Latest news with #CXO
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Enterprise AI Strategy: Moving From Ambition To Scaled Impact
Dr. Rishi Kumar, Chief Transformation Officer at MatchingFit. Driving enterprise innovation at scale. Let's be honest: AI is on everyone's agenda. Boardrooms are buzzing, headlines are hyped and nearly every strategy deck has an AI slide. But when you peel back the excitement, many organizations are quietly grappling with a hard truth: AI isn't delivering at scale. You've likely seen it in your teams—proof-of-concepts or experiments that overpromise and underdeliver, disconnected pilots or systems that wow in demos but struggle in the wild. Sound familiar? Here's the thing: AI isn't broken. But how we're approaching it often is. Everyone is struggling with AI value. I've spent more than a decade helping Fortune 100 companies and high-growth enterprises navigate digital transformation, scale AI and analytics products, and deliver measurable outcomes across sectors like retail, healthcare and financial services. From advising C-suite leaders to embedding digital and AI into core business processes, I've seen what it takes to move from AI ambition to execution. If you're a CXO navigating this space, now is the time to shift the mindset from experimenting with AI to scaling AI with purpose. Not through flashy experiments, but through grounded strategy. Here's a human-centered playbook that has worked across industries—rooted in business value, trust and real-world outcomes. 1. Don't start with the tech. Start with the 'why.' The temptation is real: jump into generative models, automate everything and showcase quick wins. But successful AI journeys begin differently. They start by asking: What problems are we solving? Why now? AI is a means, not the mission. Organizations that lead with clear business goals—for example, reducing churn, optimizing inventory or improving customer experience—see more tangible outcomes. With my teams, I've helped retail clients tie predictive modeling directly to inventory optimization, resulting in millions in cost savings and reduced stockouts. Before launching your next AI initiative, pause. Bring your business leaders together and align on the problem and its urgency. Everything else follows from that. 2. Your people are not bystanders. They're the strategy. AI doesn't scale without people. And not just your data scientists. Think about people, like operations managers, sales leaders, HR partners, people who make your business run every day. In my experience, the best transformations occurred when leaders involved their teams early with an AI training and coaching program on all levels. For example, consider launching an AI literacy program like the one recently started by Ikea to 3,000 of its workers and 500 of its leaders. The result is often increased adoption, faster feedback loops and real cultural change with a focus on business value. It starts at the top. When executives lead with curiosity, empower their teams and reward experimentation, AI becomes a catalyst, not a threat. 3. Trust is the real differentiator. AI's ability to learn and adapt is its superpower—and its risk. Model drift, bias or unethical data use can cause more than technical issues. They can damage brand trust, trigger regulatory scrutiny or even harm customers. Consider how McDonald's had to end an experiment with AI drive-thru ordering due to blunders that led to customer frustration and viral videos on social media. It is critical to establish robust governance frameworks. Make explainability a standard. Involve legal, compliance and data stewards early. Because trust isn't just ethical—it's strategic. 4. Your infrastructure needs to keep up. Trying to scale AI on legacy infrastructure is like flying a jet with bicycle parts. As 2024 research by RAND Corporation notes, some estimates see 80% of AI projects fail, citing the lack of adequate infrastructure as a primary blocker. One of our clients had multiple siloed systems, slowing down model training and deployment. After consolidating onto a modern cloud platform, they cut model deployment time by 50%. If your teams still rely on fragmented data systems or manual processes, scaling AI is a dream, not a plan. Make sure your foundation is ready. Migrate. Modernize. And build for scale, not for a sandbox. 5. AI should feel natural, not forced. Some of the best AI use cases I've seen didn't come from R&D labs. They came from front-line teams: a claims adjuster using NLP to summarize reports, a recruiter using GenAI for personalized outreach or a warehouse manager optimizing logistics through predictive analytics. What these have in common is this: AI didn't replace people; it empowered them. Your job as a leader is to make AI feel like a natural extension of the employee experience. Easy to use. Easy to trust. Easy to adapt. And remember: The best adoption doesn't come from training decks. It comes from showing people how AI makes their job better—right now. 6. Measure what matters. (Spoiler: It's not model count.) Many teams obsess over model counts or API deployments. But those are vanity metrics. What matters is business value: Did AI reduce downtime? Did we improve onboarding speed? Are customers more satisfied?? Organizations need to shift focus from proof of concept (PoC) to proof of value (PoV). Set clear goals. Track real impact. And celebrate results that move the business forward. The bottom line: AI isn't a department. It's a way of working. If you remember one thing from this article, let it be this: AI strategy is a business strategy. It's not about data science. It's about outcomes. It's not just about tools. It's about trust. And it's not a tech project. It's a leadership agenda. Yes, the journey is complex. But with clarity, alignment and a human-first mindset, it's absolutely possible. I've seen it firsthand—from Fortune 100 boardrooms to startup war rooms. The most successful leaders aren't the ones who talk the most about AI. They're the ones who listen the most to their people, align AI to their mission and scale with courage. So, as you reflect on your own AI journey, ask yourself: • Are we clear on the why? • Are we building with people at the center? • Are we designing for value and trust? Because that's how you move from ambition to real, scaled impact. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Bursting The Bubble: How Outside Voices Strengthen Nonprofit Marketing
Lynn Richardson-Godfrey, CXO at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, is an expert in transformative marketing for nonprofits & iconic brands. When was the last time someone inspired your organization to think bigger, act bolder and break through long-standing barriers? I'm talking about the kind of outside perspective that doesn't just validate your current approach but propels you toward innovative strategies you might never have considered on your own. If you're struggling to remember, you might be missing one of the most powerful tools in nonprofit marketing. Mission-driven organizations naturally attract passionate champions deeply committed to their cause. This shared conviction creates a powerful culture but can sometimes limit our perspective on what's possible. That's why building a structured way to invite outside voices into your strategic conversations is essential. An external advisory council has been a game-changing tool throughout my career, accelerating innovation while also helping us avoid potential missteps. The results have been so transformative that I'm convinced every nonprofit needs this kind of structured catalyst and reality check. Why Outside Voices Matter More Than Ever As the media environment has become increasingly fractured, breaking through the noise with your brand message is more challenging than ever. Consumers encounter between 4,000-10,000 brand messages daily, making it nearly impossible to capture attention without sophisticated strategies. Outside perspectives help you navigate this crowded landscape by championing bold new directions while also identifying potential missteps before they happen. As I discovered during my time at Girl Scouts, when we faced intensifying competition for young girls' attention, sometimes your most valuable asset is someone who pushes you to be bolder than you thought possible and gives you the confidence to move in exciting new directions. How External Advisors Build Stronger Organizations Your external advisors can be champions for innovation, helping you build compelling cases for change that convince executive leadership and boards to embrace new approaches. This is particularly crucial when board members have limited marketing experience or when you're in an organization that hasn't traditionally prioritized brand strategy. These advisors become invaluable allies when proposing big-swing initiatives or significant shifts in strategy. They provide the market validation and outside credibility that often makes the difference between a bold idea being approved or shelved. Long-term, they can help expand internal stakeholders' understanding of the value of marketing and brand investment in mission-driven organizations. The secondary but equally important benefit is their ability to spot potential awareness gaps before they become problems. Our mission-driven culture, while inspiring, can sometimes lead to groupthink. External advisors help ensure we're seeing the complete picture while pushing us toward greater innovation. Innovation Accelerator And Reality Check At the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, our Brand Advisory Council consists of three outside marketing and communications industry professionals whose primary role is to accelerate our thinking and advocate for bold, innovative approaches that push us beyond our comfort zone. These are not board members, but trusted advisors who volunteer their time and expertise. Our current council includes a for-profit advertising executive, a marketing strategist from another sector and a professional with both advertising and nonprofit experience. We meet quarterly for one hour to get unfiltered perspectives on key initiatives. I purposefully select people without deep knowledge of our organization because I want them to bring fresh perspectives unburdened by our historical constraints. The results have transformed our work. Just this year, these outside voices have: • Expanded our options for consumer research methodologies • Offered strategies for quantifying brand ROI and measuring brand investment impact on donor revenue and mission delivery • Given us the confidence to pursue bold initiatives that internal teams might have hesitated to champion • Spotted market opportunities outside our traditional approach This structure is remarkably efficient. For just four hours annually, we access insights that would cost hundreds of thousands in consulting fees. More importantly, we've created a mechanism that allows us to expand our vision of what's possible while building the confidence to pursue ambitious new directions. Starting Your Council "We already get feedback from our donors and board," I often hear when suggesting this approach. But those stakeholders are already invested in your mission. While valuable, their perspective often comes from within your established frameworks. Similarly, the excuse that "we don't have time for this" overlooks the tremendous return on investment in both accelerated innovation and avoided missteps. You don't need elaborate structures to unleash this potential. Adopt our advisory council model or create your own. Here's how: • Create a micro-advisory council. Recruit two to three marketing professionals from outside your sector who will inspire bold thinking and provide candid feedback. • Institute innovation accelerator sessions. Before finalizing initiatives, invite outside perspectives to identify opportunities to amplify impact and reach. • Bring in fresh perspectives. Connect with people who aren't yet engaged with your cause to discover new approaches and untapped opportunities. • Shadow swap with commercial marketers. Arrange exchanges where your team observes how for-profit marketers operate, and vice versa. Maximizing Impact And Attention Nonprofit marketers compete not just with other causes but with Netflix, TikTok, work emails, 24/7 news cycles, family obligations and countless other demands for attention. In this environment, playing it safe is often the riskiest strategy of all. Our organizations exist to create positive change. To maximize impact, we need advocates for bold innovation who also help us avoid potential pitfalls. External perspectives help us envision ambitious new possibilities while ensuring we have the strongest possible approach. By incorporating outside voices into your strategic process, you gain powerful champions, particularly in organizations where marketing hasn't traditionally been a central focus. You might discover, as we did, that these outside voices inspire you to be bolder than you thought possible while ensuring you have the strongest foundation for success. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Growth Investors: Industry Analysts Just Upgraded Their Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) Revenue Forecasts By 13%
Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) shareholders will have a reason to smile today, with the analysts making substantial upgrades to this year's statutory forecasts. The analysts have sharply increased their revenue numbers, with a view that Core Lithium will make substantially more sales than they'd previously expected. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. Following the upgrade, the consensus from four analysts covering Core Lithium is for revenues of AU$675k in 2025, implying a disturbing 99% decline in sales compared to the last 12 months. Prior to the latest estimates, the analysts were forecasting revenues of AU$595k in 2025. It looks like there's been a clear increase in optimism around Core Lithium, given the solid increase in revenue forecasts. See our latest analysis for Core Lithium These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Core Lithium's past performance and to peers in the same industry. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast annualised revenue decline of 99% by the end of 2025. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 75% over the last five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the same industry are forecast to see their revenue grow 6.5% annually for the foreseeable future. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Core Lithium is expected to lag the wider industry. The most important thing to take away from this upgrade is that analysts lifted their revenue estimates for this year. They also expect company revenue to perform worse than the wider market. Seeing the dramatic upgrade to this year's forecasts, it might be time to take another look at Core Lithium. Analysts are definitely bullish on Core Lithium, but no company is perfect. Indeed, you should know that there are several potential concerns to be aware of, including a short cash runway. For more information, you can click through to our platform to learn more about this and the 2 other risks we've identified . Of course, seeing company management invest large sums of money in a stock can be just as useful as knowing whether analysts are upgrading their estimates. So you may also wish to search this free list of stocks with high insider ownership. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adobe Upgrades CXO With New Solution: Can the Technology Deliver?
Adobe ADBE continues to strengthen its enterprise focus through the Digital Experience segment, which combines creativity, data and AI to help brands deliver personalized and real-time engagement. As enterprises scale investments in marketing automation and content orchestration, the company's Customer Experience Orchestration (CXO) platform positions it well for long-term and Firefly Services are core to Adobe's CXO strategy. GenStudio supports campaign planning, content creation and deployment across marketing channels. Firefly enables large-scale asset generation in image, video and 3D formats using the company's AI models, streamlining production and accelerating recently expanded its CXO platform with new GenStudio capabilities. The upgrade enables automated, on-brand ad deployment across platforms like Meta, Google and LinkedIn. Powered by Firefly Services, the upgrade enhances scalable content generation. The company also introduced LLM Optimizer to improve asset discoverability and Agent Orchestrator to automate campaign execution through AI continued product innovation is driving platform engagement. In the second quarter of 2025, monthly active users for Acrobat and Express crossed 700 million, up over 25% year over year. The company also reported 11x year-over-year growth in the adoption of Express features within Acrobat, reflecting strong demand for integrated design and document enterprise adoption is driving Digital Experience growth. In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, segment revenues increased 10% year over year to $1.46 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.56%. Subscription revenues from the same rose 11% to $1.33 billion, led by rising adoption of GenStudio and Firefly Services. The figure outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.74%. As demand rises for intelligent, automated content workflows, Adobe expects CXO-led adoption to support recurring revenue momentum in upcoming quarters. Adobe's digital experience segment is facing stiff competition from Salesforce CRM and HubSpot HUBS, both advancing their AI-driven marketing is strengthening its position with Marketing Cloud and Data Cloud, offering real-time personalization and campaign orchestration supported by Einstein AI. The deep integration with its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools makes Salesforce an integral alternative to Adobe's CXO-led is gaining traction among Small-Medium Businesses with its all-in-one CRM suite. Through CMS Hub and Marketing Hub, HubSpot enables content creation, workflow automation and personalized engagement. As HubSpot integrates more AI capabilities, it is becoming a strong alternative to Adobe for businesses seeking intuitive and scalable digital experience tools. Adobe shares have declined 11.9% year to date, while the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector has returned 1.2% and the Zacks Computer - Software industry has risen 11.1%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Adobe stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales of 6.79X compared with the Computer and Technology sector's 6.33X. Adobe has a Value Score of D. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.08 per share, up by a penny over the past 30 days, indicating 9.25% year-over-year consensus mark for Adobe's fiscal 2025 earnings is pegged at $20.36 per share, which has been unchanged over the past 30 days. The figure indicates 10.53% growth over fiscal 2024. Adobe Inc. price-consensus-chart | Adobe Inc. Quote Adobe currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Salesforce Inc. (CRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Adobe Inc. (ADBE) : Free Stock Analysis Report HubSpot, Inc. (HUBS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cannes Lions 2025: Adobe Unites Creativity, Marketing and AI to Accelerate Customer Experience Orchestration
Adobe introduced product innovations that power Customer Experience Orchestration, combining creativity, marketing and AI for businesses to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale Adobe GenStudio offerings streamline content production for marketing campaigns, while the new Adobe LLM Optimizer empowers businesses to gain new relevance across AI-powered browsers and chat services First set of capabilities are now live in Adobe Experience Platform Agent Orchestrator, which enables businesses to build, manage and orchestrate AI agents including Adobe's Data Insights Agent and Product Support Agent CANNES, France, June 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at Cannes Lions, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) unveiled a groundbreaking suite of product innovations that power Customer Experience Orchestration (CXO)—fusing creativity, marketing and AI to deliver intelligent, scalable and connected customer experiences. CXO is the evolution of Customer Experience Management, fulfilling the promise of personalization at scale by combining the creation and development of seamless customer experiences across all touchpoints and channels, with advancements in generative and agentic AI. As the global creative, advertising and marketing industry converges in Cannes, creativity emerges not just as a differentiator, but as a driving force behind relevance and resonance in today's attention-fueled economy. Adobe uniquely brings together creatives and marketers, with AI capabilities for businesses to efficiently create, orchestrate and deliver compelling interactions across any touchpoint—in real time and across millions of customers. Adobe released a playbook today, profiling how these innovations will positively impact businesses and drive the next phase of marketing transformation. "Delivering one-to-one personalization at scale demands a powerful fusion of creativity, marketing and AI," said Anil Chakravarthy, president, Digital Experience Business at Adobe. "We are pioneering innovations through Adobe's AI platform that enable teams to craft the most compelling and relevant customer experiences, helping businesses drive impact and seize this enormous opportunity." Adobe's latest AI innovations are reshaping how businesses connect with customers and the daily work of experience makers tasked with delivering and orchestrating impactful customer engagements. This is accelerated with the rise of agentic AI, where purpose-built agents can handle repetitive content production tasks and free up time for creative ideation and strategy—unlocking capacity for marketers to scale personalization. Leading businesses and agencies including The Coca-Cola Company, Dentsu, The Estée Lauder Companies, Lumen Technologies, Monks, Newell Brands, Prudential Financial, Publicis Groupe, Stagwell and Tapestry are leveraging Adobe AI solutions to enhance and scale standout customer experiences with greater efficiency. By shortening the delivery of compelling, on-brand and tailored content for different audiences, organizations are improving key metrics around engagement and conversion—and driving business impact. Adobe innovations unveiled at Cannes Lions include: Accelerating video and display ad campaign creation: Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing is a generative AI-first application that enables marketers and creatives to quickly create on-brand campaign content for paid social ads, display ads, banners, marketing emails and more. New capabilities will support the creation of engaging short-form video ads (leveraging the commercially safe Adobe Firefly Video Model). Adobe also announced new solutions for display ad campaigns, including on-brand image generation with Adobe Firefly, as well as offerings with Amazon Ads, Google Campaign Manager 360, LinkedIn and Meta to power seamless campaign workflows. Streamlining content production: Adobe Firefly Services—a collection of generative AI and creative APIs—bring Adobe's AI innovations into content production workflows to accelerate time-intensive tasks such as resizing marketing assets. Adobe unveiled APIs for quickly creating compelling short-form video content, 3D imagery and digital avatars, along with new capabilities in Firefly Creative Production (a no-code interface that unlocks the power of Firefly Services APIs) to streamline color grading and resizing workflows. Additionally, enhancements in Firefly Custom Models and Adobe Express ensure that as teams scale content production, new assets remain on-brand. Enhancing brand presence across LLMs: Adobe announced Adobe LLM Optimizer, a new application for businesses to improve their response ranking on generative AI-powered browsers and chat services. Consumers are embracing conversational interfaces to discover and learn about new products, making it critical for businesses to optimize their digital content and properties accordingly. LLM Optimizer analyzes traffic from generative AI sources, benchmarking visibility while recommending content strategy adjustments that enhance discoverability. Businesses are also embracing agentic AI to augment their daily work and drive better results. Adobe is innovating on the world's most widely adopted marketing and customer experience platform, Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), to deliver built-in agentic functionality that enables marketers to orchestrate customer experiences with greater agility. The first set of capabilities are now live in the AEP Agent Orchestrator—which businesses can leverage to build, manage and orchestrate AI agents from Adobe and third-party ecosystems—including Customer Experience Language Models, Agent Operator and Knowledge Base components. These capabilities power the Data Insights Agent and Product Support Agent, which are now generally available. The Data Insights Agent empowers marketing teams to quickly deliver actionable insights across their organization, while the Product Support Agent provides an easy way to troubleshoot and navigate new product features across Adobe enterprise applications. Adobe at Cannes Lions Adobe's presence at Cannes Lions 2025 highlights the transformative power of creativity, marketing and AI. Through interactive experiences, insightful panels and collaborations with leading brands and platforms, Adobe showcases how innovative technology is driving the future of personalized customer experiences. Learn more here. About Adobe Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit © 2025 Adobe. All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Public relations contact Kevin FuAdobekfu@ Sign in to access your portfolio
