AWS Executive Insights

What distinguishes organizations that capture real value from AI from those still experimenting?
In this episode of AWS Executive Insights, Roger Premo, Global Head of Strategy at IBM, breaks down the practical lessons behind IBM’s own AI transformation. From embedding generative AI into everyday workflows to codifying an agentic development lifecycle, IBM has paired leadership commitment with disciplined execution to drive measurable results.
Premo discusses how hybrid cloud architecture enables agents to access data across heterogeneous environments, why data product management is now a business imperative, and how governance must be built into AI systems from the start. This essential discussion offers leaders a framework for moving beyond isolated pilots and building scalable, secure, and value-driven AI capabilities. Thank you to IBM for their partnership and participation in this discussion.

In this #AWSExecutiveInsights conversation, Tom Soderstrom, AWS Executive in Residence, talks with Erin Kraemer, Sr. Principal Technical Product Manager for AWS Agentic AI, who draws on 25 years at Amazon to explore how organizations move from AI experimentation to production, built on observability, guardrails, and bringing your people along the journey.

From covering the front desk as an intern to leading global business strategy, James Waters’ career at Booking.com mirrors the company’s own transformation.
Now Chief Business Officer, Waters reflects on how experimentation, data-driven decision making, and a strong customer focus have powered Booking.com’s growth. As generative AI reshapes the travel industry, he shares how the company is evolving its connected trip vision while reinforcing responsible AI principles and strong technical foundations.
This episode offers leaders a thoughtful perspective on scaling innovation, sustaining culture through change, and using AI to amplify human ingenuity.

Dr. Ruba Borno, AWS Vice President of Global Specialists and Partners, shares her journey from refugee to technology leader and reveals what drives purpose-driven leadership. As a daughter of Palestinian refugees who came to the U.S. during the first Gulf War, she learned early that opportunity is a gift—and believes in "leaving the ladder there" for others to climb.
In this conversation with host Richard Taylor, Dr. Borno discusses building high-performing teams, leading 18,000 engineers through COVID-19, and scaling customer support through AI innovation. She shares critical leadership lessons: ask the right questions rather than having all the answers, trust your instincts, and create environments where teams can safely innovate and fail.

What does it take to migrate the heart of a nation’s banking system to the cloud?
In this AWS Executive Insights fireside chat, Ben Cabanas sits down with Simon Davies, GM of Core Banking at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, to unpack one of the most mission-critical cloud transformations in financial services. With nearly 40% of Australia’s liquidity flowing through CBA’s core platform, the stakes were enormous.
Simon shares how CBA migrated the world’s largest SAP core banking deployment to AWS while improving reliability, reducing infrastructure costs by 30%, and enabling real-time customer experiences. Beyond the technical achievement, he reveals how transparency, cultural alignment, and a rallying cry of “believe” helped mobilize thousands across the organization to deliver change at national scale.