In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Stefaan Verhulst, Chief Research and Development Officer at The GovLab, to explore why it’s time for organizations to stop treating data as a private asset and start treating it as infrastructure for innovation.

Stefaan believes that the future of digital transformation depends on how we organize, govern, and share data across sectors. He discusses how data collaboratives are helping companies and governments tackle complex challenges—from public health to AI governance, and why trust, transparency, and capability building are now the hallmarks of modern data leadership.

Key discussion topics include:

• Data as infrastructure: shifting from ownership to enablement

• Building responsible data ecosystems that balance innovation and ethics

• The role of trust and governance in scaling AI responsibly

• How cross-sector collaboration can unlock new business and social value

Listen to learn how forward-thinking organizations can use data not just to compete, but to contribute.

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this episode of “What If? So What?”, host Jim Hertzfeld sits down with futurist and best-selling author Jonathan Brill to explore how organizations can prepare for disruption and thrive in an AI-driven future. Brill is author of “Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit From Radical Change” and “AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm,” which shares how seemingly unpredictable shocks—pandemics, energy crises, political upheaval—are becoming more frequent as global systems collide.

In this episode, Brill explains why traditional three- and five-year planning no longer works and instead urges leaders to focus on the real-world constraints shaping the pace of technological change. He introduces the concept of the “octopus organization,” a new model where decision making is distributed rather than centralized, and AI empowers people across the enterprise with better context, insight, and agility.

He also emphasizes that while technology evolves quickly, cultural transformation can take several years, which means that leaders must start reshaping their organizations now to be ready for 2030 and beyond.

Get your copy of AI and Octopus Organization today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQK1PXDV?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

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In this episode of “What If? So What?”, host Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Wally Burchfield, a seasoned automotive executive with more than five decades of experience with General Motors, Nissan, and beyond. Wally shares hard-earned insights on how data, trust, and customer experience have reshaped the automotive industry, and what other sectors can learn from it.

From the rise of telematics to AI in marketing, Wally emphasizes the importance of keeping the consumer at the center of every decision. If you're navigating digital transformation, this episode offers a grounded, practical perspective on how to build trust, deliver value, and stay competitive.

Thank you for listening!

You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts

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