How is GHD creating real value for clients with AI augmentation

For GHD, AI is an enabler of better decisions, stronger performance, and sustained value creation for clients and communities. 

Recently, GHD leaders from around the world came together in Boston for AI Strategy and Transformation workshops hosted by Harvard Business School. The most important insight was that AI transformation cannot be delivered like a traditional technology program, with a clear blueprint and benchmarks. Instead, the challenge is to create conditions for continuous transformation while maintaining trust, accountability and operational performance. 

GHD’s participation in the workshop was facilitated via the Frontier Firm AI Initiative with the Harvard Business School AI Institute and Microsoft. As an early adopter of AI tools, it is one of the inaugural Frontier Firm participants. Through collaboration, Frontier Firm participants aim to develop new business models and organisational models to redefine ways of working for the AI era. 

“We’re at an inflection point. AI isn’t a technology project. It has implications for our business model, operating model, leadership, workforce and culture,” says Jim Giannopoulos, CEO.   

“Looking at this nexus between now what the machine can do through AI, what it is that humans can uniquely do, and then what can we do together to create new value, I think is the absolute frontier that we’ve been exploring. This is an era where curiosity is capital,” says Sonia Adams, Chief Client Officer. 

“GHD is addressing the last mile challenge of implementing AI in our operations and delivery through thinking very carefully about how we go from piloting to experimentation into scaled adoption and delivery,” says Paul Murphy, CIO.  “Many AI pilots and programs fail not because they aren’t the right ideas, but they don’t have the scalability predefined.” 

Hear from GHD leaders how the company is moving beyond incremental productivity gains to change behaviours, workflows and client outcomes. 

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 165 offices located on five continents.