Andreas Welsch
Top 10 AI Advisor. Thought Leader. Author.
I help leaders get results by implementing AI with confidence.I'm passionate about empowering people to become the superhero of their AI story — no cape required. Just curiosity.
About
Andreas Welsch.
Andreas Welsch is an internationally recognized AI leader, advisor, and speaker known for helping the world’s leading enterprises turn technology hype into business outcomes. He is the Founder & Chief AI Strategist at Intelligence Briefing, the best-selling author of the AI Leadership Handbook, and the creator of several popular LinkedIn Learning courses on AI agents for business leaders.For more than two decades, including in global leadership roles at SAP, he has advised Fortune 500 leaders on realizing business value from AI, accelerated the integration of AI across enterprise applications, and positioned SAP as the leader for Business AI. Before that, Andreas led global IT process automation projects.Outside of work, he contributes to academia as an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of AI, Robotics, and Workplace Automation.Andreas is a frequent keynote speaker and expert panelist, and has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice, Top 10 Thought Leader in Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, and Agentic AI, and a Global AI Ambassador. He has been featured on CIO.com, VentureBeat, InformationWeek, the American Management Association, and other outlets.Follow his What’s the BUZZ? live stream & podcast and newsletter, The AI MEMO, and work with Andreas to turn hype into outcome for your business.
Andreas has recently been recognized:
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More than two decades of AI and leadership experience:
Frequently quoted in:
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas as a speaker at your next event or podcast episode.
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas as a speaker.
Popular
Speaking Topics.
Andreas frequently inspires audiences of up to 10,000 attendees to embrace AI and technology for business growth. The following sessions are designed to help business leaders integrate Agentic AI into their business strategy. Designed as 60-minute long keynotes, workshops, breakouts, or webinars, each session will be tailored to your specific needs to ensure relevance and impact. Invite Andreas to inspire your audience with a pragmatic view of AI that drives AI adoption in your business.
LEADERSHIP IN THE (AGENTIC) AI ERA
This program is perfect for:
Business leaders looking to leverage AI agents in business
Leaders seeking to understand the impact of AI on their industry
Your audience will leave with:
A comprehensive understanding of opportunities from AI agents
Insights into the future evolution of AI and its business implications
Practical steps to begin integrating AI into their business operations
Explore how the latest AI developments revolutionize industries. Gain insights into AI's business role, future trajectory with Agentic AI, and actionable steps to utilize AI today. Perfect for leaders and executives, this session provides a comprehensive understanding of AI's potential, future evolution, and practical integration steps. Empower your leadership to envision and lead in an AI-transformed future, driving innovation and industry transformation. Discover AI's impact and prepare to take action now.
GET YOUR BUSINESS AI-READY IN 9 STEPS
This program is perfect for:
Business executives looking to integrate AI into their strategy
Senior technology leaders aiming to lead successful AI programs
Your audience will leave with:
A comprehensive framework for leading AI programs
Practical steps to increase AI literacy across their teams
Insights into fostering a culture of innovation and AI readiness
Transform AI hype into business outcomes based on Andreas Welsch’s “AI Leadership Handbook.” This session draws on 60+ interviews with AI leaders and experts and offers strategic insights into AI implementations. Gain practical knowledge on fostering innovation, driving human-AI collaboration, and leading AI initiatives. This AI leadership session covers strategy, leadership, culture, and security, equipping senior leaders with tools to boost AI literacy and achieve measurable business success.
AI IN BUSINESS: A REALITY CHECK BEYOND THE HYPE
This program is perfect for:
General audiences curious about AI's impact on business
Senior business leaders aiming to harness AI for strategic growth
Your audience will leave with:
A clear understanding of AI’s history, evolution, and hype
Current insights into AI’s real-world applications and challenges
A visionary outlook on AI trends for the next 3-5 years
Explore how AI amplifies human potential and accelerates business operations. Attendees will learn where AI excels and faces challenges, and how to leverage it for competitive advantage, decision-making, and innovation. Packed with actionable insights, the session empowers organizations to embrace AI confidently, unlocking growth and efficiency. Andreas demystifies AI, transforming hype into practical wisdom, and inspires your team to excel in an AI-driven business.
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas as a speaker at your next event.
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas as a speaker.
Keynote "Get Your Business AI-Ready" at Data Summit
Keynote "AI-First or AI-Ready?" at Private Event
Ha Dao
CEO & Co-Founder
WOW AI
“Andreas has delivered the opening keynote for our annual Global AI Webinar with 10,000+ participants. His keynote set the tone for this two-day event and has been among the top 3 sessions, based on attendee feedback. We specifically wanted to work with Andreas because of his thought leadership and practical experience leading AI projects in the enterprise.”
Manish Nainani
Producer
Packt Generative AI Conference
“Andreas brought a unique blend of expertise, energy, and relevance to the stage, captivating the audience from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend Andreas Welsch as a speaker for any event focused on generative AI or related topics. His expertise, passion, and ability to connect with the audience make him a true standout in the field.”
Francesca Di Meglio
Conference Host
OPEX All Access
"Andreas has remarkable knowledge in all things artificial intelligence. He was able to articulate what Agentic AI is, how it will impact operations and other aspects of work and life, and how to leverage these tools even in their infancy. I highly recommend him as a speaker and someone who can teach you about AI in these rapidly evolving times with great tech advancements."
Recent
Keynotes & Sessions.
Staying Ahead of AI—A Practical Guide
Getting Your Business AI Ready
Between Automation and Autonomy—AI Leadership in the (Agentic) AI Era
AI Leadership: Navigating Change, Governance, and Innovation
The 9 Steps to Leading Successful AI Programs
Focusing On A Product Mindset To Create AI Literacy
Rupesh Kumar
Chapter Lead
Association of Proposal Management Professionals
"Andreas' ability to distill complex concepts into actionable insights was impressive, and his engaging style fostered meaningful discussions among attendees. Andreas's post-event summary further highlighted his expertise and commitment to advancing the field. I highly recommend him for any organization seeking innovative insights and leadership in this rapidly evolving domain."
Olivier Gomez
CEO & Co-Founder
IAC.ai
“I love the fact that Andreas speaks from experience and that he can convey complex things in simple terms. I particularly like his ability to make AI tangible, although AI is something complex, big, broad — and is evolving rapidly. As the market moves more and more to AI, Andreas’ perspective will help those who are about to set up their AI CoE.”
Jordan Reisner
President, AI Club
Kellogg School of Business
“Andreas has joined our speaker series that the AI Club at Kellogg School of Business organizes to learn from leaders in the industry. My fellow MBA students and I were inspired by Andreas’ career story and have a better understanding now of how AI is relevant to all aspects of business, and how future leaders can support innovation.”
Book
The pressure on leaders to incorporate AI into their business has never been higher. Despite their best efforts, 85 percent of AI projects fail. But that is rarely just because of technology.Between unrealistic expectations of what AI can do, isolated science projects turned into money pits, and employees looking for clarity on how AI influences their jobs, learning how to successfully introduce AI into your organization can be difficult. Getting it right on the second or third attempt is not an option. In order for your AI program to be successful, you need to be aware of all the facets involved, not just the technology—a daunting task. The AI Leadership Handbook prepares you to master the nine most important facets with ease.Andreas Welsch uses real-world knowledge and examples from interviews with over 60 leaders and experts in AI to help you both introduce and incorporate AI into your organization, from aligning it with your business strategy to turning new-to-AI employees into passionate multipliers to making sure humans stay at the center of your AI use. After reading this book, you will be able to confidently implement AI in your business, no matter your industry.
In the AI Leadership Handbook, you will discover how to:
Leverage the full scope of an AI leadership role
Win (enthusiastic) buy-in from employees
Take a product-centric approach to building AI applications
Build a pipeline of high-value AI capabilities
Utilize AI ethically, safely, and sustainably
Spanning strategy, stakeholder management, collaboration, culture, ethics, data privacy, risk management, and technology, Andreas covers everything you need to know to become a confident and successful AI leader—and get it right on the first try.
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas inspire your audience.
Don’t miss your chance to have Andreas as a speaker.
In the
News.
Read Andreas' perspective in leading industry media:
Feature: Strategic Leadership in the Age of AIEarly in the current AI hype, which started a little more than two years ago, a phrase emerged: “AI will not replace you—a person using AI will.” This phrase was supposed to characterize the rapid adoption of Generative AI and the divide between those who use it and those who do not. Some employees might view this quote as motivation to use the latest technology, while others fear AI will impact or eliminate their jobs. Leaders need to be aware of this situation in their organization and acknowledge these dynamics that impact individuals’ openness to change.The dynamic is different for those who use AI regularly for their work. For example, software vendor Slack found in its “Fall 2024 Workforce Index” that 46% of employees are afraid to tell their manager that they use AI because they are afraid of being viewed as less competent or lazy. As a leader, this means that one part of your team is more productive than before and that they are at the same time more afraid to admit it out of concern they might end up with more work or be seen as less competent. What would the impact be on your team if a highly productive, AI-supported team member left? Would you be able to compensate for it if it were one or several dozen?Read more...
In another scenario, imagine a sales rep using AI. That agent can collaborate with procurement and supply chain agents to work up pricing and delivery terms for a proposal, explained Andreas Welsch, founder and chief AI strategist at consulting company Intelligence Briefing.The procurement agent will then gather information about available finished goods and raw materials, while the supply chain agent will calculate manufacturing and shipping times and report back to the procurement agent, he noted.Or, a customer service rep can ask an agent to gather relevant information about a given customer. The agent takes into account the inquiry, history and recent purchases, potentially from different systems and documents. They then create a response and present it to a team member who can review and further edit the draft before sending it along to the customer.
“Agents carry out steps in a workflow based on a goal that the user has provided,” said Welsch. “The agent breaks this goal into subgoals and tasks and then tries to complete them.”Read more...
Start by considering several important questions and factors, recommended Andreas Welsch, founder and chief AI strategist at consulting company Intelligence Briefing.These include:
Where does your team spend the majority of their time?
Which tasks or steps in this process take up the most time?
How complex are these tasks? Do they involve IT systems and accessible data?
What would being faster or more cost-effective allow your enterprise to do? And can (and how) do you measure benchmarks?
It’s also important to factor in existing licenses and subscriptions, Welsch pointed out. Talk to software sales reps to understand whether your enterprise already has access to agent capabilities, and if so, what it would take to use them (such as add-ons or higher tier subscriptions).From there, look for opportunities in one business function. For instance: “Where does your team spend time on several manual steps that can not be described in code?” Later, when exploring agents, learn about their potential and “triage” any gaps.Also, be sure to enable and educate teams by showing them how agents can help with their work. “And don’t be afraid to mention the agents’ limitations as well,” said Welsch. “This will help you manage expectations.”Read more...
Andreas Welsch, founder and chief AI strategist at boutique AI strategy consultancy Intelligence Briefing, advocates starting with a “Community of Multipliers” — early tech adopters who are eager to learn about the latest technology and how to make it useful. These multipliers can teach others in their departments, helping leadership scale the training. Next, he suggests piloting training formats in one business area, gathering feedback and iterating on the concept and delivery. Then, roll it out to the entire organization to maximize utility and impact.“Despite ChatGPT being available for two years, Generative AI tools are still a new type of application for most business users,” says Welsch. “Prompt engineering training should inspire learners to think and dream big.”He also believes different kinds of learning environments benefit different types of users. For example, cohort-based online sessions have proven successful for introductory levels of AI literacy while executive training expands the scope from basic prompting to GenAI products.Advanced training is best conducted in a workshop because the content requires more context and interaction, and the value comes from networking with others and having access to an expert trainer. Advanced training goes deeper into the fundamentals including LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases and security risks, for example.“Function-specific, tailored workshops and trainings can provide additional level of relevance to learners when the content and examples are put into the audience's context, for example, using GenAI in marketing,” says Welsch. “Prompting is an important skill to learn at this early stage of GenAI maturity.”Read more...
One of the first steps IT leaders should take in launching an AI pilot project is to define metrics for success — beyond ROI — and set a timeline to check on progress, says Andreas Welsch, an AI consultant and former vice president and head of marketing for AI at SAP.“The challenge is people keep going down the path of not pulling the plug, because they always hope that there’s a next breakthrough right around the corner,” Welsch says. “A lot of times people don’t have proper goals in place.” [...]In addition to clearly defined KPIs, organizations should tie AI projects to specific business needs, Welsch adds. In some cases, organizations appear to launch AI projects just to do something with the technology. Successful projects, however, address organizational pain points.“What is that business problem that that we are trying to solve?” he says. “You should be working with your business stakeholders very closely, ideally at the beginning, to say, ‘What are we trying to solve?’”Read more...
HR leaders and subject matter experts should be brought into the conversation around agentic AI, Intelligence Briefing founder and Chief AI Strategist Andreas Welsch told Reworked. He sees agentic AI as an opportunity for HR to extend their competence and relevance in the workplace, because most of the rules and processes that apply to human team members will also apply to AI agents. This will be particularly important to deliver a unified company image and service to customers and stakeholders, he continued.“Positioning IT as the 'HR for AI agents' will lead to unforeseen consequences in the workplace, just like asking HR to integrate and operate a new communication platform would. That’s why traditionally separate departments and competencies have existed,” he said.Welsch said to keep in mind that many IT departments are also not particularly skilled with AI and barely have traditional AI or even generative AI use cases deployed, aside from Copilot.IT departments will need to manage the complexity of AI agents by replicating the role definition, proficiency, onboarding, evaluation, learning, reward and compliance processes that the HR domain has built over decades, he continued. Agent management should draw from these lessons, Welsch said, by answering crucial questions including:
Persona (cultural fit): How do we want the agent to behave and communicate?
Scope of work (job description): What is the agent expected to work on?
Responsibility (seniority): What is the agent allowed to do?
Policy adherence (code of conduct): How is the agent expected to behave?
Rewards (compensation): What incentives should we create to motivate goal achievement?
Planning (workforce analysis): How do we know we need more AI agents?
Collaboration (organizational structure): What teams, roles, and collaboration between them do we need?
Read more...
Additional
Assets.
LIVE STREAM & PODCAST
Weekly episodes with AI leaders who turn AI hype into business outcomes—from overcoming challenges to seeing real results, get insights on using AI, Generative AI, and Agentic AI in business.
NEWSLETTER
Weekly thought-provoking articles for subscribers from 3M, Accenture, AT&T, Gartner, GSK, HP, IBM, Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, Meta, NVIDIA, PwC, SAP, Siemens, Verizon, and many more.
Bio
Andreas Welsch is an internationally recognized AI leader, advisor, and speaker known for helping the world’s leading enterprises turn technology hype into business outcomes. He is the Founder & Chief AI Strategist at Intelligence Briefing, the best-selling author of the “AI Leadership Handbook,” and the creator of several popular LinkedIn Learning courses on AI agents for business leaders.Over the last 23 years, including in global leadership roles at SAP, he has advised Fortune 500 leaders on realizing business value from AI, accelerated the integration of AI across enterprise applications, and positioned SAP as the leader for Business AI. Before that, Andreas led global IT process automation projects. Outside of work, he contributes to academia as an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of AI, Robotics, and Workplace Automation.Andreas is a frequent keynote speaker and expert panelist, and has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice, DataIQ’s AI Leader of the Year, Thinkers360’s Top 10 Thought Leader in Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, and Agentic AI, The Futurum Group's Top 14 AI Influencer, PEX Network’s Top 30 AI Leader, SwissCognitive’s Top 50 Global AI Ambassador, and engatica’s Top 200 Worldwide Business & Technology Innovator. He is an active member of the Harvard Business Review Council, a Gartner Peer Community Ambassador, and has been featured on CIO.com, VentureBeat, InformationWeek, FOX News Digital, and other outlets.Follow his “What’s the BUZZ?” live stream & podcast and newsletter, “The AI MEMO”, and work with Andreas to turn hype into outcome for your business: https://www.intelligence-briefing.com
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