“No longer a concept we explore, a capability we must adopt”
Whatever our feelings about it, AI is reshaping how we work—sometimes quietly in the background, and sometimes in ways that are quite visible.
At CMEPP we want to lean into AI, not as a crutch or job replacement but as a device to enhance our quality output. As CEO Nils Clausen says, “You can’t ignore this transformative tool, and any organization that tries will fall behind.”
At a recent information-sharing session, CMEPP employees gave examples of how they’re using Copilot to help them handle tasks that ranged from simple to complex. Using terms like ‘exciting’, ‘unbelievable’, and ‘food for thought’, employees were surprised that the tool went beyond being a time saver. The process and the result were fundamentally different.
“The real shift,” said meeting organizer and IT Lead Anuar Nazzar, “is moving from doing the work ourselves to working alongside AI as a collaborator to elevate our impact.”
For relatively new Relationship Executive Brian Hallam, Copilot has been there to help decipher perplexing CMEPP acronyms. It’s also provided a second set of eyes on emails that Brian admits can sometimes be ‘too blunt’.
TJ Jarvis, Director, National Participant Accounts stressed that using AI effectively comes down to providing clear guidelines and asking repeated questions. When he asked for help in developing the launch plan for a new program, his results improved when he told the model to ‘take its time’ and ‘think deeply’.
“AI creates the scaffolding that I can work from to put my ideas in place,” says TJ.
Sometimes it’s a battle
Sara Tadros had to compare venue pricing proposals for an upcoming client event, but she was skeptical it could deliver what she needed. With Nils’s encouragement, she ventured in. “I started by asking what prompt I should use to get the answer I want,” she said. This turned into a short, focussed interaction, resulting in a spreadsheet that compared the data in simple, clear language.
“We had to battle back and forth,” she says with a smile, “but it fixed all the problems and gave me a better result than I could have done myself and in a much shorter time.” Engaging in a back and forth, says Anuar, is precisely the point of working with AI and where learning happens.
Financial Controller Nadia Piculik was awestruck when she was able to generate reports analyzing year-over-year program costs in less than an hour. “Of course, there’s a lot more work to do, but we now have the high-level information we can act on,” she said.
This isn’t to say that you can be ‘hands off’ with any AI-supported project. With her spreadsheet, Sara knew her full involvement and input was essential. “It didn’t replace my judgment, it supported it.”
“This is not your source of truth”
Implicit in the good news about the tool is a warning: always review what it gives you. “Do not treat this as your source of truth,” said Nils. “It may not be accurate. The value you bring is your critical review of the information and making sure it’s relevant and of value to whoever you’re sending to.”
“We’re at a defining moment,” said Anuar. “AI is no longer a concept we explore, it’s a capability we must adopt.”
Sensing there is still some trepidation about the tool, CEO Clausen emphasized that, “I don’t want employees to feel like this is intimidating in any way,” he said. “This is a huge step in helping us manage workload pressure. We need to embrace it, use it and keep sharing these ideas.”
