The audio and video are in Spanish. These notes are a translation.
Today I spoke with Ángela Gómez, former president of SAP Mexico and current Chief Transformation Officer at Grupo Axo, as well as a board member at Grupo Herdez and other organizations. With more than 30 years of experience in digital transformation, Ángela has led more than 100 simultaneous projects and has worked both with large corporates and with startups. In this conversation we talked about artificial intelligence, how to adopt technology in traditional companies, and which mistakes to avoid when selling to corporates.
0:00 - Technology Cycles and Artificial Intelligence
Ángela shares how artificial intelligence compares with other technology waves she has lived through (the internet, ERP, big data) and why this time is different.
- What do earlier technology cycles have in common with the current adoption of artificial intelligence?
- What mistakes do companies make when they adopt new technology?
- How can leaders keep innovation from being held back from the inside?
12:00 - Success Factors in Digital Transformation
From her experience leading hundreds of implementations, Ángela sums up what distinguishes the companies that achieve results.
- What patterns does she see in companies that adopt technology successfully?
- What common mistakes cause projects to fail?
- Why is it key to assign your best talent to these processes?
She also reflects on the evolution of the CIO role and on the importance of dividing between operations and innovation.
- What does it mean to have two speeds in technology?
- Why do many transformation areas fail in their mission?
27:00 - A Practical Guide for Chief Executives
Ángela proposes a concrete 90-day plan for CEOs who want to implement artificial intelligence in their companies.
- How do you identify the key challenges before choosing technology?
- What role do technology committees play in these processes?
- Why are success stories essential in order to scale?
34:00 - Adoption of Artificial Intelligence: Mistakes and Opportunities
Drawing on real examples, we discuss how leaders should approach artificial intelligence and how to avoid common mistakes in its adoption.
- What is the correct order for implementing artificial intelligence?
- Why do many companies already have artificial intelligence available and still not use it?
- What should you do if you still do not have the right data?
42:00 - Real Cases of Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Mexico
Ángela shares examples of companies that are using artificial intelligence successfully.
- How is Grupo Ruz improving its production forecasts?
- What use cases are they seeing in human resources and in call centers?
45:00 - Advice for Startups Selling to Corporates
From her role as a mentor and board member, Ángela explains how startups can approach large companies in a better way.
- When should you NOT sell to a corporate?
- What characteristics should a good technology pilot have?
- Why are adoption and integration with existing systems key?
55:00 - Relationships, Objections, and Trust
The importance of working both the “C-level” and the users in the sale of technology.
- How do you handle objections of “this is not going to work”?
- What role do references between peers play in the buying decision?
- Why is it necessary to have support beyond Monday to Friday?
1:04:00 - The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Mexican Companies
A final reflection on which questions CEOs should be asking themselves today.
- What happens if you do not adopt artificial intelligence in time?
- What would Ángela change about the current conversation in Mexico?
Episode Mentions
You can find Ángela on LinkedIn
Discover More of the Startupeable Podcast
Listen to every episode at startupeable.com/podcast.
Subscribe to the newsletter to find out when a new one comes out.
Follow Enzo Cavalie on X: @enzocavalie.