HFS Roundtable: Enterprise debt: The silent killers of AI ROI

The enterprise debt: The silent killers of AI ROI
How data, process, technology, and talent debt undermine transformation value

92% of executives believe AI will fundamentally change how work gets done. Only 7% are ready to operationalize it at scale. (HFS Research in partnership with Genpact, 2026)

The reason isn’t the technology. It’s enterprise debt.

Most enterprises are carrying a hidden liability that is quietly eroding margins, slowing AI adoption, and distorting the ROI of transformation.

We call it enterprise debt, and it goes far beyond technical debt. It is embedded across:

inefficient, workaround-heavy processes (process debt)
fragmented, unusable data (data debt)
aging technology that resists change (technology debt)
talent models misaligned to a digital, AI-first enterprise (people debt)

Left unaddressed, this debt creates a compounding drag on growth, speed, and competitiveness, absorbing value faster than transformation programs can create it.

HFS Research, in partnership with Genpact, has developed a framework, grounded in insights from over 2,000 senior executives globally, to quantify enterprise debt and help organizations identify, prioritize, and address its impact on transformation outcomes.

But understanding the problem isn’t enough. The real challenge is knowing where to start and how to act.

Join the conversation

This executive roundtable brings together senior leaders for a candid, peer-level discussion on how enterprise debt is constraining AI and transformation and what to do about it.

You’ll benchmark your organization, diagnose your biggest constraints, and explore practical, near-term actions with peers facing the same challenges.

Why attend and what you will walk away with

Quantify the real cost of enterprise debt. See exactly where hidden debt is accumulating and how it is constraining growth, margins, and AI at scale.
Pinpoint what’s holding your AI and transformation back. Identify the dimension of enterprise debt that is most limiting your outcomes and where you underperform peers.
Benchmark yourself against global leaders. Receive a clear, personalized view of how your organization compares and where competitive gaps are widening.
Leave with practical, near‑term actions. Learn how leading enterprises are actively paying down enterprise debt across operating models, technology, and talent.
Engage in a candid, executive‑only forum. Participate in a confidential, peer‑level discussion.
Access exclusive Genpact and HFS insights before release. Preview unpublished findings from the largest global studies on enterprise debt.

Venue: The Lambs Club

132 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

HFS participants

Genpact participants

This roundtable is produced in collaboration with

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