Podcast
The Agentic Exec
Hosted by ETT · EN
In a world where AI and automation dominate every boardroom conversation, AI & Automation: The Route to Unlocking EBIT and Cash cuts through the noise and gets straight to what matters, turning technology into measurable financial value.
Hosted by The Agentic Exec, the AI & Automation Acceleration Partner for enterprise, this series brings CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and CTOs into the same room to answer one question: how do you actually make more money with AI?
Each episode dives deep into the realities of digital transformation, from automating finance and optimising working capital, to re-engineering operations for human + agent collaboration. You’ll hear from C-suite leaders, investors, and innovators who are already using AI to drive EBITDA, accelerate cashflow, and future-proof their operating models.
This isn’t hype. It’s the new enterprise playbook, how to move from pilot projects and PowerPoints to profit, resilience, and scalability.
If you’re leading growth, investment, or transformation, this podcast gives you the frameworks, stories, and strategies to turn AI into a line item on your P&L.
6episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 6 - Daniel Del Moro - AI Agents, Orchestration & the Future of Work — With UiPath
Dec 2201:01:19Tap to summarizeAgentic Automation is here — and it’s about to reshape every operating model on the planet.In Episode 6 of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George sit down with Daniel Del Moro, Director of AI Automation & Innovation at UiPath, to unpack one of the most misunderstood — and most consequential — shifts in modern enterprise technology: the rise of autonomic, agentic automation.If RPA removed the repetitive work…Agentic automation removes the cognitive bottlenecks.This conversation gets into the real mechanics behind that transformation:how agents think, how they’re controlled, how they coordinate with humans and robots, and how orchestration layers become the new “central nervous system” of the enterprise.In this episode we dig into:🔥 What agentic automation actually isNot hype. Not “ChatGPT with arms.”A structured, governed system where digital agents perform reasoning, decision-making and investigative work — with guardrails.🔥 How agents, humans and RPA work togetherThe “synthetic workforce” model:Robots → Agents → Human Approval → Robots → OutcomeAll orchestrated like a BPMN flow across legacy + cloud systems.🔥 Why most companies confuse GenAI with real automationGenerative AI = brainAgentic automation = brain + tools + governance + instructionsOne gives you answers.The other gives you outcomes.🔥 The orchestration layer: the missing linkBusinesses are running dozens of unconnected pilots, POCs and shadow experiments.Without orchestration, they’re unscalable, ungoverned and risky.With orchestration, they become an enterprise-wide value engine.🔥 How to prioritise use casesWhy “100 cool ideas” must collapse into:• end-to-end journeys• brownfield augmentation• measurable ROI• automation + agentic blending🔥 The new operating modelSubject matter experts designing agents.Security teams governing risk.AI teams validating models.Automation teams stitching the whole thing together.And a strategic layer above them, shaping how the business works in the future.🔥 Where this all goes over the next 3–5 years• Decision cycles compress from days → minutes• Orchestration becomes the enterprise hub• Every core process blends humans + robots + agents• New revenue models emerge• Entire categories of “work” disappear or evolveAnd the big question Daniel answers:What does a business become when every process is automated or agent-enhanced?This is one of the clearest explanations of agentic automation you’ll find anywhere — and essential viewing for CEOs, boards, investors, COOs and transformation leaders.👉 Subscribe to follow the full series on AI, automation and the new enterprise operating model.
Transcribe →Episode 5 - Marius Poskus - From SOC Analyst to Strategist: What CISOs Must Become in 2026
Dec 1500:42:16Tap to summarizeThe CISO role is exploding — and AI is throwing petrol on the fire.In this episode of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George sit down with Marius Poskus, a CISO by day, a virtual CISO by night, host of Cyber Diaries, and one of the clearest voices in modern cybersecurity leadership.If Episode 4 revealed the threat landscape, Episode 5 dives into the people actually responsible for defending the business — and why most of them aren’t equipped, empowered, or positioned to succeed.This conversation hits hard because it’s honest:Many CISOs today are buried under the CIO, starved of budget, overloaded with accountability, and then blamed when the inevitable breach happens. And that was before AI, autonomous agents, identity sprawl and shadow AI blew up the complexity.In this episode, we unpack:🔥 The real role of a modern CISONot a clipboard-wielding “department of no”, but a revenue enabler, storyteller, translator, risk partner and board adviser — not just a technical operator.🔥 Why so many CISOs are set up to failLack of budget. No influence. Zero authority. Wrong reporting line. And a board that still asks the impossible question: “Are we secure?”🔥 The skills gap no certification teachesInfluence, negotiation, political navigation, empathy, storytelling and the ability to translate “CVSS 9.8” into “£5m financial exposure”.🔥 AI, agentic systems, and the new identity crisis92 machine identities for every human. Agents talking to agents. Shadow workflows. Synthetic workforces.And a single misconfigured AI agent deleting your production database at 2am.🔥 How execs can tell if their cyber posture is actually goodThe simple conversations, monetary framing, and governance questions every CEO, COO and investor should be asking.🔥 Why SMBs must consider a virtual CISOThe cheapest insurance against buying the wrong tools, taking the wrong risks, or being ripped off by vendors.🔥 The “one hot take” for boards rushing into AIExperiment — but do it with guardrails. Use proven platforms, not cowboy DIY models running in live production.If you're a CEO, investor, CISO or operator trying to safely unlock AI value without blowing up your business, this episode is required viewing.👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on AI, autonomy, cybersecurity, transformation and the future of enterprise leadership.
Transcribe →Episode 4 - Tom Burton - The Cybersecurity Wake-Up Call: Deepfakes & AI Threats Explained
Dec 800:43:39Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George welcomes national security strategist Tom Burton (yes… Major Tom) to break down the uncomfortable truth: mid-market businesses are now prime targets for AI-powered cyber attacks.Attackers aren’t guessing anymore.They're scanning the entire internet, scraping your socials, cloning your voice, and deep faking your CFO to move £10M out of your account while you’re still on the Zoom call. The game has changed.In this episode, we unpack:Why SMEs and mid-market firms are now more vulnerable than the FTSE giantsHow AI is supercharging spear-phishing, deepfake fraud, and social engineeringThe brutal evolution of ransomware (including the new four-stage hostage playbook)Why “shadow AI” inside your company may be a bigger risk than attackers outside itPractical controls from the NCSC that can eliminate 90–95% of opportunistic attacksHow to govern autonomous and agentic AI systems before they drift into chaosWhat boards, CEOs, and investors should look for to assess cyber readiness fastThe one question every chairman should ask: “Who is actually accountable for cyber risk here?”This is a blunt, practical conversation for leaders who know AI is accelerating faster than their governance models — and want to avoid becoming tomorrow’s headline.If you’re a CEO, investor, CISO, or operator trying to adopt AI safely and keep your business off the ransom blogs, this episode is essential.New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations on AI, autonomy, and the future of enterprise operations.
Transcribe →Episode 3 with Marco Ryan (Author of Rewire or Retire)
Dec 101:04:14Tap to summarizeThe Agentic Exec returns with one of the most no-nonsense, high-impact conversations we’ve ever recorded and this time, we’re going straight at the C-suite.Our guest is Marco, transformation veteran, AI evangelist, cyber expert, NED, leadership correspondent for the European, and author of the provocative new book Rewire or Retire - a title that perfectly sums up where enterprise leaders stand today.In this episode, Marco dismantles the biggest myth of all: AI isn’t a technology problem — it’s a leadership problem. And the old leadership playbook? Completely obsolete.What Enterprise Leaders Will LearnWhy traditional “digital transformation” habits now guarantee failureHow AI changes the leadership equation: speed, scope, risk, governance, valueThe difference between Generative AI and Agentic AI - and why boards must understand bothWhy digital intelligence (DQ) is the new core competency of the C-suiteThe truth about leadership prevarication — and why delay is now career-endingHow to identify your organisation’s AI whisperers (and your blockers)Why your board needs a standing AI agenda item - not buried under “Any Other Business”How to build synthetic teams: humans + agents working side-by-sideWhy judgement and accountability still belong to humans - and always willHow to avoid the #1 cause of AI project failure: data, process, and governance rotWhy some leaders must “rewire”… and why others should consciously “retire” into stewardshipMarco lays out a brutally honest roadmap for CEOs, COOs, CPOs, CIOs, CISOs, and Chairs who are trying to lead through the most disruptive operating-model shift since the internet — and who know their existing leadership habits won’t save them this time.If you’re an enterprise executive wrestling with:AI strategy & governanceOrganisational redesignBoard-level risk & ethicsCulture, fear, resistance, and skill gapsSynthetic teams & agentic automationDigital intelligence and leadership readinessWhy AI projects succeed… or catastrophically fail…this episode hits you right between the eyes.This isn’t another “AI is exciting” conversation — it’s a leadership reckoning.
Transcribe →Episode 2 - Jordan Barry-Bayliss (Award-Winning FTSE CPO)
Nov 2400:32:36Tap to summarizeThe Agentic Exec brings you another board-level deep dive into the realities of AI adoption - this time from the people side of the house.In this episode, we sit down with Jordan Barry-Bayliss, award-winning FTSE Chief People Officer and executive performance advisor, to tear down one of the biggest myths in enterprise transformation: AI is not a tech problem. It’s an operating-model problem, and a people problem - and most legacy organisations are nowhere near ready.Jordan reveals what’s really coming for HR, culture, leadership, and organisational design as enterprises move toward synthetic organisations where humans and AI agents work side-by-side. Expect straight talk on:What Enterprise Leaders Will LearnWhy legacy operating models are already collapsing under AI pressureHow to redesign your organisation into an ecosystem, not a hierarchyWhy efficiency gains alone are a race to the bottomThe cultural landmines: fear, resistance, status, disengagementWhy C-suite leaders must become AI-enabled first — not lastHow to balance efficiency wins with workforce trustWhy HR must transform itself before it can transform the businessHow to build AI-ready roles, teams, and leadership behavioursThe future of people functions: strategic partners, not policy policeWhy the companies who listen will massively outperform the ones who dictateJordan doesn’t sugar-coat anything. She breaks down what’s actually required to move a brownfield, politically charged, change-averse enterprise into a flexible, adaptive, AI-enabled organisation - without nuking culture or losing your best people.
Transcribe →Episode 1 - Mark Humphries - My Digital Twin Neville
Nov 1700:39:46Tap to summarizeThe Agentic Exec is the boardroom-level podcast for leaders who know AI isn’t just another tech wave — it’s a full-blown operating-model reset. Each episode brings you inside the minds of CEOs, Chairs, private-equity operators, and transformation leaders who are using AI to drive EBITDA growth, accelerate value creation, and reinvent how their organisations work.In this episode, we sit down with Mark Humphreys — Chair, ex-CEO, ex-investment banker — to explore how enterprise boards are really thinking about AI. From PE-backed pressure to scale faster, to the rise of AI twins, agentic workflows, and new organisational structures, Mark dives deep into:AI maturity across sectors and why private equity is forcing boards to move fasterHow CEOs should design AI-first value creation plansWhy the future enterprise will be built on augmented humans + agentic AIThe commercial functions where AI drives real top-line revenue, not vanity efficienciesThe emerging governance risks around cybersecurity, IP leakage, and shadow AIWhy the Chief People Officer — not the CTO — may become the real owner of AI adoptionWhether you lead a FTSE 250, a PE-backed portfolio company, or a high-growth enterprise, The Agentic Exec gives you practical frameworks, leadership insight, and the unfiltered truth about how AI is reshaping modern business.If you’re an enterprise executive serious about AI strategy, organisational design, productivity, agentic automation, enterprise value, or board-level transformation—this is your new unfair advantage.
Transcribe →