How do you drive transformation when every global signal is flashing red, yellow... and green?

In this episode of From the Horse’s Mouth, Phil Fersht sits down with Manish Sharma, CEO of 



Accenture’s North America business, to talk about navigating talent, geopolitics, trust, and transformation in an age of relentless change.



They delve into the "rebalancing" of globalization, exploring how the future of service delivery is shifting, why AI maturity is about people, not just technology, and what global business leaders are still getting wrong about partnerships and accountability.



What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes

• How “re-globalization” is reshaping service delivery

• Why automation alone isn’t enough

• What boards really want from providers today

• The shift from cost to value: New KPIs for transformation

• The talent mindset needed for the AI-first world

• How Accenture is approaching trust, transformation, and partnerships



Guest Snapshots

Manish Sharma is the CEO of North America at Accenture, leading the firm’s largest market. Formerly Accenture’s Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Executive of Operations, Manish has been instrumental in evolving the global services landscape—from pioneering intelligent operations to advocating for borderless talent. 



His leadership spans transformation at scale, digital reinvention, and deeply human leadership. Recognized as one of the top thinkers in global services and operations, Manish blends global delivery expertise with a sharp lens on what’s next.



Timestamps

00:00 – Intro and welcome

02:05 – From India to North America: Manish’s journey and leadership lens

05:10 – The new rules of globalization: Borders, supply chains, and trust

08:40 – Are delivery centers obsolete? Manish on the future of service delivery

11:00 – Why AI maturity isn’t just about tech—it’s about people readiness

13:45 – Rethinking partnerships: From FTEs to outcomes

16:20 – The boardroom’s new obsession: How to turn insights into execution

20:00 – Manish’s challenge to the industry: “Don’t just automate. Re-imagine.”

23:30 – Lightning round: What’s next for services, skills, and leadership

26:00 – Wrap-up



Explore More

• Manish Sharma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manish-sharma-bbb1a1

• Accenture North America: https://www.accenture.com/us-en

• Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

• More insights from HFS: https://www.hfsresearch.com/

Deals, Data, and Deglobalization: Manish Sharma in the Hot Seat with Phil Fersht

Global alliances are shifting. Tech stacks are splitting. And social media is reshaping democracy in real time. In this electrifying episode, Fareed Zakaria, a renowned journalist, CNN host, and global affairs analyst, joins Phil Fersht to unpack the messy intersection of politics, AI, and power.  

What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes 

 * Why Fareed says global allies are hedging their bets on America 
 * The new Cold War over tech stacks: Chinese vs. non-Chinese 
 * Social media’s algorithmic grip on democracy 
 * Are we facing the systemic breakdown of compromise? 
 * Why the next election might hinge on a TikTok 
 * Urban America’s affordability crisis: housing, healthcare, education 
 * What Gen Z’s radical turn means for politics 
 * How Fareed is fighting back against digital distraction (spoiler: karaoke is involved)  

Guest Snapshot 

Fareed Zakaria is a globally recognized journalist, author, and host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS [https://www.cnn.com/shows/fareed-zakaria-gps]. Known for his razor-sharp commentary on international affairs, economic policy, and technology, Fareed has been a leading voice on globalization, democracy, and disruption for decades. His work appears in The Washington Post, CNN, and bestselling books like The Post-American World [https://www.amazon.com/Post-American-World-Fareed-Zakaria/dp/039306235X] and Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World [https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Post-Pandemic-World-Fareed-Zakaria/dp/0393542130].   

Timestamps 

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction  
00:36 – Global Alliances Are Fraying  
02:41 – The Bipolar Tech Stack: US vs. China  
04:42 – Nvidia, Intel, and Chips in Geopolitics  
06:44 – Democracy, AI, and the Social Media Machine  
09:45 – Charlie Kirk, Virality, and Political Radicalization  
13:05 – The Power (and Danger) of Algorithms  
15:40 – Is the American Dream Still Alive?  
18:30 – The Urban Crisis of Affordability  
20:22 – Why Gen Z is Embracing Radical Ideas  
21:59 – How social media is Rewiring Our Brains  
24:20 – Deep Work, Human Connection, and Staying Sane  
26:30 – Fareed’s Final Reflection  

Explore More 

 * Fareed Zakaria on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed-zakaria-7098ba24b]
 * Phil Fersht on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/]
 * More from HFS [https://www.hfsresearch.com/]

Related Episodes: 

 * Pascal Bornet: Lead with Agentic AI — or Risk Being Replaced [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijJqId6UoqQ]
 * May Habib: Why Agentic AI Needs Guts, Grit - and the Human Touch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v9C3t7Z5LE]

TikTok, Tariffs, and Tech Wars: Phil Fersht pods with Fareed Zakaria

Ron Walker, Head of Global Managed Services at KPMG, sits down with Phil Fersht to unpack how AI is reshaping services—and why enterprise leaders can’t afford to wait.  



They explore the “Kodak moment” facing traditional tech firms, the critical shift from vendor to value partner, and why platform-enabled services are rewriting the outsourcing playbook. This is not your typical vendor chat—Ron gets candid about contracts, cost pressures, talent strategy, and the rise of agentic delivery models. 



If you’ve ever asked, “Where is this all going?” — this episode answers it. 



What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes 

• Why AI is forcing enterprises to rethink their entire services stack 

• How geopolitical volatility is accelerating automation investments 

• The rise of agentic delivery—and what it means for your contracts 

• Why smart, curious generalists will define the next wave of talent 

• The one thing every enterprise must do right now 



Guest Snapshots 

Ron Walker is the Global Head of Managed Services at KPMG, where he leads the firm’s vision for reinventing managed services in the AI era. With deep roots in consulting, outsourcing, and global transformation, Ron is at the forefront of building outcome-based delivery models that blend human expertise with intelligent automation. 



A trusted advisor to Fortune 1000 enterprises, Ron is passionate about aligning tech, talent, and trust to meet the demands of a volatile, high-speed digital economy. 



Timestamps 

00:00 – Welcome and Backstory 

01:05 – How Trade Volatility Is Reshaping Global Services 

02:50 – 83% of Enterprises Are Accelerating AI—What That Really Means 

05:16 – From Talent at Scale to AI at Scale 

07:30 – Machines Now Outperform Humans—Where Does That Leave Us? 

08:52 – Reinventing Contracts for an Agentic Future 

10:40 – The New Economics of Outsourcing 

12:33 – Why Service Providers Must Become Educators 

14:57 – KPMG’s Hybrid Model: Productization + Partnership 

16:40 – Redefining Talent for a Platform-Enabled World 

19:03 – Vibe Coding, Agentic AI, and the Next Phase of Work 

22:40 – Ron’s One Piece of Advice for Enterprise Leaders 

24:13 – Will We See a New Wave of Transformational Outsourcing? 

25:32 – The Big Four + Scalers: Why Collaboration Is Key 



Explore More

• Ron Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronwalkerkpmg/

• KPMG’s AI Thought Leadership: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights.html

• Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

• More from HFS on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com/

AI, Agents, and Ambitions: KPMG’s Ron Walker on Rebuilding the Services Stack

When you spin out of one of the world’s largest agribusiness supply chains with the ambition to reimagine enterprise services, people take notice.



In this episode, Suresh Sundararajan, CEO and Co-Founder of Mindsprint, joins HFS CEO Phil Fersht to unpack what it really means to be an AI-first services firm, and how legacy becomes leverage when you’re bold enough to build.



From training 3,000+ employees on AI tools to launching outcome-based pricing models for P2P and procurement, Suresh shares his honest view on tech disruption, change management, and why the small and agile are beating the big and slow.



What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes

• The birth of Mindsprint from agribusiness giant Olam

• What being “AI-first” means inside and out

• Scaling AI adoption across a 3,200-person workforce

• Why change management—not tech—is the bottleneck

• How outcome-based pricing is disrupting traditional service models

• Why smaller firms are thriving in the new enterprise tech landscape

• Suresh’s personal mission to lead by doing—and upskill everyone



Guest Snapshots

Suresh is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mindsprint, a next-gen tech services firm born out of Olam Group—one of the world’s largest agri-business supply chains. With over 30 years at Olam, Suresh brings a rare combination of operational depth, strategic foresight, and entrepreneurial grit.



He’s on a mission to prove that smaller, sharper firms like Mindsprint can move faster, lead AI transformation, and offer differentiated services at scale—all while being deeply human-centered in execution.



Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome and origins of Mindsprint  

01:15 – Spinning out of Olam: The backstory  

03:29 – Why Mindsprint chose independence over division  

06:57 – What it *really* means to be AI-first  

08:57 – How Suresh trained 95% of employees on AI  

09:42 – The reality of change management  

12:29 – What happens when AI frees up time?  

14:42 – How jobs and skillsets are evolving  

17:02 – Adding 45 new logos in 18 months  

19:40 – From FTEs to outcome-based pricing  

21:58 – Selling services like software  

24:49 – Global expansion and unexpected growth in APAC  

27:00 – Advice for tech and non-tech leaders on AI transformation  

30:13 – The productivity + innovation equation  

31:44 – Wrap-up and parting thoughts 



Explore More

• Mindsprint: https://www.Mindsprint.org

• Suresh Sundararajan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sureshsundararajan

• Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht

• HFS Research on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Coffee, Cotton… and Code: How Mindsprint Is Rewriting the Tech Services Playbook

Are we stuck iterating when we should be innovating?  

Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, joins Phil Fersht on From the Horses' Mouth to unpack the AI paradox. Why is AI maturity declining even as capabilities explode? The answer lies in mindset—not models.   

Brian argues that leaders must stop using AI to simply optimize yesterday’s processes and start reimagining what’s newly possible. It's not just about doing things faster—it's about doing entirely new things.   

What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes  

- Why AI maturity actually dropped in 2024—and what it signals  
- The difference between iteration and innovation in the age of AI  
- Why rethinking jobs and workflows is now mission-critical  
- How leadership must evolve from cost control to possibility design  
- What it means to become an “AI-native” organization  - Why the pressure to change needs to feel urgent—but be inspiring   

Guest Snapshots
Brian Solis is the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, where he leads a worldwide network of futurists and innovation officers focused on helping enterprises navigate disruption with clarity and purpose. A world-renowned digital anthropologist, Brian has published nine bestselling books and over 60 influential research reports on innovation, transformation, and emerging technologies. He’s been featured in HBR, Fast Company, CIO, and Forbes—and is consistently ranked among the top global voices in business innovation.   

Timestamps  
00:00 – Welcome & Brian’s Background    
01:30 – From Disruptive Tech to Enterprise Innovation    
03:25 – Brian’s First Generative AI Encounter    
05:00 – Building the AI Maturity Model at ServiceNow
06:40 – Why AI Maturity Scores Are Falling
07:50 – From Quick Wins to Business Transformation
09:35 – Connecting Silos with AI (Not Just Automating)
11:00 – Reimagining Work, Not Replacing It
13:20 – Helping Employees Become AI-Native
15:20 – Leadership’s Role in Inspiring AI-Driven Change
18:10 – Linear vs. Exponential Thinking
20:30 – Free Time, Dark Leisure & Organizational Curiosity
22:20 – Why Most Companies Still Think Like It’s Web 1.0
24:45 – Iteration ≠ Innovation    
26:50 – AI as an Extension of Human Creativity    
28:10 – Who Will Win: Services or Software?    
30:15 – Cost Center or Growth Engine? You Decide    
34:00 – Sign Off & Canine-Approved Conclusion      

Explore More  
• Brian Solis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansolis/  
• Brian's Latest Book: https://www.briansolis.com/books/  
• ServiceNow AI Index Report: https://www.servicenow.com  
• Phil Fersht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/  
• More from HFS on Agentic AI: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Dogs, Dial-Up, and Disruption: My conversation with Brian Solis

Are we outsourcing too much of our thinking to AI?  

In this thought-provoking episode, Phil Fersht sits down with HFS’s own Dana Daher, a trained anthropologist and research leader, to talk about how GenAI is subtly reshaping how we think, work, and show up. 

Dana explores the idea of cognitive erosion—what happens when we rely so heavily on GenAI that we stop building our own creative, critical, and strategic muscles. She explains why this matters now, especially for the next generation of workers, and how leaders can protect what makes us uniquely human. 

This isn’t about resisting technology—it’s about learning how to use it without losing ourselves.  

What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes 

1. The concept of cognitive erosion—and how it’s different from burnout 

2. Why younger employees may miss critical thinking milestones if they over-rely on GenAI 

3. How "co-creating with machines" can end up making everything sound the same 

4. The importance of cognitive resilience as a leadership capability 

5. The risk of workplace homogeneity in a world of AI-written everything 

6. How to balance efficiency with authenticity in the age of digital assistants  

Guest Snapshots 

Dana Daher is Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, where she blends her background in anthropology and IT to lead research across employee experience, agentic AI, DEI, and sustainability. Before HFS, she held leadership roles at Unisys and Info-Tech Research Group, helping public and private sector clients shape their digital transformation journeys. Dana holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Anthropology from University College London, bringing a deeply human lens to technology’s impact on business and society. 



Timestamps 

00:00 – Welcome: Dana Daher and the Anthropology of Enterprise 

02:54 – What Anthropology Teaches Us About Tech Culture 

06:04 – What Is Cognitive Erosion and Why It Matters 

07:48 – Three Waves of Cognitive Offloading: From Google to GenAI 

09:16 – How AI Affects Judgment, Creativity, and Critical Thinking 

12:04 – Offloading Opinions vs. Gaining Insight: The Thin Line 

13:27 – AI’s Role in Creating a Sea of Generic Content 

16:17 – Teaching Cognitive Resilience in the AI Era 

18:07 – The Next Workforce Crisis: When Juniors Are Skipped for AI 

21:03 – Is the Soul of the Workplace at Risk? 

23:09 – Can AI Drive Us Back to Human Connection? 

25:30 – Tech Efficiency vs. Human Cost: Finding Balance 

26:52 – Closing Thoughts: Retaining Originality in a Machine World 



Explore More

🌐Dana’s Research on Cognitive Erosion: https://www.hfsresearch.com/analyst/dana-daher

🌐Learn more about Agentic AI at HFS: https://www.hfsresearch.com 

🔗 Follow Dana Daher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-daher/ 

🔗 Follow Phil Fersht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Dana Daher: Reclaiming Human Thinking in the Age of AI Shortcuts

We don’t need more dashboards—we need more listening. 



In this episode, Phil Fersht sits down with Sandeep Dadlani, the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UnitedHealth Group, to explore what fundamental healthcare transformation looks like in the age of AI. 



Sandeep dives into how UnitedHealth is deploying ambient AI and agentic systems to reduce clinical burnout, improve access to care, and, most importantly, bring empathy back into the doctor-patient relationship. 



This is AI designed to serve, not replace. And it’s already in the hands of thousands of clinicians. 



What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes 

- Why healthcare has a tech problem and a humanity problem 

- How ambient listening AI is giving doctors their time—and their focus—back 

- What “agentic AI” really means in clinical workflows 

- The risks of bad AI and the urgency of building trusted systems 

- How to scale AI in ways that respect patients, doctors, and outcomes 



Guest Snapshots 

Sandeep Dadlani is the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital & Technology Officer at UnitedHealth Group, where he leads the charge in rethinking how one of the world’s largest healthcare companies uses technology. With prior roles at Mars and Infosys, Sandeep brings a rare blend of consumer empathy and enterprise tech savvy. His current mission? Use AI to fix the system without losing sight of the people it’s meant to serve. 



Timestamps 

00:00 – Welcome and Introductions 

01:20 – Why Healthcare Needs a Reboot 

03:48 – What “Frictionless” Really Means in Care 

06:35 – Agentic AI: More Than a Buzzword 

08:12 – Ambient Listening: Letting Doctors Be Doctors 

12:47 – Creating Space for Human Connection 

14:40 – Scaling AI to 2,000+ Clinicians 

16:22 – Designing Tech That Actually Helps 

18:57 – Building for Real People, Not Just Processes 

22:10 – Where Healthcare Transformation Goes Next 

24:36 – Closing Thoughts: A More Human Future



Explore More

🌐 Learn more about UnitedHealth Group: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/ 

🔗 Follow Sandeep Dadlani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdadlani/ 

🔗 Follow Phil Fersht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/ 

🔗 More from HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Sandeep Dadlani: Why Healthcare Needs AI That Listens—Not Just Learns

From Recipes to Reasoning: Rethinking Enterprise Orchestration for AI 

“We’re not futzing around with chatbots anymore. We’re bringing AI to the core.” — Vijay Tella 

In this episode, Vijay Tella joins HFS CEO Phil Fersht to challenge the outdated patterns of enterprise integration. As generative and agentic AI systems demand richer context and execution capability, Vijay explains why orchestration needs a foundational rethink—and what’s next for the enterprise stack. 



What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes 

 • Why agentic systems need both rich context and reliable execution 

 • The mindset shift from “recipe thinking” to goal-based system design 

 • The rise of enterprise skills as a trust layer for AI 

 • How to “change the wheels while driving” toward modernization 

 • Why developers will become essential again—even in a low-code world 



Guest Snapshots 

Vijay Tella is the CEO and co-founder of Workato, where he pioneered the concept of enterprise orchestration—bringing integration, automation, and AI under one platform. With a background at Oracle and TIBCO, he’s spent his career simplifying complexity in enterprise systems. Today, Vijay is focused on enabling agentic AI by building the trusted infrastructure it needs to act, not just advise. 



Timestamps 

00:00 — Intro: Why Vijay Tella Thinks Integration Needs Reinvention 

02:10 — The Origins of Workato & the “Recipe” Approach 

05:52 — Are We Solving the Right Problems with GenAI? 

08:45 — The Agentic Burn: AI Hype vs. Real Outcomes 

10:30 — Recipe Thinking vs. Agentic Thinking 

13:47 — Why Enterprises Must Bring All of Themselves to AI 

16:16 — Enterprise Skills: The Trusted Execution Layer 

20:33 — Workato’s New Mission: AI That Can Be Trusted 

21:01 — The Hidden Integration Challenge No One Sees Coming 

23:23 — How to Modernize and Apply AI in Parallel 

25:28 — Why Developers Are About to Get Cool Again 



Explore More 

🌐 Learn more about Workato: https://www.workato.com/ 

🔗 Follow Vijay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-tella-1a410a8/ 

🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Vijay Tella: It’s Time to Rethink Enterprise Orchestration

The Agent Economy Is Coming—with Blockchain as Its Backbone.

“This is not about crypto hype. It’s about solving trillion-dollar problems.” — Paul Brody

What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes

• Why blockchain is thriving quietly—through real enterprise use cases

• The new agent-to-agent economy and its AI + blockchain foundation

• How stablecoins could collapse cross-border fees and reinvent payroll

• Why security and privacy are prerequisites, not roadblocks

• The coming shift from demos to delivery in blockchain adoption

• Why simplification and use-case storytelling will define what scales

Guest Snapshots

Paul Brody is EY’s Global Blockchain Leader and Chair of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance. From privacy-first payments to agent-integrated supply chains, Brody leads global efforts to evolve blockchain from pilot to production. Joining him is Saurabh Gupta, President at HFS, with over a decade covering blockchain's rise, plateau—and now rebirth.

Timestamps

00:00 – Where Is Blockchain Now?

02:16 – From Tech Obsession to Real-World Use Cases

04:18 – Is Blockchain Still Too Secretive?

06:55 – Can Blockchain Solve AI’s Security Problem?

08:53 – Agents, Predictive Maintenance & Blockchain Execution

10:34 – What Agent-to-Agent Economies Could Look Like

13:54 – Why Supply Chain Isn’t There Yet

15:22 – Blockchain Still Lacks an “Intuitive UX”

17:16 – The Stablecoin Surge & Bipartisan Regulation

20:48 – Streaming Payments and the End of Payday Loans

24:11 – Public vs. Private Blockchains: What Won

26:40 – What’s Next for Ethereum, Assets & Smart Contracts

 

Explore More

🌐 Learn more about EY Blockchain: https://www.ey.com/blockchain



🔗 Follow Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbrody/

🔗 Follow Saurabh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfssaurabh/

🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Paul Brody: Why Blockchain Still Matters in an AI-Obsessed World

Lead Like You Mean It with Ethan Mollick, Professor at Wharton and Author of Co-Intelligence “You don’t need an AI course. You need to get your hands dirty.” — Ethan Mollick What You’ll Hear in 30 Minutes - Why AI is exposing leadership gaps more than technical ones - How LLMs are reshaping research, training, and decision-making - Why interns and junior roles are being replaced before we’re ready - What makes an effective internal AI lab—and why most aren’t - How AI’s personality could become a competitive differentiator - Why CEOs must experiment with the tools to lead with credibility Guest Snapshot Ethan Mollick is a professor at the Wharton School and author of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. Through his blog One Useful Thing, he helps organizations and individuals make sense of the generative AI wave. In this episode, Mollick shares how AI is challenging everything—from how we lead to how we learn—and why the best leaders are the ones who are hands-on. 

Timestamps: 

00:00 – Ethan’s Otter Test and the AI Acceleration Curve 

01:33 – Rethinking Research, Workflows & Analyst Roles 

04:53 – Apprenticeships Are Broken. Now What? 

06:30 – AI Is a Leadership Problem 

08:22 – Building an Internal AI Lab That Works 

10:41 – Why “Perfect Data” Is a Red Herring 

14:08 – How to Prep LLMs with the Right Prompts 

16:09 – AI Personalities and the Next Differentiator 

18:50 – The CEO's 5-Minute AI Briefing 

22:02 – No One Has the Answers—But You Still Have to Lead 

24:22 – Can Google Win? 

What Comes Next in the LLM Race Explore More 

📘 Co-Intelligence: https://amzn.to/3Yk0QYQ 

📰 One Useful Thing: https://www.oneusefulthing.org 

🔗 Follow Ethan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanmollick/ 

🔗 Follow Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfersht/

Ethan Mollick: Why AI Is a Leadership Problem, Not Just a Tech Problem

As technology rapidly evolves, the world has undergone a significant transformation. Society has shifted from being human-centered to a complex web of digital automation, AI, and human workers who support it. This rapid innovation outpaces regulations and threatens social mobility.

The rise of AI presents a critical challenge: how can businesses and policymakers ensure that AI enhances, rather than hinders, human creativity and innovation? Automating routine tasks could free up people for roles requiring creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, but it demands a focus on continuous learning and digital literacy.

The first season of From the Horse's Mouth: Intrepid Conversations with Phil Fersht explores the intersection of AI, work, and society, aiming to shape the future.

HFS Research

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