Talks for leaders who own the decision
Keynotes and workshops by Abhijit Verekar for city and county managers, CIOs and finance directors.
My talks are built for the city and county managers, CIOs and finance directors who will be held accountable when a technology project goes sideways, and I’d rather give a room a framework they can use on Monday than another tour of what vendors are selling.
Flagship keynote
You Have Not Modernized. You Have Redecorated.
CIOs and CFOs leave with a simple test for whether their last system project actually changed how they get answers.
Available as a 20-minute fireside, a 40-minute keynote or a 60-minute keynote plus workshop.
- Takeaways: who owns AI here, decided before any pilot is funded; a Phase Zero checklist; and language a CIO or CFO can take to Monday’s leadership meeting.
- Framework: name the owner, write the decision, prove the data and process are ready, and only then open the vendor door.
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PLACEHOLDER: speaker reel (no footage yet)Also available
- Own the Decision Before the Demo: A Manager’s Playbook for ERP, HCM and AI
- Decide Before the Demo: A Phase Zero Playbook for AI and Enterprise Systems (workshop)
- Decide Before the Demo: Owning ERP, HCM and AI Choices in Higher Education
- Ready Before You Buy: Data and AI Readiness for Local Government
Past stages
- East Tennessee PMI (ETPMI) AI panel, Knoxville, Sep 11, 2026
- KTech (KnoxTech) interview about Start at Zero, Aug 2026
Fees: Fees on request.
Downloads
- Download the keynote one-pager (PDF)
- Headshots: see Press
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