not,” explains VP Heath Starr. Details inside.