Introducing Actionable Impact: Rebuilding Communications for the AI Era

Max Gleischman: Vibe Coding and the Future of Consulting

Max Gleischman, Partner and Global Head of Strategic Communications at McKinsey & Co., shares a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is transforming management consulting, executive leadership, and global communication strategies. Navigating McKinsey’s own massive AI integration — including their internal knowledge engine, Lilli — Max is at the forefront of helping organizations pivot from talking about AI to actively building with it. In this episode, Max joins Andrew Bleeker to discuss why the most successful AI integration requires leaders to model the behavior they want to see, shifting their workflows from manual data retrieval to high-level strategic analysis. Together, they explore the realities of vibe coding, how the shift from traditional search engines to large language models is redefining corporate publishing, and why authentic human storytelling has become an indispensable anchor of trust in an automated world. In this episode: * From Data Gatherers to Strategists: How automating repetitive comms tasks, like media monitoring, clip gathering, and style guidelines can free up teams to focus entirely on predictive, proactive strategy. * The Authentic CEO: Why the rise of AI means executives must step up as Chief Storytellers, providing the clear, unique, and deeply authentic human connection that algorithms can't replicate. * Learning by Doing: Why Max blocks out time every week to experiment with new AI tools firsthand, and why he believes core communications teams – not just outsourced tech departments – need to embrace vibe coding. * The importance of cultivating broad interests and knowledge: Why the best career armor for recent graduates is wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, becoming an adaptable thinker, and the willingness to learn from being wrong and loud.

Amy Dunham: Scaling Global Advocacy with AI

How does a legacy organization operating in over 60 countries use AI to scale their global movement? Amy Dunham, Chief Communications Officer at Habitat for Humanity International, joins Andrew Bleeker to discuss her team's strategic integration of AI. Amy explores how HFHI is leveraging its 50th anniversary to shift the focus from its history to the urgent global housing crisis. She shares how her team uses AI as a strategic "thought partner" to bridge the gap between idea and action — scaling their mission across diverse markets while maintaining the human authenticity that is the hallmark of the HFHI brand. In this episode, they discuss: * Scaling Global Data: Using plain-text AI queries to transform brand tracking into actionable insights across 50 states and dozens of countries. * Authenticity vs. "AI Slop": Why human stories and homeowner consent remain the non-negotiable core of Habitat’s global communications strategy. * The Business of Comms: Amy’s advice for the next generation of communicators on prioritizing ROI and business value to drive real-world impact.

Ben Smith: Rebuilding News for the AI Era

Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, shares insights on media transformations from blogs to AI, the future of journalism, and how AI tools are reshaping communication strategies. Having spent his career at the vanguard of media transformations, from the early days of blogging and the rise of Politico to leading the virality era at BuzzFeed, Ben is now navigating the most significant shift yet: rebuilding news for the AI era. In this episode, Ben joins Andrew Bleeker to discuss why AI isn't just another platform adjustment, but an entirely new medium. Togther they explore how newsrooms are using AI to find clarity in a slurry of information and why, in an automated world, trusted human connections and original stories matter more than ever. In this episode: * AI as the New Internet: Why Ben believes AI is a qualitative shift in how we communicate, not just a tool for the digital medium. * The Tension in Journalism: How news is pulling in two opposite directions: toward total automation and toward intense, creator-led connection. * Global Perspectives on Adoption: How attitudes toward AI vary from region to region.  * The Return of Fragmented Media: Why the 20th-century model of a few central channels was an anomaly, and how we’ve returned to a world of hyper-partisan, human-led influence. * The Evolution of Earned Media: Advice for anyone  looking to build their brand with journalists in the AI era.

Robert Gibbs: Traditional Strategy Meets Transformational Technology

In the premiere episode of Actionable Impact, host Andrew Bleeker sits down with Robert Gibbs, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer at Warner Brothers Discovery and former White House Press Secretary. From the White House podium to the helm of a global media giant, Robert has navigated some of the most complex transitions in modern history. In this conversation, he discusses the acceleration of the news cycle, leveraging AI to scale communications, and why the rise of AI makes earned media more essential than ever.  In this episode: * The Velocity of Information: How to manage a news cycle that now moves in minutes, not days. * AI as an Additive Force: Why the goal isn't replacing teams, but scaling a 500-person global operation to the power of 2,500. * The Future of Earned Media: Why the era of LLMs and synthetic data has made traditional, high-integrity reporting more vital to a brand’s narrative. * Getting Comfortable with Discomfort: Advice for the next generation of communicators on why embracing the "uncomfortable" is the only way to shape the future rather than being shaped by it.

Introducing Actionable Impact: Rebuilding Communications for the AI Era

Join Bully Pulpit International (BPI) CEO Andrew Bleeker for Actionable Impact, a new series of brief, practical discussions on AI transformation with the world’s top communications and public affairs experts. We’re going beyond the hype to focus on the real decisions leaders are making every day: managing team anxieties, maintaining brand trust, rebuilding organizational structures, and more. Whether you’re leading a global corporation or just starting your career, we are all working through these changes together. Subscribe to explore the high-stakes reality of how technology is actually being used to change how we reach people and how we lead.