Leadership, led by the CIO and driven by CFO priorities, was under pressure to define an AI strategy, with a strong focus on improving reporting, insights, and operational workflows. While interest was high, ownership was unclear, and AI was initially being treated as an IT-led initiative rather than a business-driven opportunity.

Through engagement, it became clear that business and technology teams were not aligned – IT lacked visibility into business processes, and the business lacked understanding of the technology. By bringing together stakeholders across finance, operations, sales, and IT, the organization was able to align on priorities, identify high-impact use cases, and establish a path forward grounded in readiness, governance, and scalable execution.