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The $196 Billion Revolution: How Agentic A.I. Is Redefining Corporate Power

As traditional systems struggle to keep up, agentic A.I. is redrawing the lines of corporate advantage. Unsplash+

A Dutch insurance company quietly automated 90 percent of its automobile claims processing. A global logistics company revolutionized logistics management with A.I. that thinks three moves ahead. Nvidia’s security systems now detect and neutralize threats before human analysts even spot them. These aren’t experiments—they’re the new reality of business warfare, where the global agentic A.I. market is exploding toward $196.6 billion by 2034, riding a staggering 43.8 percent compound annual growth rate.

As competitors face problems with basic automation, those who have adopted A.I. have systems that plan, decide and work independently. In the next four years, there will be a huge shift in enterprise software; by 2028, 33 percent will feature agentic A.I., up from less than 1 percent in 2024. The companies mastering this technology today will dominate tomorrow’s markets.

The intelligence gap that’s reshaping industries

Forget everything you know about A.I. assistants. With agentic A.I., companies move away from reactive tools and get true business partners instead. They handle everything in real time, finding errors, suggesting resolutions and running complex activities without help.

Two-thirds of executives using agentic A.I. report measurable productivity boosts, with nearly 60 percent achieving significant cost savings. But the true problems occur at a deeper level. According to Futurum Research, agent-based A.I. will drive up to $6 trillion in economic value by 2028, fundamentally rewiring how business gets done.

Real-world transformation in action

The evidence is already mounting across industries:

Financial Services: A.I. agents at JPMorgan Chase keep an eye on customer finances, find signs of fraudulent activity and instantly stop suspicious transactions. The result? Proactive protection that traditional rule-based systems could never match.

Enterprise IT: Jamf’s A.I. assistant “Caspernicus” operates directly in Slack, handling software requests for over 70 percent of employees. Staff no longer wait for engineering support—they get instant help through natural language requests, dramatically improving productivity across all departments.

Logistics and Supply Chain: A leading logistics player manages its logistics using intelligent A.I., looking at ongoing data on transport and inventory to improve deliveries without involving humans.

Cybersecurity: NVIDIA launched Agent Morpheus, an A.I. framework that uses real-time data processing to automatically detect threats and maintain security, moving from reactive to predictive protection.

The economics of autonomous intelligence

The economic implications cannot be overstated. In 2024, the agentic A.I. market in the U.S. reached $769.5 million, and it is predicted to grow at a rate of 43.6 percent per year until 2030. But raw market size tells only part of the story. According to MIT, using agentic A.I. to empower employees can make them 40 percent more efficient, and companies that use A.I. for customer experiences have had sales rise by up to 15 percent. The ROI calculations are compelling: 62 percent of polled executives expect returns above 100 percent from agentic A.I. adoption.

Enterprise leaders are responding with unprecedented investment. According to a SnapLogic survey, 79 percent of IT decision-makers plan to invest over $1 million in A.I. agents over the next year. The clear message: staying ahead in the market now depends on investing in technology.

The multi-agent enterprise: beyond single-point solutions

The next evolution is already emerging: networks of A.I. agents collaborating like digital teams. Consider the following scenario that reflects current deployments in leading companies.

A logistics agent detects a supply chain disruption. It instantly alerts procurement agents to source alternative suppliers while a finance agent rebalances cash flows to reflect the changes. Customer service agents proactively notify clients with updated timelines. No central system orchestrates this—the agents self-organize around business objectives.

Deloitte predicts that in 2025, 25 percent of companies using generative A.I. will launch agentic A.I. pilots, growing to 50 percent in 2027. The technology has moved from concept to deployment faster than any enterprise technology in recent memory.

Platform wars: the new competitive landscape

The competitive dynamics are already crystallizing. Over 400,000 A.I. agents were built using Microsoft’s Copilot Studio in the previous quarter, which over 160,000 organizations have adopted. Salesforce, IBM, Google and Oracle are racing to capture market share with their own platforms.

But the real battlefield isn’t in Silicon Valley—it’s in boardrooms where executives must choose between being disruptors or being disrupted. Eighty-nine percent of surveyed CIOs consider agent-based A.I. a strategic priority, yet 60 percent of DIY initiatives fail to scale past pilot stages due to unclear ROI.

The implementation reality: success factors and pitfalls

Despite the promise, deployment isn’t automatic. Nearly three-quarters of senior leaders believe agentic A.I. could give their company a significant competitive advantage. Still, half say it will make their operating model unrecognizable in just two years.

Most effective implementations move in this organized direction:

Phase 1: Infrastructure Readiness. Exposing enterprise tools and data via APIs, ensuring system interoperability and building monitoring and control frameworks.

Phase 2: Targeted Deployment. Starting with high-impact, data-rich processes prone to coordination bottlenecks such as incident resolution, customer onboarding and claims processing.

Phase 3: Multi-Agent Orchestration. Allowing agents to collaborate across functions, creating peer-to-peer protocols for coordination.

Phase 4: Organizational Redesign. Transitioning to hybrid structures where humans and agents share workflows.

The governance challenge

The autonomy that makes agentic A.I. powerful also creates new risks. Seventy-eight percent of CIOs cite security, compliance and data control as primary barriers to scaling agent-based A.I. Accountability, bias and ethical issues emerge whenever A.I. systems do things by themselves. Leading organizations have been building robust guardrails since day one. IBM watsonx Agents lead governance with enterprise-ready features including role-based controls, compliance auditing and A.I. explainability safeguards.

The disruption timeline: why speed matters

The transformation is accelerating beyond most predictions. By 2029, Gartner predicts 80 percent of common customer service issues will be resolved autonomously, and 15 percent of all day-to-day work decisions will be made by A.I.

Some companies have already benefited from early action. For example, a leading Dutch insurer automated 91 percent of individual automobile claims by integrating custom A.I. agents, enabling adjusters to focus on complex cases requiring human knowledge. Competitors still processing claims manually face an insurmountable cost and speed disadvantage.

Industry-specific disruption patterns

Companies across sectors have different use cases and transformation timelines:

Financial Services: Leading the charge with fraud detection, credit assessment and regulatory compliance automation.

Healthcare: A.I. agents managing appointment scheduling, patient monitoring and treatment personalization are showing early success.

Manufacturing: Predictive maintenance and supply chain optimization are delivering immediate ROI.

Customer Service: In 2024, the customer service and virtual assistants sector led in revenue generation, driven by A.I. agents’ ability to address both straightforward and complicated issues.

The strategic imperative: building the agentic enterprise

The change to agentic A.I. isn’t limited to technology; it becomes a key moment in companies’ competitive plans. Organizations face a binary choice: become agentic enterprises where autonomous A.I. agents work seamlessly alongside humans, or fall behind competitors that do. Half of executives surveyed by PwC believe A.I. agents will make their operating model unrecognizable in just two years. In every field, there will be a major and sudden separation between those who adapt and those who do not.

The organizations that will do well in 2030 will be smarter, able to spot trends, make changes accordingly and look for opportunities without the need for constant human input. They’ll operate at speeds and scales impossible for traditionally-managed competitors.

The bottom line

Agentic A.I. isn’t a technology to deploy—it’s a new way of operating to design. With the global enterprise agentic A.I. market growing at 46.2 percent annually and expected to reach $41.32 billion by 2030, the window for competitive advantage is narrowing rapidly.

The companies that master agentic A.I. in the next 18 months will set the terms for the next decade of business competition. People or businesses that don’t take risks often fade away in the annals of their industry. The changes we want are happening now, not in the future. The only question is whether your organization will lead it or be left behind.



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The New Corporate Status Symbol: Inner Peace

The new leadership look: serene, self-aware and quietly unraveling under fluorescent lights. Unsplash+

Regardless of status, background, or what we do for a living, we all share a straightforward desire: the pursuit of happiness. However, in recent years, happiness has found a sister: peace. Judging by the rapid pace at which companies worldwide willingly invest time and money into wellbeing, finding inner peace is the new happy. As a result, corporate office parties and luxury champagne bottles in clubs are quickly being replaced by a surge in four-day work weeks and meditation classes offered as perks for employees. Happiness can’t be bought, but peace is a cheaper alternative and has better optics in an increasingly ‘woke’ world. Is this a genuine evolution in leadership culture? Or is it simply another veneer of branding—a way to seem visionary while avoiding deeper systemic change? 

Wellness and holistic health practices have been booming in corporate America since the pandemic. According to a 2022 report from McKinsey & Company, 70 percent of surveyed employees confirmed that their company had increased investment in well-being programs and mental health support. But the most significant shift is happening at the top. Executives are not only approving these programs—they’re participating in them. 

Jeff Weiner, former CEO of LinkedIn, advocated for “compassionate management” and began company-wide mindfulness sessions. Marc Benioff of Salesforce speaks openly about his meditation practice, encouraging CEOs to lean on Zen wisdom. In his influential 2020 letter to CEOs, even BlackRock’s Larry Fink noted that “purpose is not a mere tagline”—a hint toward deeper introspection about business and its role in society. A 2023 Deloitte survey found that 83 percent of executives reported using stress-reduction practices like meditation, yoga or breathwork at least weekly. Nearly 40 percent of C-level leaders said they had attended a silent retreat or mindfulness-based leadership program in the past two years. 

However, with executives now exploring everything from corporate wellness retreats and breath workshops to heading off into the jungle to sit with the “wisdom keepers,” employees are under increasing pressure to perform and deliver. So, is this new trend truly serving the wider collective, or just the people at the top? Are the ones leading sincerely modelling a new way? Could this help propel a new movement that creates a culture where balance will finally prevail as the status quo? Or are workers, the ones who actually produce and keep the wheels in motion, being kept hostage in yet another glamorous illusion of the promise of “shared benefit” as the CEO once again heads off on a wee long meditation retreat to Hawaii, paid for by the company? 

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” —Lao Tzu

What truly motivates leaders is complex. On one hand, research shows that “living in the now” is crucial to our long-term health and productivity, and that these practices offer real value, helping leaders deal with the at times inhuman demands they work under. The average CEO now manages a greater range of risks—economic, social, technological and geopolitical—under the critical judgment of the constant public eye. Mindfulness and retreats in general are a way to regulate and reset the nervous system, providing much-needed rest from the constant pressure. On the other hand, business is business, and a massive part of staying on top in an ever-changing world is to move with, or ideally, ahead of the game. So, when the game starts to revolve around personal branding and “mindful leadership” becomes the new goal, performance may outweigh moral authority. 

All businesses need momentum to grow and evolve continually. They need to innovate and constantly challenge themselves while remaining up to date with current trends and politics. In today’s world, to be calm is to be in control. To be meditative is to be evolved. Executive mindfulness, then, can become less about managing one’s mind and more about signaling a certain kind of enlightened competence. 

In 2023, the Harvard Business Review observed that mindfulness practices have, in some leadership circles, “become a new badge of professional capital—akin to having an Ivy League MBA or publishing a leadership book.” One venture capitalist said, “It’s almost a cliché now—if you’re not doing breathwork or plant medicine ceremonies, are you even a founder?” 

“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility.” —Dalai Lama

Wellbeing and mindfulness practices have the potential to make workplaces more humane, more inclusive, connected and balanced. In 2024, Microsoft rolled out a company-wide digital detox policy, including mandatory “quiet weeks” with no meetings—a direct response to executive feedback after attending wellness programs. Through experiencing the benefits of holistic practices such as greater resilience, a boost of agility and creativity and an overall stronger immune system and capacity to embrace challenges, leaders will start leading from within. Using compassion and shared values as their compass. This sparks a connection and a sense of togetherness, inspiring employees to be part of the game and keep on going, even when the going gets tough. 

However, while inner peace practices themselves offer great value, idolising inner peace as a status symbol carries a greater risk of masking systemic burnout and leading to a lack of productivity. Lack of inclusivity and open communication can also quickly foster a sense of injustice, resulting in resentment from employees towards their leaders, who are off ‘finding themselves,’ rather than being found in the office. 

According to a 2023 Gallup report, 59 percent of employees say their leaders talk about mental health more than they used to, but only 28 percent believe that those leaders act meaningfully on it. Making inner peace the new status symbol could see stress and being stressed as a personal failure, not a structural issue. If executives find peace in meditation while maintaining toxic productivity expectations, the outcome isn’t a more mindful workplace—it’s a more self-satisfied hierarchy. 

The future of mindful leadership is full of potential, and this is only the beginning. If done with sincerity, the mindfulness movement could redefine what powerful and peaceful leadership looks like—not as someone who dominates the room, but someone who listens, pauses and adapts. The positive rippling effects that this would have not only on the employees of a company, but on the world as a whole, are exciting and much needed. With a single idea, one genuine, great leader can change the world for the better, with a foundation of authenticity and sincerity. Having peace at the forefront of a company or not isn’t what will make or break a business. The people who lead are—and people will be people. Bad people choose badly. Good people choose wisely, bringing peace to everyone. Let’s choose good people to lead. 

Josephine McGrail is a meditation and yoga facilitator and the author of The Morning Miracle, Messages of Love, and Fall in Love with You.



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The 11 Key Executives Running Tesla Behind Elon Musk’s Spotlight

Omead Afshar, vice president of North American and European operations

Afshar joined Tesla in 2017 as a project manager in the CEO’s office after working in the medical device industry. He later became project director and, in 2020, was promoted to senior director of Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory—a role he cheekily sums up on LinkedIn with a cowboy emoji.

In 2022, Afshar stepped back from day-to-day Tesla operations following an internal investigation into Project 42, a glass-walled structure allegedly intended as a residence for Musk—an allegation the CEO has denied. During this period, Afshar became more involved in other Musk ventures, including SpaceX and X.

His Tesla profile has since rebounded, now overseeing the company’s operations in North America and Europe. Known for his close rapport with Musk, he’s reportedly earned the nickname “the Musk whisperer.”

Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering

Moravy has served as Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering for the past six years, leading a team of over 2,000 engineers responsible for hardware design, development, testing, automation and manufacturing. He has worked on every major Tesla model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the upcoming Robotaxi.

Moravy joined Tesla more than 15 years ago, contributing to vehicle frame development. Prior to that, he spent eight years at Honda R&D. On a recent episode of the Ride the Lightning podcast, he said he made the leap to Tesla because it combined his passion for automobiles and environmental impact.

Brandon Ehrhart, general counsel and corporate secretary

Tesla appointed Ehrhart as general counsel and corporate secretary in 2023. He previously spent two decades in the telecommunications industry, most notably at DISH Network, where he served as general counsel for DISH Wireless. His legal background also includes roles at EchoStar Corporation and as an associate at DLA Piper.

At Tesla, Ehrhart leads a legal team that, according to a past LinkedIn post, aims to manage “all aspects of litigation and trial work, including briefings, hearings, discovery, depositions and trials, completely in-house.”

Franz von Holzhausen, senior design executive

Von Holzhausen brings decades of experience in automotive design to Tesla. Before joining the company, he worked on high-profile projects such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and held design positions at General Motors and Mazda. He became Tesla’s senior design executive in 2008 and has since led design efforts for every major model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the second-generation Roadster.

Ashok Elluswamy, vice president of A.I. software

Elluswamy leads Tesla’s A.I. software division, a key area the company expects to expand. He has headed the team since October 2024 and, according to his LinkedIn, is focused on “anything and everything required to get self-driving 4-wheeled robots driving widely.” His previous work includes developing Tesla’s in-house computer vision system and applying A.I. to tackle complex autonomous driving challenges.

Elluswamy joined Tesla in 2014 and was later praised by Musk as the company’s first official hire for the A.I. and Autopilot team. “Without him and our awesome team, we would just be another car company looking for an autonomy supplier that doesn’t exist,” Musk wrote on X last year.

Michael Snyder, vice president of energy and charging

Snyder began his Tesla career in 2014 as a staff electrical engineer and steadily rose through the ranks of the company’s energy division. He previously served as senior director of megapack production and business before being promoted in 2024 to vice president of energy and charging. In this role, he oversees Tesla’s integrated sustainable energy ecosystem, which includes solar, storage and charging infrastructure.

Before joining Tesla, Snyder worked at engineering and energy companies including HDR, SunPower Corporation and Flack + Kurtz.

Laurie Shelby, vice president of environment, health and safety

Shelby has led Tesla’s environment, health and safety (EHS) operations since 2017, overseeing workplace safety and compliance efforts for more than 100,000 employees across automotive, energy and delivery divisions. One of Tesla’s most senior female executives, she brings decades of experience in industrial safety. Prior to Tesla, she spent 17 years at Alcoa and held key roles at Reynold Metals, Radian Corporation and Dominion Virginia Power.

Karn Budhiraj and Roshan Thomas, vice presidents of supply chain

Tesla’s vast and complex global supply chain is co-managed by two executives: Budhiraj and Thomas. Budhiraj joined Tesla in 2014, bringing prior experience from Apple’s supply chain team and a consulting background at Deloitte. He initially oversaw powertrain and electronics programs before being promoted to vice president of supply chain in 2018. He now manages key areas such as batteries, electronics, construction, manufacturing and distribution.

Thomas, who reports directly to Musk, was appointed vice president in 2020. He is responsible for vehicle and solar sourcing and other critical supply functions. Thomas joined Tesla in 2019 as a purchasing manager for propulsion, thermal and climate systems, following earlier roles in supply operations at Tellabs and Sanmina.



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