TALK CANCELLED and POSTPONED TO SPRING 2026

Speaker: Michael Hanson, Senior Director, Verizon

Abstract: We are moving into the era of AI Industrialization, a transformative shift from bespoke AI projects to the full-scale integration of intelligent systems across the enterprise. This evolution promises to redefine productivity and create new value, but it brings a critical leadership challenge: how to manage the systemic risks that emerge when AI operates at an industrial scale. Success in this new age will be built not just on technological power, but on a foundation of trust.

This talk presents a strategic framework for navigating the complexities of AI Industrialization. We will focus on the essential business imperatives required to build and maintain stakeholder confidence as AI becomes a core operational utility. This includes establishing strategic oversight to ensure enterprise-wide alignment and safety, creating new metrics of success that measure both performance and reliability, and implementing clear systems of accountability for AI-driven outcomes.

The core message is that trust is the critical enabler of successful industrialization. Without it, the adoption of scaled AI systems will falter, facing resistance from customers, employees, and regulators. This lecture provides a high-level roadmap for leaders to architect a trustworthy, AI-powered organization, ensuring that this powerful technological shift translates into a durable and responsible competitive advantage.

Bio: Michael Hanson is a Senior Director of Business Transformation, AI & Data at Verizon, where he leads a team responsible for supporting advanced analytics and modeling applied to network operations for a global communications service provider. He has an M.B.A. and an M.Sc. in Corporate Finance from Boston College, and over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, spanning legacy and fiber network operations, data analysis, expense reduction, product development, and capital management.