Robin Rees

Honest question: What’s been harder in your organization—rolling out the technology, or aligning people around it? Most AI adoption challenges aren’t technical. They’re human. What I keep seeing is this: organizations invest in powerful tools, then assume understanding and adoption will follow. It rarely does. In my latest article for Reworked, I make a case that internal communication isn’t a support function in AI initiatives—it’s the differentiator. When people don’t understand the why, trust erodes, confidence drops, and momentum stalls. AI doesn’t fail because employees resist change. It fails because leaders underestimate the role of clarity, context, and conversation. If you’re responsible for AI adoption, change management, or digital transformation, this is worth a few minutes of your time: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eAajxUrD #Leadership #InternalCommunications #ChangeManagement #DigitalWorkplace

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Microsoft's Women in Manufacturing community is launching a new free online series called Manufacturing Latest Trends, and we’re excited to kick things off tomorrow, December 4, with a fireside chat featuring Ulrich Homann, CVP and Distinguished Architect at Microsoft, about emerging trends in Manufacturing. Uli will share where the industry is headed next, covering four key shifts shaping the future of Manufacturing: intermittently connected factories, AI-native automation, standardized industrial data, and open & interoperable platforms. The session will wrap with an open Q&A so you can bring your questions and join the conversation. Hope you can join! 📅 Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025 ⏰ Time: 8:00 AM PST / 5:00 PM CET 👉 Sign up here to join the session: https://lnkd.in/gmmnd6YV

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This episode was a great opportunity to sit down with Naveen Singh Poonian to learn more about his company, iBase-t. This is what I love about our Digital Product Series, we are not just talking the usual shop. I learned a fascinating personal story of this company came to be, and walked away with a better understanding of who they are and how they fit into the #digitalmanufacturing space. Give a listen! #MES #MRO #ManufacturingOperations

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From science to people-first change 🚀 For Tayla Kneller, curiosity led to an unexpected career shift, from environmental science to driving meaningful organizational change. Today, she’s helping teams adapt, grow, and turn strategy into real impact through change management. 💡 Curious how a career pivot can open new doors? Discover Tayla’s story on the blog. https://bit.ly/3YQriga #Akkodis #CareerGrowth #FutureOfWork #Engineering

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There’s a point in leadership when you stop looking outward for models and finally look inward for the truth you’ve been building all along. Anyone can lead in calm conditions. Your real leadership style shows up when the pressure spikes. This week on Facts & Conclusions, I talk about something we overlook far too often: consistency. Not perfection. Not polish. Consistency. Because inconsistency breaks a leader faster than incompetence ever will. I share the data behind it. From trust and retention to resilience, and I share the personal side too. The intensity, the passion, the roller-coaster moments that shaped how I lead today. I choose the first cart. The place where the wind hits hardest and responsibility weighs the most, because leaders go first so others can follow safely behind. If you’ve ever questioned your leadership style or the cost of showing up honestly, this episode is for you. Listen to Episode 9: “Leadership” now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eeTAy8R9 Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/esyeMjdJ

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Just Reflecting: How Marketing Is No Longer a Support Function—It Is the Business. Lead from the Front. Over the past few years—and especially during this planning season—I’ve witnessed marketing’s role fundamentally transform. It’s no longer about brand recall or just top-of-funnel metrics. Today, marketing is expected to move revenue—and do it predictably. That shift has reshaped conversations with leadership, rewired how teams work, and redefined what success looks like. Here’s what stood out 🔁 Conversion Has Become the True North We’re now digging deeper into how many leads convert, how fast, and what drives deal velocity. Demand Gen Report finds 61% of B2B marketers say improving lead conversion is their top priority. Generation still matters, but conversion wins the game. 🤖 AI Is Embedded in Execution AI is now core—from segmentation and scoring to content generation and campaign optimization. McKinsey shows companies using AI across marketing see up to 20% higher ROI and 25% lower customer acquisition cost. For us, AI speeds decisions and unlocks better personalization. 🤝 Marketing and Sales Are One Revenue Engine No more siloed plans. Sales and marketing co-created strategy, shared KPIs, and owned forecasts. Gartner research shows aligned teams achieve 38% higher win rates and 36% better customer retention. The alignment also built real trust. 📊 Budgets Are Business Cases Every marketing ask is evaluated for return, speed, and clear revenue linkage. This drives sharper prioritization and builds trust with leadership—marketing speaks the business language now. 🏗️ Brand Is Driving Near-Term Growth Brand trust and familiarity aren’t just long-term assets—they accelerate deal velocity and improve conversion in crowded markets. Edelman’s Trust Barometer confirms trusted brands enjoy higher consideration and faster buying decisions. So what does this mean for marketing leaders? 📌 We need to build teams that are both commercially sharp and creatively brave. 📌 We need marketers who understand the full revenue engine—not just channels or campaigns. 📌 And we need to continue evolving our own mindset—from marketing activity to business strategy. Revenue marketing is not about choosing between creativity and numbers. It’s about using both—precisely and with purpose. If you’re in B2B marketing, this is your moment to lead from the front. #RevenueMarketing #CMOReflections #B2BMarketing #MarketingLeadership #DemandToRevenue #GrowthMindset

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When CMOs and other execs struggle to work together, it is rarely due to misalignment. Most of the time, both sides want the same outcome: a healthier business. The challenges show up in how they communicate, what they each rely on to make decisions, and how regularly they stay connected. Across the rooms I’ve been in this year, a few patterns have been consistent: 1️⃣ Regular touchpoints change the quality of decisions. Leaders who meet weekly build a shared understanding of performance signals, tradeoffs, and timing. That rhythm reduces surprises, strengthens forecasting, and makes it easier to weigh opportunities and risks together. 2️⃣ Revenue-linked signals carry the most weight. Pipeline progression, conversion trends, retention, and LTV continue to be the indicators execs and boards rely on to understand the effect of marketing. When CMOs tie their work to these patterns, discussions move faster, and budget conversations become far more productive. 3️⃣ Teams need a shared view of how buying actually happens today. Most influence now happens outside what attribution tools can show. Leaders who acknowledge this and evaluate early-stage signals, buying patterns, and qualitative inputs together tend to build more trust and make more grounded decisions. If you work closely with your exec team, what helps the relationship thrive?

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Brian Raver is right on -- you can't get AI right without a strong data fabric, and this event will provide a great foundation for SAP customers and prospects to understand our differentiation. Check it out

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What if the next big breakthrough in engineering isn’t about technology—but about how we innovate? The pace of change is relentless. Products are becoming smarter, greener, and more connected. But behind every leap forward lies a challenge: How do we engineer the future when complexity is the new normal? Our latest research, Engineering R&D Pulse 2026, reveals how leading organizations are answering that question—and what you can do to stay ahead: ⚡ Accelerate agility through digital innovation Invest in digital tools and reconfigure systems, supply chains, and products. 40% of companies are fast-tracking digital scenario planning tools, and another 36% are implementing them. 🧭 Use AI to shorten cycles and drive productivity Over 75% expect 20–50% improvements in engineering outcomes, and 84% plan to increase AI investment in engineering and R&D. 🌍 Transform engineering for flexibility Invest in global skills and build a broader partner ecosystem to unlock capacity for impact. 🤝 Keep human ingenuity and sustainability at the heart of your digitization strategy. Because technology alone isn’t enough—it’s people and purpose that make innovation real. The future of engineering isn’t just imagined—it’s built. At Capgemini, we help organizations turn bold ideas into tangible outcomes. Because in a world of constant change, it’s not enough to dream big. You have to Make it real. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eCehi6ui #Capgemini #CapgeminiEngineering #EngineeringPulse2026 #MakeItReal #Engineering #Innovation #Research

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🌍 Bridging the Gap Between Sustainability Strategy and Plant-Floor Execution  🌱 Sustainability leaders know what goals they’re aiming for—net zero, reduced emissions, smarter resource use. But achieving those goals? That’s where the real challenge begins. In this new blog, we explore how resource optimization software like Proficy for Sustainability Insights helps manufacturers move from strategic intent to operational execution—without relying on siloed reports, manual tracking, or disconnected KPIs. Learn how you can: ✅Turn environmental goals into daily plant-floor actions ✅Empower site teams with timely, actionable insights ✅Correlate emissions and water usage with production outcomes ✅Improve audit readiness and year-over-year reporting Whether you're trying to mitigate business risk or drive measurable environmental impact, this blog shows how connected data leads to more confident decisions—and stronger results. 📖 Read the blog to discover how manufacturers are embedding sustainability into daily operations—with tools built for real-world complexity. #SustainabilityInManufacturing #ESGStrategy #OperationalExcellence #DataDrivenImpact

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The GenAI problem most enterprises face is a gap between experimentation and enterprise operations. Without reproducibility, lineage, cost controls, and shared ownership, pilots stall and risk spikes. Learn to close that gap by connecting intent to outcomes. 📖 https://gag.gl/ZcWIqQ

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The secret to a successful agency-client partnership comes down to two things: consistent exchange of information and direct feedback. This is what makes great work possible. Read the Forbes Communications Council expert panel article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/giA4uCBQ #ClientPartnerships #Teamwork #MarketingLeadership #Actian

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Interesting HBR article about how few people in organizations realize just how much their overall processes suck, and once they've seen the bigger picture, they find it very hard to take their previous "optimize small fiefdom" role seriously... https://lnkd.in/eMf7evPm As usual, it's all about people -- but the right tools can help. Business transformation management, #sapsignavio, #sapleanix.

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Day 2 at the HFS Research Fall Summit - where perspective meets purpose. Phil Fersht and team have built something rare - a forum that brings the industry’s sharpest minds together for conversations that cut through noise. There’s honesty here. No posturing, just people who’ve been in the trenches sharing what it really takes to build, scale, and stay relevant. Hearing Francisco D'Souza remind us that reinvention takes courage - that sometimes you have to throw away the old model before it breaks you - felt like a moment of truth for every leader in the room. Tiger Tyagarajan brought his usual clarity and optimism, showing how purpose and performance don’t compete; they compound. And Brian Solis, in conversation with Phil, spoke to what we all feel right now — that amid acceleration, staying human is the hardest and most important kind of innovation. #Mindshift Hansa Iyengar line after the leadership panel stayed with me: “Stop treating AI like a lab experiment.” The simplicity of that thought sums up where we are as an industry - moving from pilots to purpose, from proving tech to proving value. Totally in line with how we are proceeding at Altimetrik “Al isn't about chasing the next algorithm. It's about connecting strategy, data, and execution so innovation actually sticks and Al delivers the value it is capable of.” Also good to cross paths with Jagdish Mitra Mitra, whose depth and humility remind you why this community matters and to reconnect with Hiral Chandrana Srini Rajamani Bianca Ghose Vishal Ahluwalia others who’ve been part of this journey for years. Still thinking about the energy at the HFS Fall Summit - what a line-up of sharp minds and honest conversations. Looking forward to keeping that momentum going… hosting Tony Filippone at Dreamforce and Hansa Iyengar at Money20/20 next! Kudos to Emma Melando and Steve Dunkerley for orchestrating such a powerful summit from content to curation, it was #Purple perfection. 💜 Dana Daher David Cushman Ashish Chaturvedi Rohan Kulkarni Melissa Fersht Joel M. Saurabh Gupta Phil - thank you for the opportunity to represent Altimetrik at this amazing forum. I met so many enterprise leaders and visionaries #gratitude #HFSSaS #AI #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #MakingAIReal

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