- talk - Main Stage - Navigating Change The Right Way
AI Transformation - What Not to Do (and What to Do Instead)
Thursday 16th October 2025 • 3:40 PM - 4:10 PMThe launch of large language models in 2023 brought AI into the mainstream, triggering a wave of enterprise transformation and innovation. Today, organisations of all sizes are racing to adopt AI, often starting with high-potential use cases, but quickly encountering the messy reality of implementation.
In this talk, we’ll share practical lessons learned from collaborating with enterprises navigating the complexities of AI adoption. While many transformation plans look good on paper, they tend to unravel when confronted with real-world challenges. We’ll explore the common pitfalls that derail AI initiatives—and offer strategies to overcome them from our experience.
About Martina Hodges-Schell
Martina Hodges-Schell is a seasoned product leader, transformation coach, and founder of Northshore, where she helps ambitious change makers drive meaningful, customer-centred transformation. With nearly 30 years at the forefront of product, design and innovation, Martina has led high-impact teams at leading consultancies, disruptive startups, and Silicon Valley giants. A pioneer in integrating UX, Lean, and Agile methodologies, she has played crucial roles in shaping how many modern organisations innovate—bridging strategy, design, and execution to deliver breakthrough products and services. Martina has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic brands to launch new offerings and scale product development practices, earning a reputation for transforming complexity into clarity and catalysing lasting cultural change. Today, she applies this depth of experience to help organisations become more adaptive, collaborative, and customer-obsessed. She is also the co-author of Communicating the UX Vision: 13 Anti-Patterns That Block Good Design, a practical guide for improving collaboration and communication in cross-functional teams. Martina is a certified equine-assisted leadership coach (Equus Coach®) to help you develop and enhance your authentic leadership. Whether she’s coaching executives, leading transformation programs, or sharing her insights on stage, Martina’s mission is clear: to empower people and organisations to unlock their full creative and strategic potential.