How to Navigate AI Transformation: Lessons from a Chief People Officer

When Emma Cooper took on the role of Chief People Officer at System1 in 2020, she stepped into a global pandemic. Four years later, she's leading another transformation, this time, it's AI.

System1, the market research powerhouse with 25 years of advertising and innovation experience, has built its reputation on understanding human emotion and predicting commercial impact. Now, they're using that same forward-thinking approach to integrate AI across their workforce, and the lessons they've learned are invaluable for any mid-sized business navigating this shift.

Emma recently joined us on our podcast to share exactly how they did it.

Starting with People, Not Technology

Emma's approach to AI adoption is refreshingly human-centered. Rather than launching a top-down technology mandate, System1 created pilot groups across different departments - champions who were already excited about AI and could experiment with tools in their specific contexts.

"We want to encourage people to come forward and say, 'we'd like to try this thing,'" Emma explains. "It's about them helping us to lead the change."

This peer-led model creates organic adoption rather than forced compliance. And for a company whose values already include creativity and continuous improvement, it was a natural fit.

Addressing the Fear Factor

Emma is candid about the elephant in the room: fear. Whether it's anxiety about job security or concerns about AI accuracy, these worries are real and need addressing head-on.

Her solution? Partnership and transparency. By involving employees in the AI rollout rather than replacing them with it, System1 positioned AI as a tool to enhance careers, not threaten them.

"We're partnering with the workforce to figure out how we can use AI to make them better at their jobs, stronger in their own careers," Emma says.

The result? Employees who are genuinely excited about the time they're saving and the creative possibilities AI unlocks.

Building the Right Infrastructure

System1's approach to governance balances enablement with protection. They maintain an approved list of AI tools, have robust data privacy policies in place, and leverage their existing ISO 27001 certification infrastructure to ensure compliance.

But crucially, the governance is "light" enough to encourage experimentation. The message is clear: here's what you can use safely now, but we want you to come forward with new ideas.

 

The Competitive Advantage of Being Mid-Sized

Emma identifies a significant advantage for businesses like System1: agility. Unlike enterprise organizations that need extensive approval processes to change anything, mid-sized companies can move fast and experiment boldly.

"We have the opportunity for a bit more agility," Emma notes. And their clients tend to be more adventurous about AI adoption too, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation.

What's Next?

Emma's most excited about AI's potential in the commercial space, using agents to handle unseen work, mine data more effectively, and free up teams to focus on the fundamentally human business of relationship-building.

It's this balance that defines System1's approach: leveraging AI where it excels while protecting and amplifying what makes humans irreplaceable - creativity, strategic thinking, and genuine connection.

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