George Adair of Goodwill of Colorado on M&A, AI & Cybersecurity | Spotlight Interview

George Adair of Goodwill of Colorado on Technology’s Role in M&A, AI and Digital Transformation, and AI and Cybersecurity - Spotlight Interview In this Technology Executives Club® Spotlight Interview, Alex Jarett sits down with George Adair, a senior technology leader at Goodwill of Colorado, to discuss mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation, AI, customer experience, and cybersecurity. George has worked across a variety of technology environments, with digital transformation as a core focus throughout his career. Today at Goodwill of Colorado, he is helping the organization use technology, data, and AI to improve business operations and customer experiences. M&A Requires a Technology Roadmap Mergers and acquisitions create unique challenges because acquired organizations rarely begin in the same place. George explains that technology leaders need to understand how quickly an organization can realistically move, create the right technology roadmap, and connect those plans to business needs. At CCRM Fertility, where the organization had acquired more than 15 clinics across the United States, individual locations operated independently and experienced different technology problems. George worked directly with the clinics to address immediate needs, build trust, and create a unified technology strategy. Change Management Is Part of the Roadmap The CCRM experience reinforced the importance of the people side of transformation. Some acquired organizations were more open to change, while others were comfortable with existing processes. George's approach was to understand where each group was in its journey and adjust the roadmap rather than force everyone to move at the same pace. Digital Transformation Is Increasingly About AI AI is becoming a major part of George's digital transformation work at Goodwill of Colorado. Rather than treating AI as a single technology purchase, the organization is experimenting with different tools and exploring practical business applications. Goodwill is testing several major AI platforms through proof-of-concept initiatives. Employees across business functions are evaluating how AI can improve existing processes, increase efficiency, and create practical business value before broader adoption. CEO Support Helps Move AI Forward George points to executive sponsorship as a key part of the AI initiative. Goodwill's CEO actively supports the work and helps identify areas where AI may create business value, connecting technology initiatives to real business needs. Using Technology to Improve the Retail Experience Goodwill is also using technology and data to help retail managers respond to changing customer behavior, seasonal demand, local events, and economic factors. George gives the example of the Denver Broncos. If the team plays on Monday Night Football, managers may want Broncos merchandise displayed more prominently the following day. Technology can connect external signals with store activity, while AI can help turn that information into actionable insights for merchandising decisions. AI Is Also Changing Cybersecurity The same AI technologies creating new opportunities are also introducing cybersecurity challenges. George highlights social engineering as a growing concern, as AI makes it harder to determine whether communications are genuine or manipulated. Organizations need to detect suspicious activity, alert employees, and respond quickly. Using AI to Fight Against AI Cybersecurity awareness cannot remain limited to the IT department. Employees and frontline business leaders need to understand the risks of increasingly sophisticated social engineering. Technology teams are also evaluating tools to identify suspicious behavior and respond faster. George summarizes the changing environment simply: organizations are increasingly “using AI to be able to fight against AI.” Technology Leadership Across a Changing Enterprise George's experience reflects the expanding role of tech leadership, from integrating acquired companies and managing change to driving AI initiatives, improving customer experiences, and addressing cybersecurity risks. Across these areas, technology must connect back to business outcomes by understanding the people affected by change, identifying practical use cases, building business cases, and helping the organization operate more effectively. ➡️ Watch the full Spotlight Interview with George Adair to hear his perspective on mergers and acquisitions, technology roadmaps and change management, digital transformation and AI, Goodwill of Colorado’s AI proof-of-concept initiatives, using data and AI to improve the retail customer experience, and the growing cybersecurity challenges created by AI. *️⃣ Guest: George Adair, Senior Technology Leader, Goodwill of Colorado *️⃣ Host: ALEX JARETT, Founder, Technology Executives Club® #artificialintelligence #cybersecurity #digitaltransformation #technologyleadership #aiinbusiness