14 October 2025 – The Makati Business Club (MBC), in partnership with Bain & Company, concluded its 2025 series with “Leading Organizations with AI and Talent” on October 14, 2025. The session gathered executives and thought leaders to engage in a rich discussion on how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how organizations operate, and the evolving role of leadership and talent in this new era.

“A lot of it from our perspective is the way we think about AI, which is not just about technology, it is fundamentally about strategy. It is fundamentally about transformation and change. It is fundamentally about your organizations and about your people,” said Patricia Buenaventura-Nichol, Partners and Office Head of Bain & Company Philippines, who moderated the session.

The conversation featured Mohan Jayaraman, Senior Partner and Head of Bain’s AI and Solutions Practice in Southeast Asia, and James Root, Senior Partner and Chair of Bain Futures, who provided complementary perspectives on how leaders can drive transformation in both systems and people.

The CEO’s Guide to AI Transformation
“This is not a CIO initiative by itself. It is a business transformation, and it requires a huge amount of effort to go in, to make that change happen, to get the value out at the end, and that’s going to be an important thing to assimilate and take into account.”

Jayaraman also outlined the three key questions for business leaders: Where to focus, how to justify investments, and how to orchestrate the transformation effectively. He emphasized that Southeast Asian organizations, particularly in the Philippines, are moving beyond concept and starting to deploy AI for real impact, especially in the financial services and in healthcare.

The Future of Work and Motivation
Root described two possible futures: one where humans become “spectators at work”, and another where technology allows people to focus on what they uniquely do best, which is showing empathy, care, and judgment. “I favor the second scenario,” he said. “I think human beings get something from work that’s more than just provision.” Which leads us to the subject of the book titled The Archetype Effect – Why do people go to work, and what do they want when they get that? Root shared research from nearly 50,000 employees across 19 countries, revealing six motivational archetypes that shape how people approach work. From “Givers” who thrive on collaboration and helping others, to “Operators” who value stability and work-life balance, to “Pioneers” who are driven to change the world. “The talent systems that firms use today are woefully inadequate at acknowledging and then adapting to what turns out to be a very rich diversity of motivations that individuals bring to work. We are not all the same,” he said.

He emphasized that leaders must recognize these differences to build adaptive organizations. He noted that motivation is just as important as skills in creating satisfied, productive employees who can deliver meaningful business results, a mindset that can ultimately help organizations create more good jobs for more people.

The session concluded with an open discussion moderated by Patricia Buenaventura-Nichol. She invited participants to share insights on leading AI-driven change within their organizations.

This partnership with Bain & Company reinforces MBC’s commitment to offering a platform for innovative thinking and dialogue that empowers Filipino business leaders to innovate, adapt, and create future-proof competitive organizations.