Leading Transformation

Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken
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Leading Transformation is a podcast for enterprise leaders who want real results from AI, not the hype. Hosts Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken, former Chairman and CEO of DHL Worldwide, talk with industry operators, investors and technology executives about how they use AI, automation & operational intelligence to grow revenue, expand margins, increase throughput and build resilience. What it costs, what breaks, and what pays off. New episodes every Wednesday. Presented by D&D Legacy Capital, a family office investing in AI-native enterprise technology and global industry.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Your Warehouse Runs on Old Data: From the Roboticist Behind a Pilotless Helicopter | Sankalp Arora

    When a part goes missing in your warehouse, the cost doesn’t stay in the warehouse. It shows up as a stopped production line, a late shipment or a lost customer. Yet most manufacturers only learn the true state of their inventory when they count it, often months apart, and make decisions in between on numbers they assume are right.Sankalp Arora, co-founder and CEO of Gather AI, argues those numbers often aren’t. His company uses drones and cameras on forklifts to show operations leaders what is actually on their shelves and moving through their facilities, and the gap between what the KPIs say and what’s really there is frequently a surprise.We heard about Gather AI in our last episode, when Pano Anthos of XRC Ventures mentioned it as one of his portfolio companies. We were curious, so we invited Sankalp to tell us more.Sankalp holds a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, where he and his co-founder developed an autonomous helicopter for DARPA, the research agency of the US Department of Defense. Seeing the detailed 3D map that helicopter built of everything around it led him to found Gather AI.In this episode: What manufacturers lose to inventory they can’t find, from missed sales to production line stoppagesWhy physical data, information that exists on your floor but was never digitized, is a major untapped opportunityWhat a deployment looks like, from mapping a facility to the first surprising inventory numbersHow to move from reacting to problems to preventing them, including how one 3PL cut customer complaints by 60%When a mid-market operation is ready for physical AI, and when it should get organized firstHow AI agents are moving from surfacing insights to recommending actions a manager can approveWhy most AI pilots fail before they start, and what to agree on up frontHis contrarian take on what the industry gets wrong about IT, integration costs and investmentWhy he believes leaders must help spread AI skills widely to prevent power from concentratingIf you run a manufacturing, industrial or logistics operation and suspect your numbers aren’t telling the whole story, this episode shows what becomes possible when you can see your operation as it really is. Chapters: 0:00 Intro1:28 From a DARPA-funded autonomous helicopter to warehouse drones: the origin of physical AI at Gather AI4:09 How "curious" drones use computer vision to count inventory without GPS5:25 The hidden cost of undigitized physical data: lost inventory, stockouts and manufacturing line-down risk8:14 Why operations run on three-month-old inventory data, and what a real-time digital twin changes8:55 Deploying physical AI in a warehouse: live in 3 weeks, and the 99.9% vs 85% inventory accuracy reality11:32 Drones, forklift cameras and WMS integration: how visual data fits your existing systems13:13 ROI and payback: 4.5 months, low capex and fewer non-value-added tasks14:45 How to sell AI when your KPIs are hiding the problem16:03 AI agents for shift planning, forecasting, slotting and route planning: from insights to actions17:47 When physical AI makes sense for mid-market manufacturers and distribution centers19:46 From reactive to proactive inventory management: mispicks, customer complaints and labor planning22:01 How to measure operational ROI on the P&L23:13 Building hardware and software: why physical AI has a smaller margin of error24:41 Why AI pilots fail: success metrics not agreed upfront26:21 Contrarian take: the cost-center mindset, $500K integrations and the capex myth28:50 Beyond inventory counting: orchestrating the warehouse with AI agents on ground-truth data29:42 Final message: AI and the centralization of power31:05 Closing#PhysicalAI #AIinManufacturing #supplychain

  2. Oct 21

    Why Corporate AI Projects Fail: From a Serial Founder and Venture Capitalist | Pano Anthos

    AI has made it possible to build software in weeks, and to run a growing company with one person and a swarm of AI agents. What does that mean for large enterprises? Uwe Doerken talks with Pano Anthos, serial entrepreneur and founder and managing partner of XRC Ventures, which helps startups reach corporate buyers. Pano has sold into the logistics industry for close to 20 years and sees, every day, where new AI products succeed or stall inside large companies. In this episode: Why AI is flooding the market with new applications, and why one-size-fits-all enterprise software is giving way to fast-to-deploy micro applicationsWhy so many AI projects built in-house fail, and when building internally makes senseHow shadow AI creates data security risks, and why systems of record aren't going awayWhich corporate workflows AI will reshape first, starting with approvals and customer-facing workHow agents are changing supply chains, from freight rerouting with a human in the loop to agents negotiating with other agentsHow drones and computer vision are transforming warehouse inventoryWhy selling innovation into large companies starts with the CFOThe "startup of one," and how any company can break its work into tasks an agent can doHow Pano's own firm uses AI to review incoming startups in minutes, built by a single developerWhy the biggest barrier to AI in large companies is the fear of failure If you lead a large organization and are wondering how to keep pace with competitors that run on agents, this episode shows what that world looks like and the one mindset shift it demands. #AgenticAI #EnterpriseAI #DigitalTransformation 0:00 Preview0:16 Introduction1:21 Why AI is flooding the market with new applications5:11 Why one-size-fits-all enterprise software is giving way to micro applications5:35 Build vs. buy: why in-house AI projects fail7:14 When building internally makes sense, and the shadow AI data risk8:28 Why systems of record are not going away9:15 Rethinking workflows: what stays fixed and what can change10:16 Approvals, bureaucracy and customer-facing work: where AI reshapes first13:23 Agentic AI in logistics and supply chain16:41 Autonomous trucks and the labor question17:34 Employee benefits, retention and keeping talent20:44 Gather AI: drones and computer vision in warehouses24:04 Selling innovation into large companies: start with the CFO27:35 Where to invest next: the startup of one, e-commerce and retail media32:12 Inside a one-person company run by AI agents34:35 How large companies can respond: break every task down for agents39:06 What people get wrong about agentic AI: the fear of failure41:11 Working with agents is like working with people42:41 How XRC uses AI to review incoming startups in minutes44:16 The one thing leaders should take away45:44 Closing _______________CONNECT WITH US🌐 LeadingTransformationPodcast.com✅ Uwe Doerken on Linkedin:   / uwedoerken  ✅ Petra Doerken on Linkedin:   / petradoerken

  3. Oct 15

    Why AI Demos Fail in Production: From a Former NVIDIA VP, Now Corporate VP at Intel | Karthick Iyer

    Most AI pilots look impressive in a demo and never make it into production. Karthick Iyer has seen AI from the ground up and explains why, and what it actually takes to close that gap. Karthick is Corporate Vice President and software leader in Intel's Client Compute and Physical AI Group. At the time of this conversation, he was Vice President of Systems Software at NVIDIA, where he led one of the teams building the software infrastructure that makes AI run at scale. Earlier in his career, he spent 18 years at Qualcomm, then worked at a startup and at Amazon.For someone that close to the technology, his advice is refreshingly practical: start with your biggest pain point, and don't try to boil the ocean. In this episode: What enterprise leaders can deploy today and see a return on, from defect detection on an assembly line to human-robot safety on the factory floorHow mid-market companies without an AI team can compete, using AI computers that cost a few thousand dollars rather than hundreds of thousandsWhy the gap between a demo and a working deployment is bigger than most leaders expectWhy forward deployed engineers matter more than coding agents for getting AI into productionHow to handle data silos, protect sensitive data and avoid vendor lock-inThe five layers of AI, from power to application, walked through with a small shoe factory exampleHow he uses an AI assistant to save two hours every morningWhy AI should make your workforce more productive, not smallerLeadership lessons from working under Jensen Huang, including the "parking lot exercise"Work-life balance at the frontier of AI, and whether an MBA is still worth itHis contrarian take on how much AI to use, and why humans stay in the loop If you lead an operation and are trying to turn AI pilots into results, this episode gives you a grounded way to decide where to start and what to build. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction2:19 What AI can deliver today: start with your biggest pain point4:38 Competing with big players on a small budget8:06 Misconceptions about AI and the demo-to-production gap10:31 Why forward deployed engineers matter more than coding agents14:26 Data silos and multi-agent orchestration16:18 Data sovereignty and avoiding vendor lock-in20:44 The five layers of AI22:06 A small factory example, layer by layer26:19 How he uses AI to save two hours every morning27:26 The mental shift: AI as additional employees29:15 Leadership lessons from working under Jensen Huang33:32 Work-life balance at the frontier of AI36:24 Is an MBA still worth it?38:58 The contrarian take41:21 Closing Listen on YouTube and Apple Podcasts, and find more at LeadingTransformationPodcast.com ⁠#EnterpriseAI⁠ ⁠#AIinManufacturing⁠ ⁠#digitaltransformation⁠ _______________ CONNECT WITH US 🌐 LeadingTransformationPodcast.com ✅ Uwe Doerken on Linkedin: ⁠  / uwedoerken  ⁠ ✅ Petra Doerken on Linkedin: ⁠  / petradoerken

  4. Oct 7

    60% Time Saved by Fixing the Process Before AI: From the CEO Managing 15,000 SKUs | Tal Rozenberg

    How do you get real returns from AI in a complex manufacturing operation? Tal Rozenberg is CEO of RH Group, Israel's leading contract electronics manufacturer, serving medical devices, aerospace, defense and green tech. RH runs more than 15,000 SKUs, 25,000 active purchase orders and a base of over 1,000 suppliers, with sites on three continents.Tal walks through RH's AI journey in specific, practical detail, including how AI agents that work inside the tools buyers already use (Excel) cut the time buyers spend on tactical supplier follow-ups by more than 60%, improved supplier past-dues by over 40%, and increased confirmed order lines by 15%.In this episode:- How RH started its AI journey in 2023 with a cross-functional learning group, from executives to line workers- The framework: business problem first, technology second, adoption with people in mind- Why most of RH's early pilots failed, and how the successes paid for the losses- How RH decides whether to build AI tools in-house or buy from vendors- Building toward a unified data set, with separate tools for each function on top- What's next: physical AI, humanoid robots and dexterity on a high-mix, low-volume line- Three lessons for getting out of pilot limbo: involve operators from day one, manage expectations, and fix the process before you build- Lessons from international expansion and M&A- Why supply chain resilience is the most overlooked factor for companies in defense, AI hardware and data centersIf you run a complex manufacturing operation and are deciding where AI fits, this episode shows what a process-first approach looks like in practice. 0:00 Preview 0:18 Introduction 1:39 How RH Group manages a highly complex operation 2:33 Starting the AI journey with a cross-functional learning group 5:03 AI agents in the supply chain: 60% less buyer time on follow-ups 8:50 How to get a whole organization on board with AI 16:17 Choosing which pilots to bet on 20:12 Build vs. buy24:52 Building a unified data set 31:02 Physical AI and the biggest challenges now 34:45 Three lessons for escaping pilot limbo 39:23 How broad experience shapes decision-making 41:42 Lessons from international expansion and M&A 47:00 Why supply chain is the most overlooked factor 50:46 Closing#AIinManufacturing #SupplyChain #DigitalTransformation #Manufacturing #OperationalExcellence #LeadingTransformation #industrialAI _______________CONNECT WITH US🌐 LeadingTransformationPodcast.com✅ Uwe Doerken on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uwedoerken/✅ Petra Doerken on Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/petradoerken

  5. Oct 7

    The Transformation Playbook From the Man Who Led the World's Largest Logistics Company | Uwe Doerken

    Most transformation programs are built to satisfy a board. Uwe Doerken argues they should be built around one measurable benefit to the customer. As former CEO and Executive Chairman of DHL Worldwide Express and a 15-year member of the Deutsche Post World Net executive board, Uwe led more than 100 acquisitions and organizational change across 200+ countries. Today he invests in and operates businesses through a family office, with a strong focus on AI.In this episode, Uwe explains: Why a single customer metric, like next-day letter delivery in Germany, can drive an entire company's transformationThe board structure he used at DHL to balance running the business with changing itWhy tracking AI usage (inputs) is not the same as productivity and customer value (outputs)Why the real risk with AI is not thinking radically enoughWhy most M&A deals fail in post-merger integration, not in the deal itselfHow "strategic degrees of freedom" help startups and leaders pivot without losing focusWhy waiting to be a fast follower on AI may be the riskier choiceIf you lead a company through technology adoption or operational change, this conversation gives you a practical framework covering structure, leadership, culture, and customer focus. 0:00 Introduction 2:19 What real transformation looks like 4:10 Impress your customers, not your board 5:01 Why transformation fails, and the DHL board structure that fixed it 7:42 Why transformation is the CEO's job in smaller companies 8:33 AI vs. past technology waves: inputs vs. outputs 12:17 Choosing which AI initiatives actually matter 15:40 Why M&A deals fail after closing 18:33 The family office thesis and the startup incubator 21:04 Thinking like an owner 23:27 Lessons from failure: strategic degrees of freedom 26:20 How much AI risk is acceptable 28:38 The contrarian view: transformation creates energy 30:37 The one thing leaders must get right 31:32 Closing #AITransformation #Leadership #digitaltransformation #aiadoption _______________ CONNECT WITH US 🌐 LeadingTransformationPodcast.com ✅ Uwe Doerken on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uwedoerken ✅ Petra Doerken on Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/petradoerken

  6. Trailer

    Leading Transformation Podcast | Industrial AI, Without the Hype (Trailer)

    AI in industry, without the hype. On Leading Transformation, Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken, former Chairman and CEO of DHL, talk with manufacturing and enterprise leaders, operators, investors and technology executives about how they put AI to work: what it costs, what breaks, and what pays off. First episodes release Wednesday, October 7, with new episodes every Wednesday after that. Featuring voices from upcoming episodes: Tal Rozenberg, CEO of RH Group, Karthick Iyer, Vice President of NVIDIA, Pano Anthos, Managing Partner of XRC Ventures, Sri Ambati, CEO of H2O AI, Sankalp Arora, Gather AI.... Follow the show so you don't miss an episode.

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About

Leading Transformation is a podcast for enterprise leaders who want real results from AI, not the hype. Hosts Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken, former Chairman and CEO of DHL Worldwide, talk with industry operators, investors and technology executives about how they use AI, automation & operational intelligence to grow revenue, expand margins, increase throughput and build resilience. What it costs, what breaks, and what pays off. New episodes every Wednesday. Presented by D&D Legacy Capital, a family office investing in AI-native enterprise technology and global industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Petra Doerken and Uwe Doerken
  • Show Website
    Leading Transformation