On this page, you’ll find a curated collection of key takeaways, event photos, video highlights, and analyst insights that capture the spirit and substance of this roundtable event. We invite you to dive in and experience the bold, unfiltered thinking that defines HFS Research.

Highlights from this HFS Executive Roundtable

HFS Research and Cognizant convened an elite group of senior executives to examine how enterprises can accelerate outcomes in the AI era by activating the Services-as-Software™ (SaS) Flywheel.

In a landscape rapidly shifting away from labor-driven delivery, leaders explored how AI, data, and IP can come together to enable continuous value creation, faster decision-making, and adaptive operating models that behave more like evolving products than static services.

The conversation built on the central premise of the SaS Flywheel: that enterprises must redesign how work gets done—moving from traditional service delivery to AI-native systems that learn, improve, and compound value over time. This roundtable provided a candid, peer-level forum to share what’s working, what’s not, and what must change next.

What we heard

  1. People—not technology—determine the success of enterprise AI.
    Across the board, leaders acknowledged that cultural change is the critical differentiator. Teams need space, encouragement, and incentives to adopt AI tools—and many organizations are still struggling to drive usage of foundational tools such as Copilot.
  2. The graduate talent pipeline is splitting—and the winners are leaning in.
    AI is replacing repetitive entry-level work, prompting some firms to reduce graduate hiring. But forward-looking enterprises see this as the moment to invest in next-generation skills and are increasing their graduate intake. These companies will gain a long-term advantage as new roles and competencies emerge.
  3. The AI Velocity Gap is widening—and frustrating top talent.
    Employees are ready to embrace AI faster than their organizations can safely deploy it. This mismatch is driving friction, slowing progress, and creating retention risks for the people enterprises most want to keep.
  4. Leadership must shift to an outcome-centric mindset.
    Leaders must create the right environment—psychologically and operationally—for experimentation, upskilling, and rapid iteration. The message was clear: the old ways of governing work will not carry enterprises into an AI-first future.

Scenes from the Roundtable

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Executive Interviews: Perspectives That Push the Conversation Further

We captured two dynamic interviews that continue the roundtable’s bold conversation. 

How Cognizant Is Making AI Real with Vibe Coding

Rohit Gupta, UK & Ireland Country Head at Cognizant, discusses how vibe coding is transforming the way enterprises adopt AI. He shares how Cognizant inspired over 250,000 employees to experiment with AI-driven coding, the success of early projects, and how AI-assisted development is scaling across the enterprise.

How Vodafone is redefining shared services with AI

Lawrence Ampofo, AI & Digital Practice Lead at Vodafone – VOIS, discusses how enterprise services are evolving in the AI era. He breaks down three major shifts shaping the future of global service delivery.

What’s next?

Enterprises are no longer debating whether AI will transform service delivery—they’re now focused on how quickly and effectively they can operationalize it.

HFS Research will continue to help enterprises activate the Services-as-Software Flywheel, enabling them to:

  • Build adaptive, AI-native operating models that continuously improve.
  • Reimagine talent strategy for a world where AI handles the repetitive and humans drive innovation.
  • Close the AI Velocity Gap by aligning culture, governance, and enablement.
  • Shift leadership thinking toward measurable, outcome-driven transformation.

This roundtable marks another step toward a new enterprise standard—one where value is generated not by headcount but by intelligent, self-improving systems powered by AI, data, IP, and human ingenuity.

If you’d like to take the next step in accelerating your SaS Flywheel, let’s connect—HFS is here to help.

This HFS Roundtable is produced in collaboration with

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