Proceed AI: Unleashing the Power of Responsible AI
In conversation with co-founders Yvonne Hyland and Joe Farrugia
Proceed AI is an innovative company that specializes in helping enterprises harness the power of artificial intelligence in a responsible and effective manner. With a strong focus on AI integration, data management, and technology-enabled business transformation, Proceed AI ensures organizations can achieve meaningful outcomes from AI-driven strategies. What sets Proceed AI apart is the extensive background of its co-founders, Joe Farrugia and Yvonne Hyland, who both have heritage with Gartner. Their impressive track records in advising and guiding top technology and business leaders make them the perfect duo to lead the charge in making AI work for businesses.
Last week we had the opportunity to interview Yvonne and Joe to get a deeper understanding of their motivations, vision for ProceedAI, and their thoughts on the evolving role of AI in the enterprise world.
This week at the WSJ CIO Network Summit in NYC we learned that many “Companies Had Fun Experimenting With AI. Now They Have to Show the Returns.”
Read Joe and Yvonne’s views on how generative AI can drive ROI, and how to recognize when alternative technologies might better serve your needs.
Why did you decide to start ProceedAI? Can you share the story or the pivotal moment that led to its inception?
Yvonne (YH): The decision to start ProceedAI came from witnessing the immense potential of generative AI in transforming industries and government, coupled with the challenges organizations face in adopting generative AI responsibly. Our vision is to make generative AI accessible and scalable for the enterprise in a way that makes ethical and sound business sense. Our mandate includes helping organizations recognize when generative AI makes sense to adopt and when it doesn’t. Our experience from over 3 decades in advisory services and technology enabled business transformation, revealed a gap between generative AI’s promise and its practical implementation. We want to help organizations cut through the hype!
Joe (JF): Initially we “just” started opportunistically providing advice and guidance same as we did at Gartner , then as the interest in our services grew we decided to formalize our services by establishing ProceedAI and expanding our resource pool.
How have your personal or professional experiences shaped your understanding of the challenges in Gen AI adoption? How did these insights influence the creation of ProceedAI?
JF: We have both been in the AI world since the 90s, and we were immersed in the development and deployment of predictive rule-based AI applications. During that time, we worked closely with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies globally, helping them improve areas such as manufacturing, supply chain, customer service, and finance using ERP systems and traditional AI. We see many similarities to today.
YH: It could be surprising to some that generative AI has similarities to past technologies, however we are observing much of the same hype and many of the same patterns as with the introduction of the internet or cloud into the enterprise. For example, generative AI is following a similar path to the introduction of cloud-based applications, though with much greater risk potential to the organization, and that is the use of “shadow AI”. Shadow use of technology means without the tech/IT dept. involvement. If a shadow CRM cloud system, bought by a Sales leader, had bad data there is the possibility that a customer would get the wrong product being suggested to them or a sales rep would try to contact someone no longer with the prospective client firm. If a generative AI tool or agent has bad data it could mean not providing products, services, or health care to all ethnicities or genders equally, a misstatement of business policy, or something much worse! All levels and functions of an organization need to understand the need to deploy AI responsibly because it can impact the financial and reputational well-being of the company, its workforce, partners, and the community overall. Organizations need to cohesively govern the use of generative AI. Governance can be adaptive, but it must be implemented throughout and include oversight from the Board.
What is the core mission of ProceedAI, and how does it reflect your broader vision for the future of AI in business?
JF: The core mission of ProceedAI is to empower organizations with gen AI-driven insights and tools that drive efficiency, innovation, and mission execution while ensuring ethical and sustainable practices. Our vision is to democratize gen AI, enabling organizations across industries to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies in a way that is responsible, scalable, and aligned with their long-term goals.
What specific challenges do organizations face when adopting Gen AI, and how does ProceedAI aim to address these?
JF: Organizations often face challenges such as over-enthusiasm to use Gen AI, or oppositely fear of using Gen AI, unclear use cases, data quality issues, lack of internal expertise, and concerns around ethical Gen AI use. We address these challenges by providing a structured framework for gen AI evaluation and adoption. No one needs to start with a blank piece of paper. Our framework helps organizations understand opportunity and risk, align around change management, and prioritize high-impact use cases, ensuring that their investments in gen AI lead to tangible results.
YH: Another key challenge is that generative AI impacts all levels of the organization more so than any other prior technology. Boards more than ever before need to be educated and informed. Gen is seemingly easy to use, I can enter English language prompts and get novel output or answers. This provides inherent risks if not governed and managed correctly. For example, we have seen that NYC released a chatbot for business owner use which stated it was legal to fire a worker who complained about sexual harassment. This is only one of many situations where wrong or potentially harmful advice is given. Boards must ensure that AI is utilized responsibly, balancing the pursuit of innovation with the need to mitigate and manage risks and uphold ethical standards. We help companies to understand, and act on this.
Can you elaborate on the unique aspects of ProceedAI’s frameworks and methodologies? How do they cater to the needs of both private and public sector clients?
YH: ProceedAI’s frameworks are designed to be adaptive and scalable. We start with a comprehensive assessment of the client’s current Generative AI maturity, using our proprietary Maturity Model, resulting in recommendations which lead to the development of a tailored roadmap aligned with strategic objectives. We focus on developing responsible AI policy and governance, and help navigate regulatory and ethical concerns. We emphasize transparency and inclusivity, ensuring generative AI projects serve both business and ethical goals.
How does ProceedAI help clients prioritize high-impact Gen AI use cases to ensure a strong return on investment (ROI)? Could you provide an example of this approach in action?
JF: We help clients prioritize AI use cases by conducting an impact and feasibility analysis. We bring into this an industry and regulatory view, assessing the potential financial, operational, and customer-centric risks and benefits of each use case, alongside the resources and technology required to implement them.
What sets ProceedAI apart from other AI service providers in the market? How do your experiences as former Gartner executives shape your approach to AI consulting?
YH: As former Gartner executives, and business leaders we bring a wealth of experience in understanding market dynamics and technology trends. Coupled with our on the ground technology and transformation experience means we can provide strategic advice with a practical lens, allowing us to help clients navigate the complexities of generative AI. Our approach is holistic, aligning generative AI initiatives with business strategy to deliver real value. Staying aligned is especially challenging given the development velocity of generative AI technology. We understand how to handle the dynamics involved in adaptive fast-paced environments, which is essential today.
How do you balance the speed of Gen AI adoption with the need for careful planning and governance? What makes your approach effective in maintaining this balance?
JF: Our approach balances speed and governance by using a flexible and adaptive methodology that breaks down generative AI adoption into manageable components. This allows our clients to deliver quick wins while ensuring that long-term governance and ethical considerations are addressed. We integrate adaptive governance protocols from the beginning ensuring that clients can move quickly without sacrificing compliance or ethical standards. This approach ensures that the use of generative AI is scalable and sustainable in the long term.
What are your long-term goals for ProceedAI? How do you see the company evolving as the AI landscape continues to change?
YH: Our goal is to be an established thought leader in generative AI consulting for the enterprise, known for delivering high-impact, responsible advice and guidance. Which delivers results. We will stay focused and grounded in reality not hype. We will endeavor to keep our knowledge ahead of the curve. We also aim to deepen our partnerships with organizations in the public and private sectors and drive innovation and ethical gen AI adoption on a larger scale.
What emerging trends in Gen AI do you believe will have the most significant impact on Organizations over the next 3–5 years? How is ProceedAI preparing its clients for these trends?
JF: Over the next few years, we believe the most significant trends are that gen AI will become more pervasive in the organization (and society), that content creation will expand, and that gen AI will become part of all business workflows. ProceedAI is preparing its clients by offering them insights into cutting-edge gen AI advancements and ensuring that their gen AI strategies are adaptable to future changes.
What advice would you give to organizations that are hesitant to invest in Gen AI due to concerns about ROI and ethical use? How can they take small steps while maintaining a big-picture vision?
JF: Our advice to hesitant organizations is to start small but think big. Generative AI is not going away and your employees will use it, with or without your acceptance. Get ahead of this, start with defining acceptable use and begin with low-risk, high-impact generative AI use cases that provide quick wins and build internal confidence in generative AI’s value, recognizing though that not every business objective is best met by generative AI. It’s also important to establish Gen AI literacy and a clear ethical framework for use from the outset. Figure out who your generative AI Champions are. ProceedAI helps clients educate their leaders, equipping them to make informed decisions. We help organizations identify early generative AI opportunities and in parallel to re-imagine their business for the long term.
YH: In fact, together with Jackie Fenn, Gartner Hyle Cycle Creator and former distinguished Analyst/,Fellow Emeritus from Gartner we have developed two workshops designed to enable organizations approach innovation in the era of generative AI. These workshops are tailored to individual organizations, making them very specific and hands-on, providing a firm-wide generative AI foundation and establishing a common understanding and terminology.
Thank you for sharing, Yvonne and Joe!
The insights shared by Joe and Yvonne highlight the depth of their experience and vision for Proceed AI. Their strong backgrounds at Gartner and their track record of working with Fortune 1000 and top government leaders are perfectly aligned with Proceed AI’s mission to help enterprises leverage generative AI in meaningful and responsible ways. By focusing on ethical AI, data readiness, and close collaboration with clients, they ensure businesses can harness generative AI’s full potential for lasting success. Proceed AI is not just about generative AI technology — it’s about driving real business value and outcomes through thoughtful, responsible innovation.
Meet the Co-Founders
Yvonne Hyland is a seasoned advisor, investor, and independent board member in the global technology industry. With experience in companies ranging from startups to Fortune 100s, Yvonne is a master at delivering business value through strategic technology integration. Her ability to bridge the gap between technology and business goals has made her an invaluable asset in driving results in high-stakes environments.
Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn.
Joe Farrugia is an accomplished AI & Data Executive Coach and Board Advisor, known for his ability to scale IT research and advisory business units. His career has focused on coaching and advising senior technology executives, emphasizing ethical, principle-centered leadership and aligning technology initiatives with business objectives.
Connect with Joe on LinkedIn.
