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AI Ready in 2026: Know Your Type (Part 1)
AI Ready in 2026: Know Your Type (Part 1)
Applied AI Australia
In Conversation With: Anthony Mittelmark. Technology executive with 20+ years delivering enterprise-scale AI strategy and digital transformation across ASX 100 companies and high-growth ventures.
Duration: ~28 minutes
EPISODE SUMMARY
Every Australian executive falls into one of three AI leadership categories. The problem: most think they're a different type to what they actually are.
Ramon Rodriguez and Anthony Mittelmark unpack the Believer, the Driver, and the Builder using real data from KPMG, Deloitte, and MIT. Part 1 is diagnosis.
Part 2 covers what to do about it.
THE 3 TYPES
Type 1: The Believer
Well read, forwarding articles to leadership, but hasn't committed to a first commercial move. The risk of being wrong feels bigger than the risk of waiting. That's a false trade-off. Every quarter at Level 1 widens the gap.
Type 2: The Driver
Committed, shipping results, capital deployed, reorgs done. But running from fear of being caught flat-footed. The tension between AI's 9-18 month value curve and 6-month ASX reporting cycles pushes Drivers toward highly visible, low-impact tools over structural redesign.
Type 3: The Builder
Budget, pilots, task force, enthusiasm. Missing the commercial thread. Has AI champions but no AI owners. The champion raises their hand. The owner answers to the board when it fails.
KEY DATA
- 63% of Australian C-suite rank AI as chief concern for 2026 (KPMG)
- 12% of Australian leaders report AI is actively transforming their business, vs 25% globally (Deloitte)
- 28% of Australian organisations have moved 40%+ of AI pilots to production (Deloitte)
- 95% of enterprise gen AI pilots fail to deliver measurable impact (MIT)
THE EXECUTIVE LANGUAGE DECODER
- "Exploring AI opportunities" = We haven't committed to anything
- "Piloting in one department" = We don't know if it works yet
- "Monitoring the landscape" = We're waiting for someone else to go first
- "Developing our AI strategy" = We don't have one
- "AI-augmented workflows" = We added a chatbot
- "Responsible AI approach" = We're using compliance as a brake
YOUR 48-HOUR FIRST MOVE
Believers: Map your category against a 20% margin compression scenario. One page. This week. Have the conversation.
Drivers: Ask your leadership team: where are we still making decisions the same way we did three years ago? Find it before a competitor does.
Builders: Name one AI initiative running right now and put a strict dollar figure on it. Savings or revenue. If you can't do this by Friday, pause the build.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction and episode framing
01:07 The Australian AI readiness gap in numbers
03:11 The 3 types of AI leader: overview
03:37 Type 1: The Believer
09:26 Believer self-diagnosis questions
11:00 Type 2: The Driver
12:42 Tactical AI vs AI-first
16:09 Type 3: The Builder
22:00 The Executive Language Decoder
23:56 Traditional frameworks vs probabilistic technology
26:08 Your 48-hour first move
27:20 Closing and Part 2 preview
LINKS
Website: www.appliedaiaustralia.com.au
Executive Newsletter: https://substack.com/@appliedaiaustralia
Ramon Rodriguez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonrod
Anthony Mittelmark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonymittelmark/
SUBSCRIBE TO APPLIED AI AUSTRALIA
The #1 source for Applied AI strategy for the Australian C-Suite. Frameworks you can apply in 48 hours..
ABOUT APPLIED AI AUSTRALIA
Applied AI Australia helps execs cut through the noise and deliver practical outcomes: growth, margins, and time. We translate AI into executive action every Monday and Friday.
View all episodes
By Ramon RodriguezAI Ready in 2026: Know Your Type (Part 1)
Applied AI Australia
In Conversation With: Anthony Mittelmark. Technology executive with 20+ years delivering enterprise-scale AI strategy and digital transformation across ASX 100 companies and high-growth ventures.
Duration: ~28 minutes
EPISODE SUMMARY
Every Australian executive falls into one of three AI leadership categories. The problem: most think they're a different type to what they actually are.
Ramon Rodriguez and Anthony Mittelmark unpack the Believer, the Driver, and the Builder using real data from KPMG, Deloitte, and MIT. Part 1 is diagnosis.
Part 2 covers what to do about it.
THE 3 TYPES
Type 1: The Believer
Well read, forwarding articles to leadership, but hasn't committed to a first commercial move. The risk of being wrong feels bigger than the risk of waiting. That's a false trade-off. Every quarter at Level 1 widens the gap.
Type 2: The Driver
Committed, shipping results, capital deployed, reorgs done. But running from fear of being caught flat-footed. The tension between AI's 9-18 month value curve and 6-month ASX reporting cycles pushes Drivers toward highly visible, low-impact tools over structural redesign.
Type 3: The Builder
Budget, pilots, task force, enthusiasm. Missing the commercial thread. Has AI champions but no AI owners. The champion raises their hand. The owner answers to the board when it fails.
KEY DATA
- 63% of Australian C-suite rank AI as chief concern for 2026 (KPMG)
- 12% of Australian leaders report AI is actively transforming their business, vs 25% globally (Deloitte)
- 28% of Australian organisations have moved 40%+ of AI pilots to production (Deloitte)
- 95% of enterprise gen AI pilots fail to deliver measurable impact (MIT)
THE EXECUTIVE LANGUAGE DECODER
- "Exploring AI opportunities" = We haven't committed to anything
- "Piloting in one department" = We don't know if it works yet
- "Monitoring the landscape" = We're waiting for someone else to go first
- "Developing our AI strategy" = We don't have one
- "AI-augmented workflows" = We added a chatbot
- "Responsible AI approach" = We're using compliance as a brake
YOUR 48-HOUR FIRST MOVE
Believers: Map your category against a 20% margin compression scenario. One page. This week. Have the conversation.
Drivers: Ask your leadership team: where are we still making decisions the same way we did three years ago? Find it before a competitor does.
Builders: Name one AI initiative running right now and put a strict dollar figure on it. Savings or revenue. If you can't do this by Friday, pause the build.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction and episode framing
01:07 The Australian AI readiness gap in numbers
03:11 The 3 types of AI leader: overview
03:37 Type 1: The Believer
09:26 Believer self-diagnosis questions
11:00 Type 2: The Driver
12:42 Tactical AI vs AI-first
16:09 Type 3: The Builder
22:00 The Executive Language Decoder
23:56 Traditional frameworks vs probabilistic technology
26:08 Your 48-hour first move
27:20 Closing and Part 2 preview
LINKS
Website: www.appliedaiaustralia.com.au
Executive Newsletter: https://substack.com/@appliedaiaustralia
Ramon Rodriguez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonrod
Anthony Mittelmark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonymittelmark/
SUBSCRIBE TO APPLIED AI AUSTRALIA
The #1 source for Applied AI strategy for the Australian C-Suite. Frameworks you can apply in 48 hours..
ABOUT APPLIED AI AUSTRALIA
Applied AI Australia helps execs cut through the noise and deliver practical outcomes: growth, margins, and time. We translate AI into executive action every Monday and Friday.