The private executive roundtable brought together senior leaders to explore how AI was reshaping productivity, performance and the future of work in Aotearoa. Featuring Stephen England-Hall, Chief Revenue Officer at Genesis Energy, the discussion focused on moving beyond experimentation and hype towards sustained, enterprise-wide AI adoption and measurable business value.

Participants examined the leadership choices required to embed AI effectively, including the economics of AI at scale, cloud and edge deployment, data protection, operating models and long-term cost management. The conversation also highlighted the importance of balancing productivity gains with the human experience of work, exploring how AI could strengthen employee engagement, fulfilment and trust rather than simply driving efficiency.

Overall, the session provided candid perspectives on what was delivering impact, where challenges and friction remained, and how leadership, culture and strategy needed to evolve to translate AI investment into sustainable productivity and long-term value.