Mikael Carlsson

There’s a simple reason transformation dashboards always look green: Teams measure activity. Boards care about outcomes. Vendors report 70% success rates. But independent studies show only 14% of transformations deliver real financial results. (Source: BCG) Why the gap? Because “success” often means: - milestones completed - design workshops done - vendor releases deployed - project plans updated - dashboards delivered But none of these guarantee operating model change. Or margin impact. Or cash improvement. Or cost takeout. PE-backed leaders know the truth: Value drifts quietly. And by the time it’s visible, it’s late. That’s why the real metric isn’t “on track.” It’s “on value.” P.S. Is this true in your organisation?

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Stay Paranoid. Stay Curious. A few days ago, I was invited to speak with the Columbia Business School 2025 MBA cohort — bright minds preparing to navigate a corporate landscape defined by economic volatility, technological upheaval, and unprecedented change. During our discussion, Professor Michel Tuan Pham, Chair of the Marketing Department at Columbia University , posed the somewhat customary question "What's your advice for students entering today's business environment?" My answer was simple—the same advice I often share with young marketers and my own very seasoned team: Stay Paranoid. Stay Curious. The more I've reflected on this message since, the more convinced I am that it's particularly crucial for marketing professionals as they navigate the multitude of disruptions they face today. Our discipline, marketing, sits at the epicenter of this AI-driven transformation — where emerging technologies are simultaneously driving productivity pressures while unleashing tremendous possibilities. It's understandable that marketers, especially those early in their careers, might question their future relevance as ‘Amplified Intelligence’ advances. But here's what I see: the discipline isn’t facing extinction, it’s being turbo charged for innovation and impact. Healthy paranoia keeps us alert to disruption and drives us to adapt faster alongside evolving technology. Insatiable curiosity propels us to explore uncharted territory, uncovering how human creativity amplified by AI can revolutionize experiences. To every marketer reading this—whether you're just starting out or leading teams — we're at a pivotal moment. The marketers who will thrive are those who will embrace this shift, collaborate strategically, and ultimately master the art of human-AI partnership. It’s so much more than job security — it's about unlocking new levels of creativity, consumer connect, precision marketing, and business impact that were unimaginable just a couple of years ago. The future belongs to marketers who embrace both vigilance and wonder. I’d love your reflections. What more must young marketers do to navigate this disruption? #MarketingMindset #MarketingCareers #AI #Leadership #BusinessofBrands

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Day 1 at Davos, and the most honest conversations about AI are no longer about capability, but about failure to scale. Today was spent in executive conversations across very different industries. Energy and industrial manufacturing. Retail. Mobility. Financial and professional services. Different business models. Different market pressures. Yet the same question kept surfacing. Not “what can AI do?” but “why is it still so hard to make it work where it actually counts?” In every conversation, the ingredients were already there: • Powerful models • Clear ambition at board and C suite level • Pilots that look impressive on paper And yet value keeps stalling in the same place. The last mile. That last mile is not a technology gap. It is the collision point between AI and enterprise reality: • Asset heavy operations with long life cycles • Regulated environments where trust is non negotiable • Fragmented data shaped by decades of optimization, not reinvention • Workforces under pressure to do more, faster, without losing judgement or accountability What struck me most is how clearly the executive conversation has shifted. No one is debating whether AI will matter anymore. That debate feels over. The harder question leaders are now wrestling with is this: “How do you turn intelligence into reliable action, at scale, inside the messy core of the enterprise?” The companies making progress are not chasing ever more sophisticated models. They are doing the harder work of redesigning how decisions are made, how work flows end to end, and how humans and machines actually complement each other in practice, not theory. Across industries, the real bottleneck is no longer innovation. It is execution. It is trust. It is operating model maturity. Which makes this less of an AI challenge, and much more of a leadership one. Because the last mile is where strategy meets reality. Where technology either strengthens human judgement or quietly undermines it. And where the long term credibility of enterprise AI will ultimately be decided. So the question I keep coming back to tonight is this: Where in your organization does intelligence still stop short of action, and what is really holding it back? Looking forward to Day 2!

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SimplyCast welcomes our new partner in the Philippines We are thrilled to announce that SimplyCast has officially signed a new partner and agent in the Philippines. This marks a significant step forward in our mission to bring accessible and impactful automation solutions to new regions around the globe. The Philippines represents a dynamic and fast-growing market with increasing demand for digital transformation across the public and private sectors. By establishing a local partnership, SimplyCast is well-positioned to support organizations in the country as they modernize operations, improve communication, and increase efficiency through automation. This new partnership will enable us to: Provide localized support and services tailored to the specific needs of the Philippine market. Foster closer relationships with government, educational institutions, and businesses seeking digital tools to streamline engagement. Accelerate the adoption of multi-channel communication and automation to improve public safety, disaster response, education, and customer service across the country. Bringing automation to the Philippines is not just about business growth—it's about empowering organizations to better serve their communities by giving them the tools they need to operate more effectively and efficiently. We’re also proud to welcome new partners and agents from around the world. If you’re interested in exploring opportunities with SimplyCast, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at saeed@simplycast.com. We look forward to building meaningful partnerships and continuing to expand our global impact. Stay tuned for more updates as we begin this exciting new chapter!

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AI is giving organizations a powerful chance to rethink how they operate. By handling research, data analysis, and routine tasks, it frees teams to focus on high-impact work.
 We’re seeing this transformation clearly in sports. GMs, coaches, scouts, and players make constant high-stakes decisions, and AI now strengthens their judgment with deeper insights - analyzing history, spotting patterns, and anticipating future scenarios.
 According to McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) research, it finds that AI-powered agents and robots available today are technically capable of performing tasks that occupy about half of current U.S. work hours. AI informs decisions, but people drive performance. Scouts notice what AI models can’t - how athletes carry themselves on and off the field, handle pressure, and grow. Used thoughtfully, AI amplifies expertise and sharpens focus across sports organizations. That’s why at SumerSports, we’re excited to help teams to better compete and lead with the power of AI. #AI #Sports #CompetitiveEdge #Gamechanging https://lnkd.in/gZaaJSzi

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HERE Technologies has unveiled its AI-powered portfolio for software-defined vehicles at #CES2026. By unifying live map intelligence and advanced software to facilitate the convergence of navigation, driver assistance and autonomy across the vehicle lifecycle, we’re helping automakers cut complexity and the total cost of ownership – all while delivering branded, NOA‑ready, lane‑level experiences across global platforms. https://lnkd.in/euSv-mvb

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Maud Vinet, CEO and co-founder of Quobly, is my latest guest on The Superposition Guy's Podcast. Spotify link: https://lnkd.in/gxSPYg76 Transcript: https://lnkd.in/gEksPvHX We discuss the company’s mission to build large-scale quantum computers based on silicon qubits. Maud explains how silicon offers unique advantages in scalability, leveraging decades of semiconductor expertise, and why the biggest challenge lies in qubit control rather than fabrication yield. Maud shares insights on her transition from semiconductor R&D to quantum computing, the partnerships Quobly has formed with fabs like STMicroelectronics, the anticipated timeline for achieving significant qubit counts, and much more. #QuantumComputing #SiliconQubits #SemiconductorInnovation #QuantumTech #QuantumHardware #QubitControl #TechLeadership #STMicroelectronics #SemiconductorIndustry #MaudVinet #Quobly #PodcastInterview

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Four out of five CEOs say they are more optimistic about AI ROI than they were a year ago. Why is that? (I really need your perspective on this) ⬇️ That’s a meaningful signal, especially in sectors like education and learning platforms where returns take time to materialize. According to BCG, much of this optimism comes from the growing maturity of AI agents – systems that move beyond single tasks and start supporting full workflows. From my 20+ years making product and vendor decisions, the real shift happens when teams stop asking “Does this model work?” and start asking “What process does this actually improve?” Many organizations miss that transition and stay stuck in pilots. The article explains why 2026 is shaping up as a turning point → https://lnkd.in/e38-U3ZW Practical moves I’m seeing work now:   • focus on end-to-end use cases  • invest in team capability alongside tools  • define ROI in operational terms. Are you already seeing real ROI in 2026, or still testing? P.S. I'm Ruslan, and I have over 20 years of EdTech IT expertise. DM me if you'd like to avoid common industry pitfalls, get integrations done, and add AI features to your EdTech product.  #AI #EdTech #Product #Leadership #Innovation

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Digital transformation isn’t just about technology, it’s about strategy. Schneider Electric’s SE Advisory Services help manufacturers bridge the gap between vision and execution, turning data into actionable insights and measurable results. Our latest datasheet outlines how we: ✅ Assess your digital maturity ✅ Identify high-value use cases ✅ Build a roadmap for sustainable, connected operations Ready to accelerate your transformation journey? 👉 Download the datasheet and discover how SE Advisory Services can help you achieve smarter, more resilient operations. http://spr.ly/6041B6ziQ3 #DigitalTransformation #SmartManufacturing #SEAdvisoryServices #IndustrialAutomation #Innovation

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