As I step into the role of Director of Artificial Intelligence at Spaulding Ridge, I’ve been reflecting on the value of our work. After leading complex client transformations and seeing how technologies, like Agentforce, can make AI’s potential real for employees, I’m excited to help Spaulding Ridge. This role will connect how Spaulding Ridge works with clients and operates internally, grounding our AI approach in strong execution measuring key outcomes.
It seems like AI is the topic of every business conversation these days, but more and more of those conversations are shaped by uncertainty. Alongside excitement about AI’s potential, there are concerns that it may erode trust and human connection. As we navigate our own AI journey, we’ve continually relied on a single commitment Spaulding Ridge has held since its founding: “All business is personal.”
It’s that commitment that guides Spaulding Ridge as we adopt AI technology and processes internally and integrate them into our client service delivery model. We embed AI into the mechanics of execution so we can double down on the human side of consulting: deeper problem-solving, stronger relationships, and more meaningful collaboration. Rather than replacing what makes consulting impactful, AI is enabling us to be better consultants.
AI can do a lot for professional services firms…
As we’ve explored the AI capabilities the market offers, we’ve started with our own internal processes and then applied what we’ve learned to help our clients. Tasks that once consumed valuable consultant time, such as capturing meeting notes, synthesizing discussions, or building presentation materials, can be automated or accelerated. AI agent companions give our teams faster access to the information they need. When manual work is simpler, consultants have more time for higher-value thinking. The result is a consulting model that is more human, not less. Our people are free to spend more time listening, advising, and collaborating. These same capabilities are now being transferred to our clients, helping them achieve similar efficiencies while amplifying the strategic and interpersonal aspects of their own work.
Even more importantly, AI has expanded our ability to surface insights that would have been difficult or time-consuming to uncover before. By extracting patterns and meaning from complex data sets, our teams can move more quickly from analysis to action. These insights would never have been revealed through manual review (who has the time or budget to review sixty thousand contracts manually?), but with AI, our consultants have better information to shape their recommendations.
…But people are more essential than ever.
Even in an AI-powered consultancy, the most critical work can’t be automated, and in many cases, AI creates more need for humans. One example: The ongoing AI transformation of business will depend on change management. Many of the concerns around AI can be relieved when you show people how much it can help. We support our clients as they update their processes, clarify where AI can drive value, and build confidence through training and real-world use cases. Best practices in AI adoption consistently show that technology alone doesn’t drive value; success depends on how well people understand, trust, and use these new capabilities in their day-to-day work. Rather than treating AI as a one-time rollout, we work alongside our clients to refine how tools and agents are used. This makes adoption feel supportive rather than disruptive and increases the likelihood that clients’ new AI tools will deliver value.
Meanwhile, as organizations increasingly rely on AI to generate everything from code to marketing content, human oversight becomes more critical. Companies need oversight of AI to evaluate quality, manage risk, and ensure outputs align with business goals, ethical standards, and brand voice. AI isn’t accountable for outcomes, and clients need a partner who takes full responsibility for results, applying judgment, experience, and ownership in ways no model can replicate. Spaulding Ridge aims to be that kind of partner, with AI as with everything else we do.
Together, we can make AI work for people.
Even as AI changes the day-to-day work of consulting, it doesn’t change what truly drives impact. Because Spaulding Ridge has been focused on value and outcomes for our clients since the beginning, we’re uniquely positioned to navigate this shift. Our people model empowers our teams to continuously learn, collaborate deeply with clients, and act as trusted advisors. By embracing AI to handle repetitive work, we’ve placed even more importance on human judgment, partnership, and accountability.
While some consulting firms may struggle as AI replaces traditional, labor-intensive tasks, we’re confident in what sets us apart: real partnership. That human connection, paired with disciplined, responsible use of AI, is irreplaceable. If you’re curious to see how this approach works in practice, we’d love to connect and share how we bring AI-powered delivery and human-centered consulting together.