Meshack Bafana Shabalala is a data and AI leader dedicated to transforming complex data into simple, powerful strategies that help businesses better understand and serve their customers.
He’s driven by a passion for bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical business needs, ensuring AI is a tool for empowerment, not complexity.
A true competitor at heart, Meshack also thrives on the squash court and the athletics track, always chasing his next personal best.
Session Overview
Strategy-First Approach to AI: Moving Beyond Proof of Concepts
Across industries, AI initiatives often begin with enthusiasm but ultimately yield little impact. Proof of concepts are built, celebrated, and then quietly abandoned. The problem isn’t the technology, it’s the missing link to strategy.
This session focuses on a different approach: putting business strategy at the core of AI efforts. Using frameworks like Porter’s Generic Strategies and SWOT, we’ll show how to design AI programs that align tightly with how your business competes, whether through cost leadership, differentiation, or focus.
You’ll learn why tech-first AI often fails in industries like retail and wholesale, where margins are tight and competition is fierce. Instead of building solutions in search of problems, we’ll walk through how companies are using a strategy-first mindset to identify real opportunities. From dynamic pricing models that protect low-cost leadership to customer analytics that deepen loyalty, we’ll explore practical examples of AI delivering measurable value.
Three Tangible Learnings
How to Align AI Initiatives Directly to Business Strategy.
A Practical Framework to Prioritise AI Use Cases for Maximum ROI.
Blueprint for Moving from Pilots to Scalable, Outcome-Driven AI.
Alternatively, please email sales@eventfulpeople.com for quote, invoice or any queries and we’ll be glad to assist.
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Planner’s School
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Meshack Bafana Shabalala is a data and AI leader dedicated to transforming complex data into simple, powerful strategies that help businesses better understand and serve their customers.
He’s driven by a passion for bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical business needs, ensuring AI is a tool for empowerment, not complexity.
A true competitor at heart, Meshack also thrives on the squash court and the athletics track, always chasing his next personal best.
