I’ve been in a lot of rooms with brilliant people solving workforce challenges, but the room I had the privilege of being in yesterday with Michael Fraccaro (Fellow and Former Chief People Officer at Mastercard) and JoAnn Stonier (Fellow of Data and AI at Mastercard) was something special.
These are two of the sharpest minds at the intersection of people, data, and AI and what we uncovered in our conversation is critical for any CHRO or CIO charting their AI transformation path.
Here’s what we learned, and what you need to know, if you're serious about building an AI-powered workforce:
1. You don’t have an AI strategy if you don’t have a people strategy
AI adoption might be the starting point, but as Michael pointed out, the real challenge is transforming the workforce itself. AI isn’t a tech problem…it’s a workforce redesign challenge.
"This is not the time to wait to be asked," he said. "It’s the time to step forward."
The message: CIOs can’t silo AI into IT or innovation labs. You need HR in the room.. now. Because the people who will use, supervise, and adapt with AI? They’re already on your payroll.
2. Start with tasks, not titles
People have skills, but jobs and work have tasks. If we keep designing for job titles, we’re designing for the past.
Want to move fast with AI? Break the work down to the task level. That’s where the real opportunities for automation, augmentation, and reinvention live. CIOs who win will have a line of sight into:
- What tasks are ripe for AI?
- What agents are best suited?
- Where do we need to redesign workflows?
This isn’t theoretical.. it’s operational.
3. Efficiency is just the first stop
JoAnn outlined the typical AI maturity curve:
- Efficiency (cost savings behind the scenes),
- Product and service improvement (personalization, quality),
- Innovation (new business models, agentic workforces).
Where are you on that curve and what’s holding you back from moving up?
Spoiler: It’s usually not the tech. It’s knowing where to apply it, how to guide your workforce, and managing the change that follows.
4. Forget the finish line. This is a permanent beta.
One of my favourite moments came when I asked: “Are we in transformation forever?”
JoAnn’s answer? “Yes.. and eventually it won’t feel like transformation. It will just be work.”
CIOs must build for adaptability, not completion. That means tech stacks, training, and team models that flex as fast as the tools themselves.
5. The human side matters more than ever
Michael reminded us that AI won’t just reshape workflows.. it will reshape culture.
Your workforce is not a monolith. Different teams, age groups, and functions will adapt differently. Leaders must role model curiosity, transparency, and humanity.
“Tell your people you’re learning too,” he said. “And take them on the journey with you.”
Because if your people don’t adopt it.. your AI won’t deliver. Period.
Final word: This is your moment
To every CHRO or CIO reading this: you are sitting at the intersection of the biggest transformation of our time. You will either lead it.. or be disrupted by those who do.
You don’t need all the answers.
But you do need the right partners around the table:
AI, HR, Legal, Product.. and a unified strategy that puts people at the center.
That’s how we build boldly and responsibly. That’s how we build the workforce of now.
Siobhan 💜
