Winners' Circle

Nick Reed, Chief Strategy Officer at Bizzdesign, helps large enterprises turn complex, siloed organizations into coherent, change ready systems that can actually deliver on their strategies. In this episode, Russ and Nick unpack Bizzdesign’s three way merger that tripled the size of the company, how their transformation suite bridges the strategy to execution gap, and why AI and agentic systems are forcing leaders to rethink architecture, governance, and speed.​

They discuss how Bizzdesign’s platform connects scattered data into living enterprise models so teams can see impacts and dependencies, avoid transformation “oh no” moments, and tame AI sprawl before costs and risk explode. Nick explains the three pillars of transformation planning, design, and governance, how a new collaboration layer brings sticky note workshops and expert architecture tools together, and why most transformations fail at the very start through misalignment, slow mobilization, and hidden landmines. He also shares what it took culturally and technically to integrate three companies, why customer centricity guided every decision, and how enterprises can use AI experiments plus better model context to get from idea to value faster without losing control.​

Topics Covered:
[00:01] Welcome and intro, Nick Reed and Bizzdesign’s Big Awards for Business win​
[00:25] Tripling the company by merging with two former competitors​
[01:15] Discovering enterprise architecture as a way to manage complexity and silos​
[03:00] How Bizzdesign’s software builds connected models of the enterprise​
[05:20] Pandemic, regulation, and AI increasing pressure on transformation speed​
[07:20] AI sprawl, shadow tools, and why portfolio visibility matters for value and risk​
[10:45] Blending architecture, strategy, and governance in an AI and agentic world​
[14:15] Eating their own cooking during a three way merger and culture integration​
[16:30] Moving to a solutions based portfolio and improving global customer coverage​
[18:20] The three pillars of transformation planning, design, and governance​
[21:20] Connecting workshops and whiteboards to governed enterprise models​
[22:40] Why most transformations fail at the start and how to avoid common traps​
[27:50] Where AI and agents can 10x transformation speed and architect impact​
[31:40] Examples from energy, automotive, and professional services transformations​
[34:10] Customer centricity as the guiding principle for Bizzdesign’s own transformation​

Links and Resources:
Bizzdesign: https://www.bizzdesign.com
Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com
BIG Awards for Business: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/big-awards-for-business

About The Winners Circle:
The Winners Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIGs annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

Zak Fay, AI Innovation Manager at BDO, is leading the RAID team, an internal AI innovation group that is turning a highly regulated global accounting firm into an AI powered force multiplier for its professionals. In this episode, Russ and Zak walk through how BDO went from early experiments with ChatGPT to launching Chat BDO on Azure OpenAI and rolling out nine AI agents in under a year, all while keeping data secure, governance tight, and people at the center.​

They dig into how RAID partners directly with business line stewards, why creativity and curiosity matter as much as technical skills, and how tools like Chat BDO and consultative selling intelligence have already saved over a million hours across the firm. Zak also shares how BDO is using AI to eliminate research drudgery rather than replace people, what it takes to build trust with executives and frontline teams, and why responsible experimentation, governance, and agile iteration are key to scaling AI in complex, compliance heavy environments.

Topics Covered:
[01:20] How the Digital Transformation Innovation Group sparked RAID​
[02:30] From ChatGPT experiments to launching Chat BDO on Azure OpenAI​
[03:30] Why RAID focuses on exploratory work instead of predictable work​
[04:10] Building a small team of creatives, futurists, and fast learners​
[05:05] Spotlight on Gavin, Nate, Steven, and Jordan and their roles on RAID​
[07:00] How RAID is positioned as the tip of the spear inside a large firm​
[09:00] Working directly with executives and business line stewards to pick high value problems​
[10:00] Using five whys and root cause analysis to define the real problem before
[13:30] Rolling out nine AI agents in under a year and how RAID prioritizes initiatives​
[14:30] How consultative selling intelligence compresses eight hours of research into minutes​
[16:00] Turning fragmented client research into packaged insight reports and next best actions​
[17:00] Why AI should make humans more human instead of replacing relationship building​
[18:30] The future of sales and service intelligence in complex product and service portfolios​
[20:10] Eliminating waste between expert professionals and the work they are best at​
[21:00] How Chat BDO and other tools have already saved over a million hours at BDO​
[22:00] Force multipliers, quality of life improvements, and getting people to their kids’ soccer games​
[23:10] Which tools have had the biggest impact and where Zak sees the most potential next
[26:30] Governance, legal, and why professional judgment always comes before AI outputs​
[31:10] Advice for organizations that want to build their own AI strike team like RAID​
[33:40] Shoutouts to the AI engineering team and closing thoughts on BDO’s AI journey​

Links and Resources:
BDO: https://www.bdo.com
Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com
BIG Innovation Awards: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/big-innovation-awards

About The Winners Circle:
The Winners Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIGs annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

Bret Kinsella, VP of AI Safety and Security at TELUS Digital, is helping enterprises move from AI guardrail guesswork to systematic, scalable testing that keeps generative AI both safe and useful. In this episode, Russ and Bret dig into how TELUS Digital built Fortify, an AI safety platform that lets teams simulate thousands of attacks in hours so they can find vulnerabilities before customers or adversaries do.​

They explore why traditional red teaming cannot keep up with the pace of gen AI deployment, how probabilistic models expand the attack surface, and why prevention needs to start long before launch. Bret explains how Fortify automates attack generation across hundreds of risk scenarios, maps findings to frameworks like OWASP, NIST, and MITRE, and turns security experts and product managers alike into editors of AI safety instead of manual testers. He also shares real world results from government and enterprise deployments, how TELUS scaled from billions to trillions of AI tokens, and why shadow AI, data leakage, and reputational risk are forcing organizations to rethink AI governance and trust from the ground up.​

Topics Covered:
[00:01] Welcome and intro, Bret Kinsella and TELUS Digital​
[00:30] TELUS Digital, FuelIX, and the scale of AI across the business​
[02:00] Why generative AI changes the security and risk model​
[03:30] The limits of manual red teaming for gen AI systems​
[05:00] Intervention vs prevention and the problem with relying only on guardrails​
[07:00] Automating AI safety testing so non technical teams can run it​
[09:30] Running thousands of attacks in hours and what that reveals in production bots​
[11:30] Novel attacks, repeat testing, and why probabilistic models fail unpredictably​
[13:00] Building a taxonomy of AI risks and mapping results to OWASP, NIST, and MITRE​
[15:00] Democratizing AI safety for product managers, developers, and GRC teams​
[17:30] Maintaining a shared library of threats and industry specific risks​
[19:30] How customers react when they see the first risk reports​
[21:00] Moving AI safety earlier into the development lifecycle instead of only at launch​
[23:00] Governance, trust, and giving risk owners clear evidence the issues are fixed​
[25:00] TELUS scaling from billions to trillions of AI tokens and what is driving adoption​
[27:00] Testing frontier models and what current failure rates reveal about AI risk​
[28:30] Managing differences between tightly aligned and highly compliant AI models​
[29:30] Shadow AI, personal accounts at work, and rising enterprise exposure​
[30:10] Fortify as an early warning system for AI applications in the field​

Links and Resources:
TELUS Digital Fortify: https://www.telus.com
Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com
AI Excellence Awards: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/artificial-intelligence-excellence-awards

About The Winners' Circle:
The Winners' Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIGs annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

Tom Cox, CEO of Humara, is redefining how AI drives revenue by focusing on the craft of selling, not just support. In this episode, Russ and Tom explore how Humara builds AI agents that replicate top performing human salespeople to navigate complex telecom buying journeys and increase conversion.

They break down why traditional chatbots fall short, how real sales behaviors like rapport building and objection handling are modeled in AI, and how intent and persona shape every interaction. Tom also shares how millions of conversations and behavioral psychology power Humara’s approach, why customers treat AI more like humans than expected, and how brands are using these insights to improve both digital and human sales performance.

Topics Covered:

[00:01] Welcome and intro, Tom Cox and Humara
[00:30] What Humara does and how it started
[02:00] Why telecom is so complex to sell
[04:30] The shift from simple plans to bundled ecosystems
[06:00] Where traditional chatbots fall short in sales
[07:30] Replicating top human sales behavior with AI
[09:30] Training agents with real conversations and psychology
[11:00] Where Humara lives in the digital sales journey
[12:00] Sales frameworks, rapport, discovery, and closing
[13:30] Using SPIN selling in AI driven conversations
[15:00] Intent and persona as layers of personalization
[17:30] Adapting to different customer behaviors in real time
[19:00] Cross sell and upsell through intent detection
[21:00] Customer behavior when interacting with AI
[23:00] Why users are nicer to AI than expected
[24:30] Driving conversion through friction reduction
[26:30] Breadth vs depth in AI sales performance
[28:00] When and how human handoff happens
[29:30] AI as a primary sales channel
[31:00] Trust, brand voice, and enterprise adoption
[33:00] Using AI insights to improve human sales teams
[35:00] Turning conversations into product and UX insights
[36:30] Closing thoughts and what is next for Humara

Links and Resources:

Humara: https://www.humara.ai

Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com

AI Excellence Awards: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/artificial-intelligence-excellence-awards

About The Winners' Circle:

The Winners' Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIG’s annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

Ben Chodor, CEO of CallRevu, is helping transform how over 6,000 automotive dealerships convert conversations into revenue. In an industry where a single missed call can mean a lost sale, his team is using AI to analyze millions of customer interactions in real time, uncover blind spots, and coach employees to perform at a higher level.

In this episode, Russ and Ben break down how call data has become the highest intent signal in modern sales, why dealerships are shifting from reactive dashboards to proactive AI driven insights, and how training through AI simulation is replacing outdated role play. Ben also shares how CallRevu evolved from human powered call review to a fully AI driven platform, why most dealerships still fail to truly use their data, and how AI should enhance employees rather than replace them.

They also explore the innovation engine behind CallRevu, how customer feedback directly shapes product development, and why the future of AI in business is about surfacing what you are not even looking for.

Topics Covered:

[00:01] Welcome and intro, Ben Chodor and CallRevu

[00:24] What CallRevu does and its scale across dealerships

[02:00] Why small conversion gains drive massive revenue

[03:30] How AI analyzes calls in real time and surfaces insights

[05:00] The shift from human review to fully AI driven intelligence

[06:30] Training employees with AI powered role play scenarios

[08:45] AI as augmentation, not replacement for employees

[10:30] Moving from dashboards to proactive recommendations

[12:15] Turning call data into real time coaching moments

[13:30] Root cause analysis and understanding customer behavior

[15:00] Building products based on direct customer feedback

[17:00] The internal innovation engine and rapid AI development

[19:30] The biggest blind spot in dealerships today

[21:45] Why phone calls are now the highest intent interaction

[23:30] The future of AI in sales and customer experience

[24:30] Closing thoughts and what is next for CallRevu

Links and Resources:

CallRevu: https://www.callrevu.com

Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com

BIG Innovation Awards: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/big-innovation-awards

About The Winners' Circle:

The Winners' Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIG’s annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

Prashant Desale leads health and benefits engineering at WEX, an enterprise technology solutions company serving millions of employees managing HSAs, FSAs, COBRA, and benefits administration. His team recently built an AI-powered claims processing system that reduced reimbursement time from days or weeks down to 10 to 15 seconds, using a team of eight people over about six months.

In this episode, Russ and Prashant get into the eyes, brain, and judgment framework behind the system, why they deliberately trained the AI to express uncertainty rather than force a decision, how WEX's three-tier AI governance framework handles compliance in a HIPAA-regulated environment, and why Prashant believes solving problems like this is only 20 percent technology. They also preview the agent-AI mesh roadmap, where benefits software stops answering questions and starts taking action on behalf of users.

Topics Covered:

[00:01] Welcome and intro - Prashant Desale and WEX

[00:19] About WEX and the health and benefits segment

[02:39] Why claims reimbursement has always been a floating-money problem

[03:36] Walking through the old FSA claims experience

[04:59] How AI technically made the shift from weeks to seconds

[05:38] The eyes, brain, and judgment framework explained

[08:13] Why they trained the system to be uncertain on purpose

[08:50] Building an end-to-end application in under a quarter

[10:30] How AI accelerates delivery when the problem is clearly defined

[11:23] Operating in a HIPAA-regulated environment with a three-tier governance framework

[13:42] Before and after: what outcomes actually look like for employees

[16:28] What leadership looks like when accelerating AI deployment

[17:05] The 80/20 rule: 20% technology, 80% problem clarity and alignment

[17:47] Why problem identification stays valuable in an AI-driven world

[18:42] WEX's true north: removing all friction from benefits

[20:14] The agent-AI mesh roadmap: software that does things, not just answers

[21:18] Reading the intent behind the question, not just the question itself

[22:04] Advice for teams whose AI projects are stuck in pilot phase

[23:14] Closing thoughts and congratulations

Links and Resources:

WEX: https://www.wexinc.com Prashant Desale on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashantdesale Business Intelligence Group: https://www.bintelligence.com BIG Innovation Award: https://www.bintelligence.com/big-innovation-awards

About The Winners' Circle:

The Winners' Circle is hosted by Russ Fordyce, CEO and founder of Business Intelligence Group. Each episode features leaders and innovators recognized through BIG's annual award programs across AI, innovation, sustainability, cybersecurity, and more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Nominate your company or team for a BIG award: https://www.bintelligence.com

In this episode of the Winner’s Circle, Russ Fordyce sits down with Alex Walker of Aligned Data Centers, a 2026 BIG Innovation Award winner, to explore what it takes to build the infrastructure powering the AI era. From major construction projects in Phoenix to the demands of hyperscale computing, Alex shares how data centers evolve from raw land into critical assets supporting global connectivity.

Alex discusses her path from traditional construction into the fast moving data center space, where collaboration and speed are essential. She explains how projects must align real estate, engineering, and power availability often before a tenant is identified. Flexibility has become a core principle as AI workloads rapidly reshape infrastructure needs.

The conversation dives into the realities of building at scale, from site selection and power constraints to evolving cooling strategies like liquid cooling at the chip level. Alex highlights that many of the biggest gains come not from radical redesigns, but from better coordination, earlier partner involvement, and stronger execution.

Russ and Alex also explore the human side of infrastructure. Managing diverse teams requires a collaborative leadership style and the ability to navigate high pressure environments. Even in an AI driven world, success still depends on people across every phase of the project.

Looking ahead, Alex shares how data centers are becoming more powerful and adaptable. As AI accelerates demand, designing for uncertainty while maintaining speed will define industry leaders. This episode offers a clear view into where construction meets cutting edge technology.

Episode Chapters

[00:01] Welcome and Introduction to Aligned Data Centers

[01:04] From Warehouses to Critical Infrastructure

[01:27] Inside the Data Center Construction Lifecycle

[03:02] Why Data Centers Are a Team Sport

[04:09] From General Contractor to Data Center Leader

[06:28] Leading Cross Functional Teams Without Ego

[07:52] Managing High Pressure Personalities in Construction

[08:45] Site Selection, Power, and Design Strategy

[10:45] How AI Is Changing Data Center Design

[12:36] The Shift Toward Liquid Cooling

[14:16] High Density Computing and the Future of Space

[15:31] Innovation Through Better Collaboration

[16:30] Prefabrication and the Next Efficiency Frontier

[17:49] Old School Fundamentals That Still Win

[19:22] The Future of Aligned and the Industry

Key Takeaways

Collaboration Is the Real Innovation: The biggest gains come from getting the right experts involved early and solving problems together.

Flexibility Is Critical: Designs must adapt to unknown tenants and evolving AI demands.

More Power in Less Space: Data centers are delivering greater compute density without massive footprint increases.

Fundamentals Still Matter: Scheduling, safety, quality, and commissioning remain essential.

AI Is Reshaping Infrastructure: Cooling, density, and power needs are rapidly evolving.

In this episode of the Winner’s Circle, Russ Fordyce sits down with Scott Moore, a leader at Clearspeed, to discuss their Big Innovation Award-winning voice technology. Unlike traditional AI that predicts behavior based on historical data or social profiling, Clearspeed uses a unique, language-agnostic approach to measure real-time neurophysiological responses—essentially a "fight or flight" signal—to determine if a person’s inputs can be trusted.

From its high-stakes origins in military screening to its current applications in banking and insurance, Scott explains how this "trust technology" is clearing the path for honest consumers while pinpointing anomalies that legacy systems miss.

• [00:01] The Elevator Pitch for Clearspeed
• [03:01] Solving the "Inelastic Tension"
• [05:37] Beyond the Claims: Real-World Use Cases
• [08:49] Trust Tech vs. Generative AI
• [11:59] Military DNA and Language Agnosticism
• [13:57] Eliminating Bias in Risk Assessment
• [16:04] The 97% Accuracy Barrier
• [29:24] Ripping Out the "Candle" for the "Light Bulb"

• Clearing the Hay to Find the Needles: Clearspeed is designed to "clear" the majority of people whose inputs can be trusted, allowing human resources to focus only on the anomalies.
• Universal Human Signal: Because the technology measures a neurophysiological response rather than language or tone, it is culture and language agnostic.
• Privacy-First Design: The tool does not require personally identifiable information (PII); it only needs 300 milliseconds of a "yes" or "no" to function.
• A Signal, Not a Determination: Scott emphasizes that the tech provides a signal of an anomaly; it does not take negative determining actions on its own.

More on Clearspeed https://www.clearspeed.com/
Like and subscribe to the podcast https://www.bintelligence.com/podcast

In this Winners Circle episode, host Russ Fordyce sits down with Anna Nielsen, VP of Product at Anteriad and a multi award winner, to explore how B2B marketing is evolving through AI, intent data, and smarter campaign execution. Anna shares how Anteriad’s marketing cloud platform connects data, activation, and analytics to help marketers reach the right buyers at the right time.

You will hear how the shift from traditional CRM systems to account based marketing and buying groups is changing how companies approach demand generation. Anna explains why today’s buying decisions involve multiple stakeholders and how marketers must engage entire groups, not just individual leads.

The conversation dives into intent data and how Anteriad processes billions of signals each week to identify which accounts are actively researching solutions. By combining intent data with firmographic insights, marketers can prioritize outreach, reduce wasted spend, and engage prospects when they are most likely to convert.

Anna also discusses how AI is applied in practical ways across the platform, from identifying buying group members to cleaning and validating data. Instead of chasing hype, Anteriad focuses on using AI where it drives measurable impact, helping marketers cut through noise and improve targeting.

The episode highlights real world results, including a case where a client achieved 32X ROI and generated significant net new business by layering intent data onto existing campaigns. Anna explains how better timing and smarter targeting lead to stronger engagement and higher returns.

The conversation wraps with a look ahead at the future of AI in marketing, including more intelligent workflows, deeper personalization, and tools that help match the right message to the right decision maker at scale.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction

01:30 – What Anteriad Does

03:00 – From CRM to ABM and Buying Groups

05:00 – The Challenge of Reaching Buying Committees

06:30 – The Role of AI in Modern Marketing

07:00 – Understanding Intent Data

08:30 – Processing Billions of Signals

10:00 – Sales and Marketing Alignment

11:30 – Smarter Campaign Targeting

12:45 – Using AI Where It Matters

14:00 – Cleaning and Validating Data

15:30 – Platform Plus Managed Services

17:40 – Case Study: 32X ROI

19:30 – Timing the Market Right

20:30 – The Future of AI in 2026

21:30 – Personalization at Scale

23:00 – Real Time Reporting and Insights

24:30 – Moving Beyond Cookie Based Targeting

26:00 – Targeting in a Hybrid World

27:00 – Final Thoughts and Takeaways

In this Winners Circle episode, host Russ Fordyce talks with Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO of Starkey and Innovation Award winner, about how a small basement startup founded in 1967 became a global leader in hearing health and AI powered technology. Brandon shares his journey from a 19 year old repair lab intern to CEO and why Starkey remains a caring technology company focused on helping people hear better and live better.

You will hear how Starkey is transforming hearing aids from once stigmatized devices into advanced, multifunctional tools. Brandon explains how engineers pack hundreds of components into devices small enough to sit in the ear, including Bluetooth, rechargeable batteries, sensors, and powerful processors. These systems can separate speech from background noise, adapt in real time, and deliver a more natural listening experience.

Brandon also discusses the growing global challenge of hearing loss, often described as a silent pandemic. While tens of millions of older adults are affected, younger generations are increasingly at risk due to earbuds and loud environments. He explains why Starkey treats hearing as a superpower and why early awareness and prevention matter.

The conversation then turns to Starkey’s investment in artificial intelligence. Brandon shares how the company built deep neural network capabilities and introduced the Omega AI platform to better understand sound environments. These systems can prioritize important sounds and give users more control in complex listening situations.

Beyond hearing, Starkey devices are becoming wellness companions. Features like fall detection and activity tracking can alert loved ones, while tools like translation and voice queries point toward a future where hearing technology acts as an everyday assistant.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Starkey Origin Story

Russ introduces Brandon and Starkey’s journey from a 1960s basement startup to a global leader in hearing technology.

02:20 – From Repair Lab Intern to CEO

Brandon shares how starting in the repair lab shaped his leadership and customer perspective.

05:19 – Staying Close to the Customer

Why Brandon continues to engage directly with users and encourages teams to do the same.

07:02 – Hearing as Superpower Not Stigma

How Starkey is changing the narrative around hearing loss in an aging and noisy world.

08:01 – Redefining the Hearing Aid

Packing advanced technology into a small device that functions like a personalized hearing computer.

11:06 – Betting Big on AI

Building deep neural networks and shifting toward AI driven breakthroughs.

13:25 – Deep Neural Networks and 3D Hearing

How AI adapts to environments and improves clarity in real world situations.

17:26 – Health Features and Fall Detection

Turning hearing devices into wellness tools that can detect falls and notify loved ones.

19:35 – Voice, Translation, and What Comes Next

Exploring in ear assistance with voice queries and translation.

20:40 – Balancing Innovation and Care

Managing product releases to ensure features add real value.

22:53 – Privately Held and Patient First

How Starkey prioritizes long term quality and mission driven decisions.

24:28 – Philanthropy and Culture

Inside Starkey CARES and a culture built on hiring for attitude.

27:47 – Early Signs of Hearing Loss

How to recognize hearing challenges and take the first steps toward care.