Putting people at the heart of digital change is not just a slogan or a celebration of success; it’s a hard-earned lesson rooted in one of my earliest and most painful professional experiences. Early in my career as a technology project manager, I was excited to lead the implementation of a new software system for a client aiming to expand its business in Europe and North America. After the installation and initial training, everything seemed to be on track. But just a few weeks later, we discovered that the client had reverted to using their old system. Despite the new platform being more efficient and better suited for reaching international clients, it was abandoned.
When we investigated why, the answer was surprisingly simple and deeply revealing. The staff member responsible for managing the new system had left the company. The person who replaced them didn’t know how to use the new software and, rather than seeking support, reverted to what was familiar. No one else in the organization had the training or confidence to step in. The result: a complete reversal of our efforts and a lost opportunity for the business. That experience left a mark. I knew there had to be a better way. I began reading articles, studying technology adoption strategies, and eventually developed my own framework to help businesses prepare for and manage change more effectively. What started as an informal sketch grew into a structured approach, supported by deeper study including a certification in business analysis and technology consulting and now, ongoing graduate education in global business and leadership at HEC Paris and The Wharton School.
Through these experiences, one core truth became clear: people must come first. This understanding became the foundation for my personal OC Model, a framework I had sketched amateurly from my early professional life and refined over the years. It was indeed a journey of humble beginnings when I manually created a complex chatbox for a digital agency to now talking about transformation as scale. Too often, digital transformation is treated as a purely technical upgrade. Companies invest heavily in systems, only to see poor adoption, resistance to change, or outright failure. Why?
It was supposed to be a game-changer. The CEO stood before 500 employees, outlining a bold vision for an AI transformation that would revolutionize everything. Eighteen months and $50 million later, the company was hemorrhaging talent, customer complaints had tripled, and the stock price had plummeted 30%. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Behind every statistic about digital transformation, the 70% failure rate, the $4 trillion in projected spending by 2027 are real people wrestling with real challenges that no algorithm can solve.
Great transformation starts with a vision that resonates in the break room, not just the boardroom. Companies with well-defined transformation goals are twice as likely to succeed. But here’s what the statistics don’t capture: the best visions answer the question every employee or client is really asking, “What does this mean for me?” Every resource and resource must be considered strategically and not only the technology.
How are you driving technology or AI adoption in your company?