AI Agent & Copilot Podcast: BDO’s Kirstie Tiernan on Governance, Transparent Communication With Employees

Welcome to the AI Agent & Copilot Podcast, analyzing the latest AI Copilot and agent developments from Microsoft and its partners, delving into customer use cases, and exploring how AI plus the Cloud helps customers reimagine their business.

In this episode, Kirstie Tiernan, principal with BDO Digital and member of the company’s board of directors, discusses her session at the upcoming AI Agent & Copilot Summit with Tom Smith. Tiernan is speaking in the mainstage on the topic “From Board Members to Staff, How to Set Organizational Priorities for AI Success.”

Highlights

Speaker Background (01:25)

Tiernan provides an overview of her role at BDO, including leadership in AI efforts and governance responsibilities. She calls out the importance of integrating technology with organizational considerations, including staff perspectives and the need for executive buy-in.

Timing and Value of the Conference (03:47)

She identifies three key aspects of the upcoming conference: showcasing new AI agents (“I think there’s a little bit of a playground aspect to this that’s going to be really exciting to see around agents“), discussing what worked and what didn’t over the past two years or so, and aligning AI with organizational goals and people strategies. The conference aims to balance the excitement of new AI tools with the need for practical applications and governance and, more specifically, the importance of governance to ensure AI initiatives align with core values and business goals.

Setting Organizational Priorities (05:50)

Prioritizing AI initiatives is a big challenge, it requires a clear strategy to avoid distractions and ensure business value. She highlights the importance of quantifying both tangible and intangible benefits of AI projects to align with organizational goals and presents examples of how BDO helps clients prioritize AI use cases by identifying risks and focusing on proven use cases.

Communicating AI Initiatives to Employees (08:20)

Transparent communication and involving employees in the decision-making process are two important steps to realize success. She shares an example of a client who engaged his team in a discussion about what parts of their jobs they disliked, leading to a more positive reception of AI automation. AI initiatives should be framed as growth opportunities rather than threats to employees’ jobs.

Building AI Task Forces and Innovation Teams (11:06)

Tiernan recommends setting up AI task forces, including both a broader team with a general understanding of AI and a focused team for quick proof-of-concept evaluations. A dedicated team can evaluate and implement AI solutions quickly, especially for client-facing initiatives. Task forces need continuous education and awareness of new AI developments to stay ahead of industry trends.

Future of AI Agents and Organizational Readiness (13:41)

AI agents will significantly change how work is done, shifting from using specific tools to executing tasks seamlessly, she predicts, sharing her vision of a future where AI agents help streamline workflows and improve efficiency, requiring employees to adapt to new ways of working. Ongoing upskilling and training is critical to ensure employees can effectively use AI agents and stay competitive in the AI era.

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