Enterprises and AI Agility: A Freelancer-Led Transformation, According to Audra Nichols
In this unique discussion, we catch up with Audra Nichols, the Chief Operating Officer at MBO Partners, to further understand how companies can adapt the agility of independent professionals through AI. With a rich experience of over 25 years in transformational leadership, Audra shares her insights on the freelancer-driven evolution of AI adoption, methods of integrating AI into the company culture, and proactive measures to tackle skills shortage and maximise returns from investments in AI.
As Audra would relate, these are the pragmatic strategies for maintaining competitive advantage for organisations in an AI-allied economy, from internally branding AI to dismantling barriers to entry. She also warns that the greatest threat may be that which comes from delay in adopting AI rather than from accepting it and evolving in real-time.
Anyone who wants to know how AI is changing the fabric of work life and how organisations can work with freelancers as part of their AI initiatives should definitely check out this interview.
More About Audra Nichols and An Overview of MBO Partners
For the last three years, she has had the privilege of being the Chief Operating Officer at MBO Partner, where she is responsible for all talent and client-facing services for MBO’s portfolio. Besides that, she manages the MBO India Center of product development, engineering, and operational excellence functions of the growing business.
Recently, she has been the Executive Vice President of UnitedLex, where they pioneered the transformation of legal services for enhanced growth, scale, and client impact. Before that, she started working for PwC and Arthur Andersen to gain 25 years of experience operating in large-scale transformations, in establishing high-performing teams, and managing significant acquisition integrations for PwC’s U.S. Advisory business.
The mission of MBO is to facilitate collaboration between enterprise organisations and freelance professionals of the highest calibre. Their enterprise solutions are comprehensive, allowing clients to find outsourced talent, scale an independent workforce, and improve workforce management practices. MBO adds value to making a better future for enterprises and their independent workers with broad experience and industry knowledge. With such a code, she is a leader of change, fueled by a passion to tackle tough business problems and convinced of the power impact they can make globally.
Strategies Critical for Skill Gap Removal
It has been found that around 80% of freelancers believe themselves to be at the intermediate or advanced level in AI skills. If so, enterprises may adopt a similar level of engagement for employees by ensuring that the organisations invest in self-directed AI education and offer funding for easy access to AI training on their own terms, just the way freelancers do through online platforms. It could make the application of AI tools in daily activities as common as that of email.
Enterprises should also rethink their ways of furthering employee skills. Freelancers learn AI mostly from experience, while organisations mainly depend on formal training, which is usually slow to adopt. Providing employees with personalised AI training or a place where they can experiment with AI at their own pace, and bringing in a model of Artificial Intelligence mentoring within teams, will ensure that they slowly acclimatise to this way of work and upgrade their skills.
The goal is not just training an instrument, but is actually about the development of a culture that shapes AI as instinctive. Starting from the ground could keep building great momentum, many times resulting in broader and deeper adoption.
The Major Concerns Surrounding AI and Workplace Issues of C-suite Leaders in 2025
In the current business scenario, the avalanche of conversations and writings happening around AI may be felt sometimes as overbearing, and at other times, downright frustrating. Tech companies and consulting firms seem to compete against one another with no finish line in sight. By 2025, top leaders will perpetually be engaged in assessing what tools to apply and what technologies to embrace, given the abundance of choices.
In reality, no solution will seem ideal, and some experts believe that not starting poses a higher risk to a firm than embarking on a course of action and adjusting as it moves forward. In any case, there would be an opportunity to engage employees in the option chosen and its implications. Furthermore, not necessarily a subject of thrust, the impact of AI on workplace interaction and ethical concerns are important areas for consideration.
Certainly, AI can contribute largely to increased efficiency; yet the challenge in the very near term is how to reskill employees fast enough so they can keep up with the changes in automation. Now we think about that, not long ago, Kison Patel, Founder and CEO of DealRoom also talked about how AI is reshaping the future of mergers and acquisitions (M&A).