Lisa Weaver-Lambert is the author of The AI Value Playbook. We got the chance to sit down with her and find out more about her experience of writing with Packt.
Q: What is the name of your book?
Lisa: The AI Value Playbook
Q: What are your specialist tech areas?
Lisa: Data Management and AI.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Lisa: I began my career working on acquisition, retention, and fraud detection programs in the financial services industry. Since then, I have worked with some of the world’s best-known brands towards success, earning recognition as a leading woman in technology. My extensive experience in strategy and business transformation has led me to collaborate with organizations of different sizes and maturity levels to accelerate performance. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI, my motivation is to equip non-technical leaders with the knowledge and confidence to leverage AI for their organizations.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Lisa: I conducted over 35 interviews with AI leaders, CFOs, and CEOs across geographies and sectors.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Lisa: The speed of change within the industry – the technology advancements.
Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Lisa: AI will become even more integrated into large sectors, enhancing everything from customer service to complex decision-making processes. Biotechnology: Advances in gene editing, personalized medicine, and synthetic biology could lead to breakthroughs in treating diseases and improving human health. Connectivity – the Internet of Things (IoT) will further enhance connectivity, enabling smarter cities, homes, and industries.
Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Lisa: It breaks the mold of typical executive reads. In a series of in-depth and wide-ranging conversations with practitioners, from CEOs leading new generative AI-based companies to Data Scientists and CFOs working in more traditional companies, experts share their hard-earned wisdom, talking candidly about their successes and failures, and what excites them about the future. These interviews offer unique insights for business leaders to apply to their own organizations. The book distils a value-driven playbook for how AI can be put to work today.
Q: What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away with from the book?
Lisa: Fundamentals of AI concepts and the tech stack. How AI works with real-world practical applications. How to integrate into your company’s overall strategy. How to incorporate generative AI in your processes. How to drive value with sector-wide examples. How to organize an AI-driven operating model. How to use AI for competitive advantage. The dos and don’ts of AI application
Q. What advice would you give to readers jumping into this technology? Do you have any top tips?
Lisa: I have written a playbook, the AIVP outlines four key interconnected components that need to be worked through to successfully implement AI: Strategic Alignment and Target Application, Technical Capability, Operating Model, AI Adoption and Managing Change.
Q. Do you belong to any tech community groups?
Lisa: Capital Markets
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Lisa: The Power of Data, Data Skeptic.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Lisa: I had a very clear idea about who I was writing for and what type of book I was going to write. I prioritized different chapters and worked methodically.
Q. What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Lisa: Clarity on the end product and a detailed roadmap/plan to achieve this.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, please share.
You can find Lisa’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
