Barry Po, Driving Real AI Business Value

Oct 23, 2025

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In this candid and insightful episode, Tyler Chisholm is joined by Barry Po—CEO of Brilliant and a veteran of mCloud and HSBC—to talk about what AI really means for business leaders today. Far from the hype, Barry focuses on clarity, strategy, and the courage it takes to lead meaningful change. Together, they explore why organizations need to rethink complexity, stop chasing “AI theater,” and instead focus on embedding innovation into the fabric of their operations. For leaders navigating the early or messy middle stages of AI adoption, this episode is full of practical insights—from building data readiness to avoiding the trap of pilot purgatory. Whether you're leading a legacy company or scaling something new, Barry makes the case for bold, human-centered transformation—and explains why the most innovative move might be simply asking better questions.

In this episode:

What AI *really* means for business operations
The myth of “newness” and the long road to today’s AI moment
Why adding AI to a broken process just creates a faster broken process
Reducing organizational complexity as a strategic imperative
The importance of data readiness and avoiding “pilot purgatory”
AI theater vs. real transformation
What leaders need to ask before bringing AI into their business
The role of courage, skepticism, and bias in successful innovation
Western Canada’s unique opportunity to lead in industrial AI

Wisdom Bombs:

“If you take a broken process and you add AI to it, the best you’re going to do is make it slightly faster.” - Barry Po
“I like to talk about AI like it’s a fabric inside an organization. It’s woven into your business.” - Barry Po
“Real innovation doesn’t happen incrementally. It happens when you take the leap.” - Barry Po

This episode is brought to you by clearmotive marketing. When it comes to marketing that truly matters to your business, clearmotive is your go-to partner. With a proven track record of more than 15 years, they understand what makes your business tick. Learn more at https://www.clearmotive.ca and discover how clearmotive can help your marketing thrive.

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Host links:

Tyler’s website: https://www.tylerchisholm.com

Tyler’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerchisholm

Guest links:

Barry Po’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-po

Brilliant’s Website: https://www.brilliantdigi.com

Brilliant’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brilliantdigi/

Collisions YYC is a Tyler Chisholm original production // Brought to you by clearmotive marketing