What happens when an AI strategy meets the real-world complexity of healthcare, law, and finance? That’s the challenge at the heart of my conversation with Mark Sherwood, CIO of Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information services. With over three decades in technology leadership across Microsoft, Symantec, and Nuance, Mark brings a rare combination of enterprise depth and hands-on pragmatism to the AI discussion.

Mark explains why cloud-native architecture and data governance are the twin foundations of trustworthy AI. He shares how Wolters Kluwer is embedding AI across highly regulated industries—from helping doctors access life-saving insights through natural language queries to giving tax and legal professionals faster, more accurate guidance on complex regulations. Behind the innovation lies a disciplined approach: governing data, managing risk, and building confidence in AI systems that must meet the highest standards of accuracy and compliance.

We also explore how to build high-trust, low-friction partnerships between IT and business teams to prevent shadow IT while accelerating digital transformation. Mark offers candid insights into the rise of AI agents, the emerging risks of quantum security, and why he believes that high-quality data is the most valuable currency in digital transformation. His philosophy is simple: speed means nothing without trust, and trust starts with clean, well-governed data.

From cloud transformation to the future of AI regulation, this episode offers a grounded look at how global enterprises can scale responsibly in an era where innovation often outruns policy. So as AI becomes inseparable from how professionals think and work, how do we balance speed with stewardship? And are we truly ready for the ethical, technical, and quantum frontiers ahead? Share your thoughts after the episode.