Panelists (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
not do with the data, I think we're wrong. So, we need to develop the partnerships with the business, get them to understand and honestly recognize that it's their data, they own it. Keslin: When I first came into Welch, I had an open landscape where AI hadn't really been exposed to the general workforce yet. I just kind of took a step back and thought about how I could get this tool in the hands of people with the industry knowledge in a way it’s consum- able, usable, and safe for them. How could they harvest that information, then take that down to the next level and be able to provide it out to the consumers who benefit from that expertise? Then, how do we codify it into an ap- plication, something that's repeatable, something that can be governed, and then we can start rolling out? What is the right tool and how do you get it into their hands? How do you learn from it and secure it? That's been a huge topic internally for us. We're working at it every day. Ochi: From a business side, Billy, what are your rec- ommendations on working with the information and tech- nology people on a level of governance that satisfies all parties? Medof: I'll propose a thought experiment. Imagine it’s 35 years ago and you're making the decision whether to grant email access to the administrative team in your busi- ness. So, 35 years ago email's scary. So let's not do it. Let's not grant email access to any of our employees in the busi-
college. Can you repeat that? Medof: Sure. For what feels like almost 20 years, we've been in a fraught employment environment. It's just hard to find young people who are interested in working the kinds of jobs that we have in the corrugated and folding carton industries. That said, I do believe the tide is turning to an extent. There is a lot more positive momentum and energy out there about the value of manual work, especially with the threat of Artificial Intelligence. I think all of us have a story of someone we know who is just doing exceptionally well in the trades, be that HVAC or plumbing or electrical. So I do think the tide is shifting and it will continue to shift in our favor and it's up to us to capture that. Ochi: Let's shift to AI specifically. So as AI is expanding, we've talked about some of the opportunities that we've seen, some of the wins. What are your leaders thinking and what are you considering before putting AI into peo- ple's hands? Anderson: The I in IT stands for information, right? We focus on the technology and we forget the information part. And really, from an IT perspective, we're just stew- ards of the business's data, right? We're trying to present it in a way so they can make informed decisions to operate their business the best that they can. We've got to keep the data available, secure, and accurate. My point is that when IT is dictating what the business should or should
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28 October 26, 2026
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