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

Highlights from this executive roundtable

HFS Research and Cognizant convened consumer goods and retail leaders to discuss findings from their market research and examined what separates AI leaders from the rest of the market.

Participants explored the characteristics of the “15% club,” the small group of organizations that have successfully translated AI investments into scaled business outcomes, and discussed the governance, funding, operating model, and partnership strategies that enable them to accelerate adoption.

The conversation also examined how organizations can move beyond isolated use cases and build the foundations necessary to support long-term AI transformation.

What we heard

Several themes emerged throughout the discussion:

  • The pilot trap remains a significant barrier to AI value. Leaders acknowledged that while AI experimentation is widespread, many organizations continue to struggle with scaling successful use cases across the enterprise.
  • Governance matters as much as technology. Participants highlighted the importance of cross-functional leadership, clear accountability, and business-aligned KPIs in turning AI initiatives into enterprise capabilities.
  • Business ownership is reshaping AI investment. As AI funding increasingly originates within business functions, organizations are adopting more collaborative governance models to accelerate decision-making and reduce duplication.
  • Value is emerging in targeted, high-impact use cases. Leaders discussed early successes across content creation, personalization, forecasting, and decision support, while emphasizing the importance of linking AI investments to measurable outcomes.
  • Agentic AI is generating significant interest, but pragmatism is essential. Participants focused on practical opportunities to introduce agentic capabilities incrementally while maintaining appropriate governance and human oversight.

Scenes from the Roundtable

Roundtable February 10, 2026 7
Roundtable February 10, 2026 14
Roundtable February 10, 2026 2
Roundtable February 10, 2026 10
Roundtable February 10, 2026
Roundtable February 10, 2026 9
Roundtable February 10, 2026 12
Roundtable February 10, 2026 6
Roundtable February 10, 2026 5
Roundtable February 10, 2026 4
Roundtable February 10, 2026 8
Roundtable February 10, 2026 11
Roundtable February 10, 2026 3

What’s next?

As consumer goods organizations move beyond experimentation, the focus is shifting toward building the governance, funding models, and operating foundations needed to scale AI consistently and responsibly.

HFS is exploring these themes with industry leaders as organizations seek to move from pilots to enterprise-wide impact and prepare for the next generation of AI-enabled operations. Let’s connect if you’d like to discuss the insights from this roundtable or your organization’s AI transformation journey. We’d welcome the conversation.

This event was produced in collaboration with

Sign In

Sign up for a free
research account

With the exception of our Horizons reports, most of our research is available for free on our website. Sign up for a free account and start realizing the power of insights now.

Digests/Newsletters: Overviews of the latest news, insight, and research by HFS.

HFS Events: Exclusive invitations to HFS webinars, roundtables, and summits, bringing together key industry stakeholders focused on major innovations impacting business operations.

By registering you agree to our privacy policy.

I hereby consent that HFS Research can process my personal data.

Premium Access

Our premium subscription gives enterprise clients access to our complete library of proprietary research, direct access to our industry analysts, and other benefits.

Contact us at [email protected] for more information on premium access.

Help

If you are looking for help getting in touch with someone from HFS, please click the chat button to the bottom right of your screen to start a conversation with a member of our team.

[email protected]

    Contact Ask HFS AI Support