Transform NOW 417. Seizing the Agentic AI Advantage
Sep 23, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Lari Hämäläinen, a senior partner at McKinsey and leader of QuantumBlack's GenAI services, sheds light on the intricacies of agentic AI. He tackles the generative AI paradox and its slow adoption, emphasizing how CEO leadership is crucial for successful transformations. Lari also introduces the concept of the agentic mesh, detailing how agents can work seamlessly with human oversight. Additionally, he highlights the importance of reskilling individuals into agent managers to effectively navigate AI-driven environments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Nokia To QuantumBlack Leader
- Lari led McKinsey's QuantumBlack GenAI and agents team and spent 20 years at McKinsey.
- He previously worked at Nokia on Symbian and studied computational sciences as a physicist.
Gen AI Is Table Stakes
- Generative AI adoption often raises productivity but not competitive advantage.
- Individual tooling becomes table stakes when competitors adopt the same tools.
Engineer Vertical Use Cases Fully
- Build vertical use cases end-to-end, not just isolated POCs.
- Integrate data, quality controls, and operations to scale across many users.