The Agentic Exec

Episode 6 - Daniel Del Moro - AI Agents, Orchestration & the Future of Work — With UiPath

Agentic Automation is here — and it’s about to reshape every operating model on the planet. In Episode 6 of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George sit down with Daniel Del Moro, Director of AI Automation & Innovation at UiPath, to unpack one of the most misunderstood — and most consequential — shifts in modern enterprise technology: the rise of autonomic, agentic automation. If RPA removed the repetitive work… Agentic automation removes the cognitive bottlenecks. This conversation gets into the real mechanics behind that transformation: how agents think, how they’re controlled, how they coordinate with humans and robots, and how orchestration layers become the new “central nervous system” of the enterprise. In this episode we dig into: 🔥 What agentic automation actually is Not hype. Not “ChatGPT with arms.” A structured, governed system where digital agents perform reasoning, decision-making and investigative work — with guardrails. 🔥 How agents, humans and RPA work together The “synthetic workforce” model: Robots → Agents → Human Approval → Robots → Outcome All orchestrated like a BPMN flow across legacy + cloud systems. 🔥 Why most companies confuse GenAI with real automation Generative AI = brain Agentic automation = brain + tools + governance + instructions One gives you answers. The other gives you outcomes. 🔥 The orchestration layer: the missing link Businesses are running dozens of unconnected pilots, POCs and shadow experiments. Without orchestration, they’re unscalable, ungoverned and risky. With orchestration, they become an enterprise-wide value engine. 🔥 How to prioritise use cases Why “100 cool ideas” must collapse into: • end-to-end journeys • brownfield augmentation • measurable ROI • automation + agentic blending 🔥 The new operating model Subject matter experts designing agents. Security teams governing risk. AI teams validating models. Automation teams stitching the whole thing together. And a strategic layer above them, shaping how the business works in the future. 🔥 Where this all goes over the next 3–5 years • Decision cycles compress from days → minutes • Orchestration becomes the enterprise hub • Every core process blends humans + robots + agents • New revenue models emerge • Entire categories of “work” disappear or evolve And the big question Daniel answers: What does a business become when every process is automated or agent-enhanced? This is one of the clearest explanations of agentic automation you’ll find anywhere — and essential viewing for CEOs, boards, investors, COOs and transformation leaders. 👉 Subscribe to follow the full series on AI, automation and the new enterprise operating model.

Episode 5 - Marius Poskus - From SOC Analyst to Strategist: What CISOs Must Become in 2026

The CISO role is exploding — and AI is throwing petrol on the fire. In this episode of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George sit down with Marius Poskus, a CISO by day, a virtual CISO by night, host of Cyber Diaries, and one of the clearest voices in modern cybersecurity leadership. If Episode 4 revealed the threat landscape, Episode 5 dives into the people actually responsible for defending the business — and why most of them aren’t equipped, empowered, or positioned to succeed. This conversation hits hard because it’s honest: Many CISOs today are buried under the CIO, starved of budget, overloaded with accountability, and then blamed when the inevitable breach happens. And that was before AI, autonomous agents, identity sprawl and shadow AI blew up the complexity. In this episode, we unpack: 🔥 The real role of a modern CISO Not a clipboard-wielding “department of no”, but a revenue enabler, storyteller, translator, risk partner and board adviser — not just a technical operator. 🔥 Why so many CISOs are set up to fail Lack of budget. No influence. Zero authority. Wrong reporting line. And a board that still asks the impossible question: “Are we secure?” 🔥 The skills gap no certification teaches Influence, negotiation, political navigation, empathy, storytelling and the ability to translate “CVSS 9.8” into “£5m financial exposure”. 🔥 AI, agentic systems, and the new identity crisis 92 machine identities for every human. Agents talking to agents. Shadow workflows. Synthetic workforces. And a single misconfigured AI agent deleting your production database at 2am. 🔥 How execs can tell if their cyber posture is actually good The simple conversations, monetary framing, and governance questions every CEO, COO and investor should be asking. 🔥 Why SMBs must consider a virtual CISO The cheapest insurance against buying the wrong tools, taking the wrong risks, or being ripped off by vendors. 🔥 The “one hot take” for boards rushing into AI Experiment — but do it with guardrails. Use proven platforms, not cowboy DIY models running in live production. If you're a CEO, investor, CISO or operator trying to safely unlock AI value without blowing up your business, this episode is required viewing. 👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on AI, autonomy, cybersecurity, transformation and the future of enterprise leadership.

Episode 4 - Tom Burton - The Cybersecurity Wake-Up Call: Deepfakes & AI Threats Explained

In this episode of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George welcomes national security strategist Tom Burton (yes… Major Tom) to break down the uncomfortable truth: mid-market businesses are now prime targets for AI-powered cyber attacks. Attackers aren’t guessing anymore. They're scanning the entire internet, scraping your socials, cloning your voice, and deep faking your CFO to move £10M out of your account while you’re still on the Zoom call. The game has changed. In this episode, we unpack: Why SMEs and mid-market firms are now more vulnerable than the FTSE giants How AI is supercharging spear-phishing, deepfake fraud, and social engineering The brutal evolution of ransomware (including the new four-stage hostage playbook) Why “shadow AI” inside your company may be a bigger risk than attackers outside it Practical controls from the NCSC that can eliminate 90–95% of opportunistic attacks How to govern autonomous and agentic AI systems before they drift into chaos What boards, CEOs, and investors should look for to assess cyber readiness fast The one question every chairman should ask: “Who is actually accountable for cyber risk here?” This is a blunt, practical conversation for leaders who know AI is accelerating faster than their governance models — and want to avoid becoming tomorrow’s headline. If you’re a CEO, investor, CISO, or operator trying to adopt AI safely and keep your business off the ransom blogs, this episode is essential. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations on AI, autonomy, and the future of enterprise operations.

Episode 3 with Marco Ryan (Author of Rewire or Retire)

The Agentic Exec returns with one of the most no-nonsense, high-impact conversations we’ve ever recorded and this time, we’re going straight at the C-suite. Our guest is Marco, transformation veteran, AI evangelist, cyber expert, NED, leadership correspondent for the European, and author of the provocative new book Rewire or Retire - a title that perfectly sums up where enterprise leaders stand today. In this episode, Marco dismantles the biggest myth of all: AI isn’t a technology problem — it’s a leadership problem. And the old leadership playbook? Completely obsolete. What Enterprise Leaders Will Learn * Why traditional “digital transformation” habits now guarantee failure * How AI changes the leadership equation: speed, scope, risk, governance, value * The difference between Generative AI and Agentic AI - and why boards must understand both * Why digital intelligence (DQ) is the new core competency of the C-suite * The truth about leadership prevarication — and why delay is now career-ending * How to identify your organisation’s AI whisperers (and your blockers) * Why your board needs a standing AI agenda item - not buried under “Any Other Business” * How to build synthetic teams: humans + agents working side-by-side * Why judgement and accountability still belong to humans - and always will * How to avoid the #1 cause of AI project failure: data, process, and governance rot * Why some leaders must “rewire”… and why others should consciously “retire” into stewardship Marco lays out a brutally honest roadmap for CEOs, COOs, CPOs, CIOs, CISOs, and Chairs who are trying to lead through the most disruptive operating-model shift since the internet — and who know their existing leadership habits won’t save them this time. If you’re an enterprise executive wrestling with: * AI strategy & governance * Organisational redesign * Board-level risk & ethics * Culture, fear, resistance, and skill gaps * Synthetic teams & agentic automation * Digital intelligence and leadership readiness * Why AI projects succeed… or catastrophically fail …this episode hits you right between the eyes. This isn’t another “AI is exciting” conversation — it’s a leadership reckoning.

Episode 2 - Jordan Barry-Bayliss (Award-Winning FTSE CPO)

The Agentic Exec brings you another board-level deep dive into the realities of AI adoption - this time from the people side of the house. In this episode, we sit down with Jordan Barry-Bayliss, award-winning FTSE Chief People Officer and executive performance advisor, to tear down one of the biggest myths in enterprise transformation: AI is not a tech problem. It’s an operating-model problem, and a people problem - and most legacy organisations are nowhere near ready. Jordan reveals what’s really coming for HR, culture, leadership, and organisational design as enterprises move toward synthetic organisations where humans and AI agents work side-by-side. Expect straight talk on: What Enterprise Leaders Will Learn * Why legacy operating models are already collapsing under AI pressure * How to redesign your organisation into an ecosystem, not a hierarchy * Why efficiency gains alone are a race to the bottom * The cultural landmines: fear, resistance, status, disengagement * Why C-suite leaders must become AI-enabled first — not last * How to balance efficiency wins with workforce trust * Why HR must transform itself before it can transform the business * How to build AI-ready roles, teams, and leadership behaviours * The future of people functions: strategic partners, not policy police * Why the companies who listen will massively outperform the ones who dictate Jordan doesn’t sugar-coat anything. She breaks down what’s actually required to move a brownfield, politically charged, change-averse enterprise into a flexible, adaptive, AI-enabled organisation - without nuking culture or losing your best people.