Dan Helfrich’s Post

Optimism and uncertainty growing at same time - that doesn’t happen a lot but that’s exactly what Deloitte’s latest State of Generative AI In The Enterprise Q3 Survey (https://deloi.tt/4dxQk9I) says is happening in the market right now. First, the optimism. This quarter’s survey of 2,700 AI-focused leaders, ranging from directors found that two-thirds of organizations are increasing their investment in GenAI to drive value. They also reported that they’re building on the initial success of their GenAI investments for improving productivity such as focusing on data modernization (in my view one of the most important components), refining how they measure value, as well as mitigating the risks of AI technology and preparing for regulation. Next, the uncertainty. Similar to all my recent conversations with C-suite leaders, there’s challenges with scaling – 68% of respondents reported that their organizations have moved only 30% or fewer of their GenAI experiments into production, as well as stress around risk management and trust - 29% lack governance models and only 23% rated their organization as highly prepared to take on GenAI risk management. My advice is to focus on trust. I believe the organizations that focus on trust, especially with customers and employees, are the ones that are going to get ahead. Thanks to Jim Rowan, Beena Ammanath, Costi Perricos, Brenna Sniderman, David Jarvis, and the rest of the team for bringing us this insightful survey and for continuing to keep our finger on the pulse of the fast-moving world of GenAI.

With the end of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and as we turn our focus to the Paralympic Games, I’m feeling a mix of awe, inspiration, and anticipation for what the future has in store for this uniting and empowering international stage for athletics. I’m especially excited that Deloitte and the International Olympic Committee – IOC have announced the expansion of our Worldwide Olympic Partnership – with Deloitte taking on the role of Games Technology Integration Partner for the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, and the Youth Olympic Games (https://deloi.tt/4fUZb6W)!   Beginning at the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Crotina 2026, covering the Olympic Games #LA28, and lasting through the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032, I’m thrilled that our Deloitte teams will continue to advance the IOC’s vision with enhanced and secure tech solutions via a new integrated technology infrastructure and Games platform. The impact of our partnership with purpose, bringing our team’s best digital consulting experience to the Olympic Movement’s mission to elevate the games and transform the digital fan experience, is simply inspiring and I love the innovation we’re helping to lead for future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It will be no surprise to my LinkedIn followers that my passion for sports often intersects with my day job - Captain of Deloitte Consulting. So, indulge me as I share one of those moments - this time on the topic of college athletics. At a time when college presidents, administrators, athletic directors, and more are weighing compounding priorities and evolving intricacies – such as how to navigate the complexity of name, image & likeness (NIL) rights for student athletes, what are the implications of today’s legal and regulatory landscape, what traditional and new revenue streams should be prioritized for future growth, and what are the essential components to delivering the best experience possible for student athletes – there are many considerations that need to be made when launching a growth strategy in college athletics. I recently had the privilege to virtually unpack many of these multi-dimensional topics with some of the greatest leaders and brightest minds in college athletics - including Dr. Linda Livingstone, President at Baylor University; Pat Chun, Director of Athletics at University of Washington; Tom McMillen, President and CEO for LEAD1 Association, Mit Winter, sports attorney at Kennyhertz Perry Law, and Caitlin Field Jacklin, US College Athletics Leader at Deloitte. Although I can’t pick a favorite moment because there were too many to choose, I loved this bit of our conversation on the reasons to be optimistic for the future of college athletics. Highly encourage my colleagues who are interested in sports, have kids interested in or playing college sports, or work in the broader sports industry (really anyone!) to check out the full recording of the virtual webinar here https://deloi.tt/4dBe10o. Would love to hear what you think are the most important opportunities for college athletic programs in the comments.

What an amazing start to this summer’s Olympic Games Paris 2024. As a massive Team USA fan and proud supporter of our very own Team Deloitte athletes competing in this year’s games, I’m already inspired by what I watched this weekend as one of the greatest international competitions in the world of athletics kicked off. To me, nothing can beat the lessons one can learn in sports – such as leading with a captain’s mentality, showing resilience in the face of adversity, being accountable as a teammate, and contributing to a strong and inclusive team culture. Those lessons and more will be on display for us fans throughout both the Olympic & Paralympic Games. Being a fan of the Olympic Games just got better with our Converge by Deloitte for Sports solutions supporting digital transformation at the International Olympic Committee – IOC. Our teams came together to redefine the digital fan experience for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by developing an innovative new digital platform, opening the door for far more personalized and meaningful engagements. With the power of AI and advanced data science, a new era of digital experiences is within reach here: https://deloi.tt/4d3pUw5. I’m very proud that Deloitte is the Worldwide Management Consulting Partner (https://deloi.tt/4fnFLaC), and is helping to elevate this iconic worldwide sporting event that inspires, teaches and reminds us how we are all connected. To my Deloitte teammates and colleagues – what are you most excited to see during this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris? For me it’s the sports I rarely get to enjoy - in particular badminton, rowing, water polo, and team handball.

Quite a panel this afternoon on a fast-changing, nuanced topic around the future of College athletics. I promise to moderate to a substantive and fast-moving conversation. Won’t be hard with this group of panelists. Registration info below

With the cycles of change moving faster than ever, the days of long-term strategies with strict time horizons - aka Project [insert future date] - are over. Leading a strategy as a CEO in 2025 (and beyond) means to be agile, plan for multiple possible scenarios, and be able to pivot at a moment's notice when the unexpected occurs. As I recently shared with Dale Buss in Chief Executive Group (https://deloi.tt/4brd6ho), the CEOs that can resist the tyranny of the present moment and resist the gravitational forces pushing toward sole focus on internal operations are best set up to meet this moment. But it also takes a high level of care and CEO investment to make a strategy successful. By involving a diverse array of experts and perspectives (both from within and outside the organization) and differentiating through the transformation of the digital customer experience, CEOs can meet this moment of constant change and set their organizations up for lasting competitive advantage in the marketplace. Loved seeing the diverse perspectives from my fellow CEOs and peers featured in this article - Leroy Ball, Keith Goudy, Ph.D., Reinhard Fischer, Steve Cahillane, Laura Ritchey, Iggy Domagalski, Jan Babiak, Rebecca Homkes, George Oliver, Lars Sudmann, Stephen DeAngelis, Maggie Wilderotter, Robert Meyer, Mark Lorion, Tracy E. Roberts, Dottie Schindlinger. Tell me, what focuses stood out to you and what do you think is key for leaders to consider as they define their strategies in 2025?

This Friday marks an important milestone for one of Deloitte’s most cherished traditions: Impact Day. Now in its 25th anniversary (and yes, I was there for the first one), Impact Day has long served as a defining moment for our teams to sign off from work and give back in our local communities. To me, it’s the perfect embodiment of how we put purpose at the forefront of everything we do at Deloitte. Whether in the work we do for our clients, the ways we build the best culture for our teams, or the initiatives we lead to support our broader communities, we’re committed to making an #ImpactThatMatters. The anniversary did induce a wave of nostalgia, and I spent some time digging out a few pictures from Impact Days of yesteryears (if any of my Deloitte Consulting friends are in the photos or can identify colleagues in the photos, please identify yourself 😊). But it was fun to reflect on these moments - whether we were delivering school supplies, cleaning up the grounds of local schools to sorting food donations, sharing a strategy to help a nonprofit increase donations, the impact we made on our communities and on each other is lasting. Put simply, I’m constantly inspired by and incredibly proud to be part of this team. Team Deloitte – where will you be spending your day this Impact Day?

Let's start with the obvious: As leaders, our impact on our teams and organizations starts with how we choose to spend our time. From the people we engage with, the topics we focus on, and the structure we create, our time management truly influences the culture we build and the impact we can make. I recently had the chance to reflect on these lessons in Jacob Morgan’s Great Leadership newsletter (https://deloi.tt/4bVxsQP). Throughout my time as CEO and captain for team Deloitte Consulting, I’ve found that intentionally spending time with team members across the organization, not just within the c-suite, has been key to building our team’s culture. Engaging with team members from diverse areas of the business feeds a more cohesive strategy, as their input shapes how we run our business and support our people; our team members can see how their input makes change. Whether in a formal town hall or an informal small group conversation, I love asking questions like "If you were writing my goals for next year, what would you ask me to focus on/improve", or the always interesting "What's the silliest thing we do". The answers invariably unlock innovation and raw ideas. Two quick lessons I’ve learned along the way for aspiring leaders and next-gen CEOs as you look to best spend your time with your teams: 1) Track and measure who you spend your time with as a leader by evaluating timelines, meeting agendas, and calendar metrics. This can ensure a diverse and balanced approach to engaging with your teams, help you make better informed decisions, and communicate decisions in a more nuanced way. 2) Changing the format of team meetings to be more action-oriented, concise, and focused on key questions can lead to two-way impactful discussions. Planning for unplanned Q&A during longer meetings allows for authentic interactions and encourages team engagement. By being human in our interactions, communicating authentically, and staying future-focused, we can build influence as leaders that best reflects the input, ideas, sentiment of our people. Your time is a valuable resource - use it wisely to create a positive impact on your team and organization. 

Feeling unbelievably inspired by the enthusiasm, athleticism, sportsmanship, teamwork, and competition on display across women’s sports these last few weeks. I’m a very proud (and very biased!) father to two of the most inspiring women athletes I know (as you can see below), Kaitlyn – a relentless midfielder for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Claremont McKenna College and – Carrie – a relentless attacker for US Soccer’s U-17 national women’s team, I couldn’t be more excited for them and to see the growth of women’s sports on full display this spring. It’s about time. From Team USA winning their FIFTH consecutive SheBelieves Cup on Tuesday to South Carolina eclipsing Iowa to win the NCAA Championship in front of record in-person, television, and digital crowds, the excitement across the country for women’s sports has been spectacular and deserved. And it isn’t stopping, with both the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) and NWSL seasons on the horizon and this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris. As my Deloitte Consulting colleague Pete Giorgio shared earlier this year in Deloitte’s “2024 Sports Industry Outlook” (https://deloi.tt/3UfqErd), between building new commercial models, investing in fan data, incorporating AI, changing the nature of mega sporting events, there are many strategies for the sports industry to continue investing in to maintain this meaningful progress. In fact, Deloitte predicted that elite women’s sports will generate global revenues of $1.28B this year – marking the first time that annual global revenues were forecasted over $1B and reflecting a 300% increase from Deloitte’s previous valuation in 2021 (https://deloi.tt/4aum0eB). Proud of the work that Deloitte is doing in collaboration with the NWSL, WNBA, Olympic Movement, and more to grow women’s sports and lead purposeful change in the sports industry. Eager to know: what has been your favorite moment across women’s sports so far this spring?