4 strategies to accelerate AI value creation: Advice for chief AI officers

What can we learn from organizations that consistently see significant, measurable value from AI?

While multiple elements play a part in AI success, the most powerful factor—by far—is that leadership consistently communicates a clear vision and commitment to AI. In fact, according to The AI Strategy Roadmap, 100% of organizations at the most advanced stage of AI readiness report strong vision and commitment from senior leaders, compared to 1% of organizations at the earliest stage.

To learn more about his role and the emerging best practices for AI leadership, I sat down with Florin Rotar, Chief AI Officer (CAIO) at Avanade. Rotar is the company’s first-ever CAIO and has been tasked with leading the company to deliver sustainable AI value both for clients and for Avanade itself. We discussed a range of topics, including:

• The milestones that led Avanade to appoint a CAIO
• What distinguishes a dedicated CAIO from other roles in the C-suite
• The critical role that a leader-driven AI strategy plays in AI value creation
• “Guardrails” versus “speed bumps”: Avanade’s approach to responsible AI
• Rotar’s advice for aspiring CAIOs

Susan: We’ve seen a strong pattern of organizations appointing a CAIO to the C-suite as they progress in their use of AI. What were the milestones that led up to Avanade appointing a CAIO?

Florin: From our perspective, several pivotal milestones led us to prioritize AI as a central strategic focus for Avanade. First, we recognized AI as a potent catalyst for growth and a means to reinvent ourselves, aligning with our strategic priorities and our purpose to make a genuine human impact.

Second, we understood that AI transcends organizational boundaries, so we would have to streamline our approach. In our highly matrixed structure we knew we needed executive-level leadership and focus. One of my first priorities stepping into the role was to launch Avanade’s Center for AI: a hub that pulls together different parts of our business behind a clear AI strategy and vision.

Third, this journey underscored the need for a leadership approach that prioritizes people alongside business, technology, and data considerations. The establishment of the CAIO role reflects a holistic approach that integrates diverse expertise to drive AI innovation.

Susan: Many technology trends have led to the creation of new C-suite roles over the years. What’s different, if anything, about the CAIO?

Florin: When you look at the role of CAIO, you get an appreciation for what’s top of mind for the board and CEO when it comes to AI. It is a uniquely ubiquitous topic that is relevant to everyone from the general counsel to the chief executive officer, chief growth officer, chief people officer, chief information officer, and beyond. The CAIO role encapsulates the breadth of strategic considerations at board level that demands specific executive attention.

My appointment to CAIO was largely based on my background in modern workplace technologies and experience bridging people and technology. This role is much more about people than technology, so as a CTO-turned-CAIO, I spend most of my days talking about the human impact of AI.

Another important distinction of the CAIO role involves overseeing responsible AI practices. While innovation thrives in experimental settings, we must uphold ethical and regulatory standards. At Avanade, we’ve engaged in lively C-suite debates about balancing risk and reward while advancing AI at speed. As CAIO, I’m ultimately responsible for navigating these considerations to ensure ethical decision-making.

Susan: Our research underscores the vital role of a leader-driven AI vision and strategy for value creation. How does that resonate for you and the role of CAIO?

Florin: In my experience, AI leadership truly begins with the company board of directors setting strategic guidance and priorities. Value from AI is inextricably linked to strategic alignment. I see many leaders overestimating short-term gains while underestimating the long-term potential for AI to re-write the rule book.

Therefore, I’ve collaborated extensively with our executive team to thoroughly define our “why for AI”—keeping our organizational purpose as our guiding principle, or north star. Rather than fixating on specific use cases, we prioritize understanding the foundational reasons behind our adoption of AI. Our competitive edge comes from ensuring our AI strategy aligns with our purpose and the strategic outcomes we aim to achieve. Without a clear understanding of our “why,” we risk dispersing our efforts across too many initiatives simultaneously.

Clarifying the “why” behind AI initiatives ensures that you align with organizational goals and prioritizes how to engage your people. This is essential because people are arguably the most critical aspect of any organization’s AI strategy and should not be overlooked. Even as AI copilots, for example, begin to share the load, human expertise and accountability shouldn’t be relinquished. Employee training and support is key to not only educating employees in responsible AI use but showing them that AI is about helping them realize their full potential in role.

Without a clear understanding of our “why,” we risk dispersing our efforts across too many initiatives simultaneously.

Florin Rotar, Chief AI Officer (CAIO), Avanade

Avanade’s AI Readiness Report shows that 98% of business and IT executives agree that support will be required to onboard and train employees to use generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot.¹ As users transition from adoption to advocacy with the support of a people-first approach and adequate training, the true value of AI emerges at scale.

Susan: You describe responsible AI as a set of guardrails, rather than speed bumps. Can you elaborate on that?

Florin: First, I must emphasize the importance of adopting AI ethically and safely, balancing the need for speed with our responsibility to proceed in a responsible, human-centric manner. Following Avanade’s very early experiences integrating AI, we concluded that a responsible AI framework was the most effective way to put this into practice.

“Speed bumps” symbolize attempts to control AI usage to manage potential unknown outcomes. The consequence is predictable: that approach hinders AI adoption and skill development. At Avanade, we firmly believe that there’s as much risk in moving too slowly as there is in moving too quickly. Therefore, our framework focuses on establishing “guardrails”, which enable us to accelerate progress by providing clear guidelines for decision-making authority and accountability—simply put, what to do and what not to do. This flexible approach allows for failure, quick learning, and onward progress—a cycle of insights we’re now equipped to share with our clients.

At Avanade, we firmly believe that there’s as much risk in moving too slowly as there is in moving too quickly.

Florin Rotar, Chief AI Officer (CAIO), Avanade

This mindset also led to establishing our “Avanade School of AI,” which offers every single employee responsible AI training. The core of this initiative is to change the mindset around AI by mitigating fears and misconceptions about the technology and empowering our employees to embrace the potential of AI with understanding and trust.

Susan: Now that you’ve been in role for more than six months, what advice would you give to aspiring CAIOs?

Florin: Four main takeaways stand out that I urge leaders in the role of CAIO to diligently consider.

First, AI value doesn’t start with technology. It starts with what’s most important: people. We need to look beyond productivity gains and imagine how generative AI can help people become the best versions of themselves, replacing tasks and not jobs. This builds trust and promotes adoption—the business outcomes follow naturally.

Second, don’t forget your “why for AI.” The path to differentiation is to map AI value to the strategic objectives outlined by your CEO and board of directors. Once the “why” is in place, you can drill down on the “what” and the “how.” While most organizations begin by implementing use cases that focus on optimization, I would encourage leaders to be bolder. AI has the potential to disrupt processes, functions, and business models—these are the areas that will drive growth, innovation, and differentiation.

Third, responsible AI is non-negotiable. It must be anchored at the board level and be regarded as a potential for strategic advantage, not just compliance and risk mitigation. This cannot be stressed enough: a framework for governance, including a combination of process, compliance, technology, and training, enables you to move fast while upholding ethical standards.

Fourth, it’s crucial to be discerning about the technology ecosystem you commit to. Differentiation lies in adopting a strategic enterprise architecture mindset: will you be consuming existing solutions, customizing them, or creating entirely new ones? This translates into the three Cs of AI: consume, customize, or create. While we’re inclined towards Microsoft’s ecosystem, we recognize the frenetic market landscape, where choices can significantly impact costs, value, and futureproofing, so it’s critical to make informed decisions in this regard.

Next steps

For more information on how to accelerate your organization’s path to value with AI, please download The AI Strategy Roadmap: Navigating the stages of AI value creation.

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Footnotes

¹Generative AI Organizational Readiness Report, Avanade.

To learn more about how Avanade helps organizations ready people, processes and platforms for AI, please visit AI | Avanade.