The Alldus Podcast - AI in Action

Today's guest is Erika Flora, President/CEO at Beyond20. Founded in 2006, Beyond20 is a ServiceNow Elite Partner on a mission to change work life. They deliver on that promise through training, advisory and implementation services, empowering their clients to accelerate organizational transformation and see rapid time to value through ServiceNow. Their platform migration expertise ensures their clients migrating from legacy platforms are able to achieve the benefits of the NOW platform without data loss or business disruption.

Erika is a  microbiologist turned Project Manager turned Entrepreneur, currently serving as President and CEO of Beyond20. She found her passion in her first job as a PM, where she got the chance to lead an organizational transformation. She saw, firsthand, the dramatic improvements an organization could make in addressing their people, process and technology issues. What "gets her up in the morning" is the chance to help their customers grow, learn, think in new ways, and become dramatically better than they are today.

In the episode, Erika talks about:

Her journey from microbiology to project management to co-founding Beyond20,

Offering rapid ServiceNow implementations for private and government clients,

Leading with industry expertise, best practices and strategic IT solutions,

Values of curiosity, ownership, client focus, agility and rapid solutions,

What the near future holds for Beyond20,

What makes Beyond20 a great place to work

Today's guest is Andy Venables, Chief Technology Officer at POPX. Founded in 2018,POPX are a team of MSP seasoned technologists and service specialists who believe that every MSP has the right to access transformation technology that delivers the best customer experience. It is their mission to transform technology services with “next level workflow automation,” so their customers can self-serve in an efficient, zero-touch and scalable way.

Andy has led large and complex software solution implementations across IT and technology stacks for many years. He has a remarkable background working with and improving the operations of Managed Service Providers and software houses before a notable tenure of over six years at ServiceNow as a Senior Architect.  Andy is a strong advocate of aligning technology to value-generating business outcomes, a methodology he applies to all POPX deployments. 

In the episode, Andy talks about:

How his Lifelong passion for tech led to his ServiceNow career,

Realizing a passion for tech over sales,

How his time with ServiceNow sparked transitioning into his own ServiceNow consultancy,

Thriving on strong direction, culture and a collaborative ecosystem,

PopX’s managed ServiceNow services to ensuring lasting customer success,

How certifications build client confidence, but outcomes matter most for POPX,

The pace of change is accelerating powered by Gen AI

Today's guest is Alexander Vershinskiy, ServiceNow Practice Lead – Americas at Calitii. Founded in 2023, Calitii is a specialist ServiceNow partner, experienced in delivering major programmes in complex, highly regulated environments. Their team’s design centred approach ensures implementations are accelerated across the organisation, future proofing for tomorrow’s competitive environment.

Calitii enables major organisations to unlock the full potential of ServiceNow, driving efficiencies, increasing productivity, and facilitating collaboration for faster and more effective operations. Their experienced practitioner teams specialise in ServiceNow Excellence, Financial Services Operations, Resilience & GRC, Academy and DevOps. They can guide you in avoiding potential pitfalls and develop best practices to achieve success in your organisation.

In the episode, Alexander talks about:

His experience as an ITSM consultant and journey to Calitii ,

Providing tailored, transformative solutions for regulated industries ,

Sharing knowledge and building skilled teams to guide clients ,

Why he is carefully building a trusted, high-quality team ,

Offering impactful projects with a collaborative, growth-focused culture 

Today's guest is Jillian Hall-Robinson, VP of ServiceNow Practice at Milestone Technologies. Founded in 1997, Milestone Technologies is a leading global IT services and digital solutions provider that collaborates with organizations worldwide to revolutionize their technology infrastructure and digital capabilities. With a strong commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, they empower businesses to accelerate their digital transformation journey and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.

As an Elite ServiceNow Reseller and an Elite ServiceNow Consulting and Implementation Partner, the Milestone team has been delivering world-class ServiceNow services and solutions since 2012 and service management services since 2001. With a long track record of successful ServiceNow implementations, their highly skilled consultants collaborate closely with clients to provide the right solutions and approach to ensure long-term success on the platform.

In the episode, Jillian talks about:

Her career journey from construction to IT leadership within ServiceNow,

How Milestone transformed into an IT services powerhouse,

Prioritizing process optimization for lasting customer success,

An overview of the team and focus on key ServiceNow areas for growth,

Milestone’s aim to expand globally and develop ServiceNow talent,

What makes Milestone a great place work

Today's guest is Alonso Vargas, SVP of Product at Flybuy. Founded in 2011, Flybuy is a turn-key productivity platform that optimizes pickup, delivery, dine in and loyalty for brands worldwide. They use AI and location intelligence to reshape the way businesses engage with their customers, and empower them to achieve operational excellence and drive repeat business. Brands are leveraging Flybuy to drive sales, save money and reduce waste by providing actionable data and insight to streamline their operations and create a seamless customer experience.

With over two decades in the tech industry, Alonso is a visionary leader who utilizes technology to promote innovation and provide cutting-edge solutions. His expertise in mobile applications, guest engagement and product management across the hospitality and blockchain domains has been instrumental in steering companies to deliver impactful technology solutions globally. Recognized as an Entrepreneurial Visionary by Latino Leaders Magazine, Alonso is deeply committed to leveraging technology for societal betterment, particularly in the Latino community.

In this episode, Alonso talks about:

His career journey to joining Flybuy,

Providing omni-channel location intelligence for improved customer experience,

His role to align product strategy, managing the team and evangelize solutions,

Enhancing customer experience with accurate ETA location intelligence,

Transforming business priorities into technical requirements with engineers,

Applying AI to enhance personalization and operational efficiency,

Why Flybuy is a great place to work

Today's guest is K. Scott Engstrom, Executive Director at CAI. Founded in 1981, CAI is a global services firm with over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for their clients, colleagues and communities. As a privately held company, CAI have the freedom and focus to do what’s right - whatever it takes. The company's tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and they are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise.

K. Scott is a customer-driven, results-oriented leader with expertise in guiding teams to deliver useful and secure solutions for internal and external customers. He consistently provides clear communication for and between employees and customers that enable both groups to achieve their goals. K. Scott champions new strategic thinking by bringing a relatively unique set of technical, management and financial skills and experiences to bear.

In the episode, K. Scott discusses:

His career journey from automation to ServiceNow consulting,

CAI as an elite ServiceNow partner & award-winning workplace,

Maintaining long-term client relationships and growing their public sector focus,

Their focus on ServiceNow consulting, active listening, AI & top training,

How CAI explores AI, customer service growth and balances culture,

Valuing work-life balance, diversity and global upskilling,

Their aim to double revenue and their ServiceNow team

Today's guest is Tony Clarke, SVP of IT Digital Operations at ICON. Founded in 1990, ICON's mission has been to help their clients to accelerate the development of drugs and devices that save lives and improve quality of life. They are a global provider of consulting, and outsourced development and commercialization services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government and public health organizations.  ICON has been recognized as one of the world’s leading Contract Research Organizations through various high-profile industry awards.

Tony is a senior information security leader with broad range of experience in cybersecurity and information security who has experience across a number of industries including banking/finance, insurance, utilities, telecommunications, government, semi-state bodies, EU and United Nations agencies. He is a keen contributor to the cybersecurity community who has spoken at several cybersecurity conferences and is a regular contributor to OWASP, ISACA and academic events.

In this episode, Tony talks about:

His diverse background in electronics, IT and cybersecurity,

His role managing IT operations, support and enhancements,

Focus on impactful technology while managing compliance in trials,

Developing language models to simplify information navigation and access,

Striving for efficiency by simplifying processes and reducing hurdles,

Focus on iterative development and proof of concept for initiatives,

Diversity in teams to enhance creativity and problem-solving,

Excitement for AI agents enhancing efficiencies and automating outcomes

Today's guest is Stuart Birnie, Director - Operational Excellence Lead at Pulsar. Founded in 2024, Pulsar are a people first ServiceNow Consultancy with a single mission: to create amazing experiences for their clients through the ServiceNow platform enhanced with the latest AI technology, allowing for effective transformation and benefits realization. Pulsar was founded to provide meticulously tailored offerings to deliver enterprise value at pace, creating happy customers and employees for all our engagements.

Stuart has led and delivered technology projects and worked in risk and resilience for nearly 25 years. He has proven experience delivering large and complex transformations at companies such as EY, Whyaye and PwC. He also has extensive experience in system selection, project assurance, risk management and operational resilience. Stuart has built an excellent reputation for his risk and resilience expertise both in the market and with ServiceNow.

In the episode, Stuart discusses:

His career journey into the world of ServiceNow,

Making the decision to form Pulsar,

Pulsar as a ServiceNow consultancy focused on excellence and integration,

Focusing on DORA compliance and AI initiatives,

Key advice on compliance, stakeholder engagement and customer outcomes,

Why proper planning is essential, even with time pressures,

Advice to consider your ServiceNow roadmap for incremental value delivery

Today's guest is Daniel Saks, CEO and Co-Founder at Landbase. Founded in 2023, Landbase combines leading Agentic AI with human expertise to intelligently automate your Go-to-market, powered by GTM-1 Omni. With decades of experience in sales, product and Machine Learning, their team is uniquely equipped to leverage the latest in AI advancements and provide innovative solutions that help intelligently automate go-to-market workflows and grow your business.

Prior to Landbase, Daniel was the co-founder and co-CEO of unicorn company AppDirect, the leading subscription commerce platform for selling technology services. Daniel was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list, has been recognized by Goldman Sachs as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs and is a frequent speaker at prominent industry conferences including Web Summit, CogX, CeBIT and MWC. He also advises Fortune 500 executives on software distribution and cloud strategies.

In this episode, Daniel talks about:

How his family business roots inspired SaaS and AI ventures,

Applying Agentic AI to automate lead generation & optimize business outcomes,

Recently securing funding and launching predictive marketing models,

How Machine learning enhances sales efficiency and revenue growth,

Building a strong and diverse AI team,

How LandBase aims to empower people by reclaiming their time

Today's guest is Shubham Shrivastava, Head of Machine Learning at Kodiak. Founded in 2018, Kodiak is the trusted world leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. Through the endless demands of a world in constant motion, Kodiak helps you get the job done. With purpose-built solutions to power autonomous movement in any environment, Kodiak make sure their partners save time, run clean and keep safe.

Shubham is a passionate and innovative leader in the field of machine learning and computer vision, with a focus on 3D perception and autonomous vehicles. As the Head of ML at Kodiak, he is building the world's safest driver, using his extensive experience and skills in developing and deploying vision-centric 3D perception solutions. Previously, Shubham has led a team of talented researchers at Ford Autonomy, where he created an end-to-end 3D Perception stack for Ford L2+ vehicles, and a scalable cloud-based ML framework for all ML tasks within Ford.

In this episode, Shubham talks about:

His journey to date in leading autonomous trucking advancements,

How Kodiak pioneers autonomous trucking and driverless vehicle operations,

Developing resilient, modular AI for autonomous systems,

Scaling autonomous fleets with sparse and rapid mapping,

Kodiak’s aim to scale a 24/7 driverless fleet,

Seeking motivated talent to advance AI and transform the industry,

Why Kodiak is a great place to work