The era of just “using” AI tools is ending. The next phase of adoption is about deep integration and it requires a total shift in how we lead.
So, how do you redefine your role before the industry does it for you?
In this second episode of SAP AI Voices, host Jesper Schleimann (SAP’s EMEA AI Officer) sits down with Russell Smith, VP of ERP Transformation at @AstraZeneca, and Michael G. Jacobides, Professor at @London Business School and @WEF AI Council member, to discuss the evolving role of leadership in the AI era.
Inside the conversation, they explore the major mindset shifts of the last five years and the critical changes required for the next five. How must businesses move beyond basic AI usage toward strategic deployment? What does it mean to rethink processes, invest in workforce education, and build the trust and transparency needed to evolve from “human in the loop” to “human as architect”?
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About SAP:
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit: https://www.sap.com/index.html
There is a lot of AI hype in 2026. The real-world results? Much harder to find.
If you’re tired of the noise and ready for grounded strategy, welcome to AI Voices.
We’re cutting through the buzz to look at how AI is actually reshaping the office, empowering teams and boosting productivity.
In this first episode of SAP AI Voices, host Jesper Schleimann (SAP’s EMEA AI Officer) sits down with Una Whelan, CIO for Global Corporate Functions at @Vodafone, and Michael G. Jacobides, Professor at @London Business School and @WEF AI Council member, for a grounded conversation on AI.
Together, they explore what it takes to move AI beyond personal productivity and into enterprise-wide value. Embedding AI into core processes, setting realistic expectations, and scaling responsibly. What’s the real gap between AI hype and measurable impact? And what leadership mindsets drive genuine transformation?
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sap
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAP/
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About SAP:
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit: https://www.sap.com/index.html
As organizations navigate rising complexity, speed alone is no longer enough. What matters is connection across people, processes, data, and decisions.
With the SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2026 release, we’re deepening those connections across the HR lifecycle. This release focuses on four core priorities: connected, suite-wide AI; unified experiences that adapt to how organizations work; processes designed for clarity, accuracy, and compliance; and stronger foundations for skills and long-term growth. Together, these innovations help organizations anticipate needs earlier, reduce friction in daily work, and move forward with greater confidence.
Make your workforce unstoppable with AI-powered applications that connect your people, your business, and your goals
AI in HR delivers the greatest impact when it works continuously across the entire workforce lifecycle—not as isolated features, but as connected capabilities that share context and insight.
The 1H 2026 release expands suite-wide agentic AI across SAP SuccessFactors solutions, helping employees get clearer answers, act sooner, and keep work moving across roles and responsibilities. A connected network of AI agents now supports areas such as recruiting, workforce administration, payroll, learning, performance, and talent development—working together behind the scenes to help anticipate next steps and surface relevant guidance.
Employee Data Integration Agent
This release also introduces a growing workforce knowledge network, bringing trusted external expertise and research directly into the flow of work through Joule. Teams can now access expert-backed global employment guidance and research-driven insights without leaving their workflows—supporting faster, more confident decisions.
To further support learning in the flow of work, intelligent Q&A in SAP SuccessFactors Learning now helps employees find information more easily. AI can deliver instant, context-aware responses drawn directly from an organization’s learning content, along with relevant links and resources, so employees can get answers quickly without searching through courses or documentation.
Unified experiences that adapt to how work gets done
As HR tasks become more embedded in day-to-day work, experiences need to feel intuitive, connected, and responsive wherever work happens. In the 1H 2026 release, SAP SuccessFactors solutions continue to unify experiences across the suite, giving employees, managers, and HR teams what they need in the moment.
Connected recruiting and onboarding: Native integration between SmartRecruiters solutions, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, and SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding can bring AI-enabled recruiting, core HR, and onboarding together into a single, continuous experience, helping hiring teams move faster while maintaining consistency from candidate through new hire.
SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors
Tailored experiences, built faster: The new extensibility wizard can provide guided, step-by-step support for creating custom extensions on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) directly within SAP SuccessFactors solutions, making it easier to adapt experiences to unique business needs while preserving governance.
Simpler, clearer employee moments: A redesigned, configurable 401(k) experience in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Global Benefits for U.S. employees helps simplify enrollment and management by clearly explaining employer contributions and guiding deferrals and beneficiary setup, helping employees make informed decisions with confidence.
Processes designed for clarity, accuracy, and compliance
In the 1H 2026 release, SAP SuccessFactors introduces new capabilities that help organizations bring greater clarity and rigor to pay practices.
Preparing for what’s next requires trusted, consistent skills data that organizations can rely on across HR, talent, and workforce planning.
In the 1H 2026 release, we are strengthening the talent intelligence hub with enhanced skills governance, providing a centralized interface to help manage skills, apply governance standards, and ensure alignment across SAP SuccessFactors solutions and partner applications. This helps organizations improve skills data quality, maintain consistency at scale, and make more confident, skills-based decisions.
Skills governance in the talent intelligence hub
A connected foundation for the future
This release reinforces SAP’s continued focus on an intelligent, connected HCM foundation—one designed to evolve with your organization and support confident decisions at every stage of work. By bringing together data, AI, and experiences across the HR lifecycle, these enhancements help organizations reduce friction today while laying the groundwork for tomorrow.
