AI adoption isn’t simply a question of tools and technology. It’s about people, culture, and leadership coming together to create lasting change.
Organisations that thrive in this new era are those willing to reimagine how they work, invest in their people, and learn from others leading the way.
Endava, a global IT services company, offers a standout example. By integrating AI deeply into its operations, workforce, and client solutions, the company has built an AI-native culture that goes beyond experimentation. On a recent episode of the Data and AI Mastery podcast, Matthew Cloke, Endava’s CTO, shared how the company achieved this transformation and the lessons every business leader can apply when shaping their AI journey.
One of the first challenges any organisation faces is making a clear business case for AI.
For Endava, this meant looking at AI through both a horizontal and vertical lens. Horizontally, AI unlocks incremental productivity gains, helping people streamline tasks, save time, and work smarter. Vertically, the focus shifts to transformative use cases that deliver significant impact to both Endava and its clients.
As Matthew points out, “AI is going to enable something new that we've never measured in the past. So yes, I could give you a ‘how much quicker can I produce a PowerPoint if I use AI,’ but that's not really the story. What the story is actually it can help me research my clients. It can help me give a level-in-depth response. [...] So I focused less on the individual productivity improvements and more on how you can enable someone to do something that they couldn't do beforehand.”
In practice, Endava brought this vision to life by establishing an AI committee.
This body not only governs AI adoption but also reviews investment cases, ensuring every AI initiative aligns with long-term organisational goals.
Even with a compelling business case, adopting AI across an organisation doesn’t happen automatically. People need encouragement, training, and a sense of ownership.
At Endava, this challenge was met by creating a Champions Network.
These are employees who are naturally curious about AI and eager to experiment. They receive deeper training and, in turn, support their colleagues as mentors, helping the wider workforce adopt AI tools.
As Matthew explains, “Where the AI heroes come into it is really this idea that, as much as you are trying to push something downwards, and you're trying to model the way in which you want people to use AI, when you see someone using AI in a truly transformative way, you want to celebrate it. You want to lift it up, you want to show other people the art of the possible, and a thing you've never done beforehand.”
It’s such an inspiring reminder that AI adoption depends as much on human energy as it does on algorithms.
While employees need training and encouragement, leadership needs something different: perspective.
According to Matthew, one of the most effective ways to engage executives is through peer examples. When leaders see proven use cases and hear success stories from competitors, the urgency becomes clear.
He explains, “What people are interested in is, ‘What's the practical next step?’ And their aha moment is going, ‘I can see other people have gone on this journey, so it is not a completely fruitless exercise; [...] this is something that is real. I can see, and I've heard a story. I'm speaking to someone who knows that this has had an impact within a business, and then it's kind of focusing on what's the real thing, where's the itch that needs to be scratched?”
Leaders don’t need to become AI experts to understand its value. What matters is recognising how AI can reshape the industry, solve real business problems, and create tangible impact. And knowing where to start.
This episode is another powerful reminder that as AI evolves, so too will the ways organisations adopt and integrate it. One truth remains consistent: technology alone is never enough.
Successful AI adoption is a human story of curiosity, courage, and collaboration.
At Cambridge Spark, we help forward-thinking organisations build AI fluency from the ground up. From technical data science training to executive education, our programmes are designed to meet people where they are and help them grow. With the right learning partner, you build not only skills but also a culture of curiosity and innovation.
Explore our programmes and discover how we can support your transformation.