Leading Enterprise AI Programs

“A rare blend of strategy, structure, and empathy - this book captures what it truly takes to lead AI programs that deliver impact, trust, and long-term value.” * Srujana Kaddevarmuth, Global Head Applied AI Labs, Walmart *“Leading Enterprise AI Programs is a rare work that bridges strategy design and execution realities. It unites the rigor of management doctrine with the fast-evolving challenges of AI, making it an indispensable playbook for leaders navigating transformation.” * Brook Selassie, Vice President, CIO and Corporate Strategy Practice, Gartner *“From navigating organizational resistance and securing executive buy-in to building scalable data infrastructure and establishing governance frameworks that actually work, I have found the practical nature of this book to be invaluable. For anyone leading or contributing to data and AI initiatives at large organizations, this book offers the kind of wisdom that typically takes years of hard-won experience to accumulate. It’s become an essential part of my professional toolkit, and I suspect I will continue to reference it again and again.” * Kristine Swan, VP Digital Strategy and Innovation, Phillips 66 *“Uniting strategy, governance, and technical foundations, this book is a rigorous guide to building and leading effective AI organizations.” * Maharaj Mukherjee, Senior Vice President and Senior Architect Lead, Bank of America *“This book isn’t about algorithms or the latest buzzwords. It’s a field guide for leaders who want to make AI deliver lasting business impact. By grounding the conversation in strategy, adoption, and change management, Leading Enterprise AI Programs demonstrates how to avoid the traps that derail most projects. Every executive and AI leader should keep this book within arm’s reach.” * Dhivya Nagasubramanian, AI Leader, Vice President AI Transformation & Innovation, U.S. Bank *“Leading Enterprise AI Programs is an AI playbook for senior leaders charged with scaling AI for measurable business value. Drawing on deep operational insight, Patrick Bangert captures exactly what I’ve seen in Fortune-100 environments. This book is a must-read for any executive serious about embedding AI across a complex, regulated organization.” * Fauzia (Foz) Saeed, VP Data Product Strategy and Governance, McKesson *“Clear and practical, this book is an essential guide for anyone launching an AI initiative, answering every pertinent question from project kickoff to full-scaledeployment. Thoughtful and meticulous, this book tackles every key question on AI-from technology and ethics to change management and deployment-making it an indispensable resource.” * Sean Im, Founder and CEO, VerticalAI *“This book tackles enterprise AI practically and realistically. It’s written for leaders who are curious about where to start, managers juggling multiple AI projects, and practitioners or startups building these systems from the ground up. It openly discusses where AI projects fail and why, providing a realistic view of what you’re getting into. From your first strategy meeting all the way through to maintaining operations years down the line, this book guides you through the entire journey without sugarcoating.” * Temi Odesanya, Responsible AI Leader, AIG *“This book nails the hardest part of enterprise AI: turning strategy into sustained value. As someone leading AI in a complex enterprise, I found this book refreshingly practical. It cuts through the hype and lays out exactly what it takes to build AI programs that deliver real value at scale. It’s a must-read for leaders who want AI to actually land.” * Sarah Karthigan, VP of AI, Weatherford *“Patrick Bangert is the real deal. He combines world-class AI expertise with the discipline to turn it into value. In a field full of noise, he’s the signal.” * Christian Anschuetz *“Patrick Bangert is turning a complex topic into a practical roadmap any enterprise can follow with confidence for democratizing AI. Bangert shows that governance is not bureaucracy but the backbone of adoption and reminds us that leading AI is not about algorithms, but about aligning people, purpose, and processes until innovation becomes inevitable. It is all about what actions get us closer to the value and for enterprise AI programs it’s practically how to bring AI to data rather than data to AI.” * Vinod Nair, VP Data Platform Engineering & Architecture, Comcast *“This book is more than a guide to leading enterprise AI - it is a blueprint for building trust, clarity and lasting value in a rapidly evolving world. It transforms complex ideas into practical wisdom, empowering every reader to lead with purpose and confidence.” * Ashwini Ghogare, GenAI Leader Healthcare and Life Sciences, Amazon Web Services (AWS) *“The holistic initiative driven approach proposed in this book will increase the effectiveness of any enterprise AI program and increase its chance of delivering lasting value.” * Sam Hamilton, former SVP Data and AI, Visa *“Patrick Bangert has delivered a clear and optimistic blueprint of turning vision into value - based upon teamwork, user focus and ethical leadership. By building trust and fostering continuous learning, it shows how AI can become a powerful force for transforming the organization.” * Andy Flowers, Enterprise AI Manager, ConocoPhillips *“In a world where AI hype often overshadows real impact, this book is a breath of fresh air. Patrick Bangert cuts through the noise, offering a blueprint that is as pragmatic as it is visionary. This book reminds us that sustainable AI success isn’t about chasing the latest algorithm; it’s about building trust, focusing relentlessly on business value and empowering people at every level of the enterprise. Whether you’re just starting your AI journey or scaling a mature program, you’ll find wisdom here that’s grounded in experience and delivered with clarity. I’m grateful for Bangert’s candor and leadership. This is the handbook I wish I’d had years ago.” * Nasim Eftekahri, Chief AI Officer, City of Hope *

Patrick Bangert is an experienced technology executive who has led AI and machine learning teams and programs for over two decades. He is currently VP and Chief of AI at Occidental Petroleum. He was previously the VP of AI for Samsung SDS, the founder of algorithmica technologies and the SVP of Data, Analytics, AI at Searce. He lives in San Francisco, CA.