Most CEOs are asking the same question about AI:
“How does this actually move the needle in my business?”
You’ve heard the hype. Maybe you’ve even run a few productivity pilots.
But for many leaders, translating AI strategy into real-world results still feels slow, abstract, and disconnected from the bottom line.
That’s the gap Jamie McMahon, Chief Technology Officer at ProServeIT, set out to close in a recent TEC Canada Deeper Insights webinar. He outlined how CEOs can stop theorizing and start building, with working AI prototypes developed in as little as three days.
Here’s what he shared—and why it matters to Canadian CEOs and business leaders right now.
Most CEOs are asking the same question about AI:
“How does this actually move the needle in my business?”
You’ve heard the hype. Maybe you’ve even run a few productivity pilots. But for many leaders, translating AI strategy into real-world results still feels slow, abstract, and disconnected from the bottom line.
That’s the gap Jamie McMahon, Chief Technology Officer at ProServeIT, set out to close in a recent TEC Canada Deeper Insights webinar. He outlined how CEOs can stop theorizing and start building, with working AI prototypes developed in as little as three days.
Here’s what he shared—and why it matters to Canadian CEOs and business leaders right now.
AI Isn’t the Strategy. Your Business Is.
According to McMahon, every business should be asking:
“What if we reimagined our business as a technology business?”
Not because you need to turn into a tech company—but because every industry is being reshaped by the players who integrate technology faster and more effectively than their competitors.
AI is not a silver bullet. It’s a force multiplier. It’s what lets you:
- Automate high-effort, low-value tasks
- Unlock insights buried in your existing systems
- Enhance productivity tools your teams already use
- Improve customer and employee experiences
But AI alone won’t give you a competitive advantage. Your data will.
The One Advantage Your Competitors Can’t Copy
McMahon’s core insight: AI is becoming a level playing field. Tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini will soon be standard. What won’t be standard is the data you own—and how you use it.
“What’s the data you have that no one else does?” he asks.
“And what happens when you treat that data as an asset?”
That’s the unlock. AI becomes powerful when you pair it with internal knowledge, customer patterns, and workflow history that only your business has access to.
Productivity Is the Start. Innovation Is the Goal.
Let’s be honest: most AI use cases right now are focused on productivity—summarizing emails, taking meeting notes, drafting outlines. That’s useful. But it’s not transformative.
Real innovation happens when AI helps you:
• Read and analyze architectural blueprints
• Extract key data from thousands of lease agreements
• Validate IDs and spot fraud in real-time
• Act as a co-pilot in sales, service, or operations
These aren’t hypotheticals. McMahon shares examples of companies already doing this today, with publicly available tools.
From Pilot to Prototype: Don’t Swing for the Fences
A mistake many CEOs make? Expecting a home run from day one.
“Most leaders try a tool for five minutes and say, ‘this won’t change the world,’” McMahon notes.
“But no technology delivers top-line results instantly. That’s not how business transformation works.”
Instead, he urges a “Moneyball” approach: go for base hits. Stack small, practical wins that compound over time.
Start with one workflow. One team. One measurable improvement.
What Can You Build in 3 Days?
McMahon outlines a simple but powerful approach:
1. Brainstorm a single opportunity—a task, workflow, or use of data.
2. Prototype a working model—with your real business data.
3. Test for impact—does it reduce time, risk, or cost?
4. Scale from there—with confidence and clarity.
“Everything we showed today—from generating sales proposals to analyzing blueprints—is possible right now,” he says.
Final Thought for CEOs: Lead the Shift, Don’t Chase It
You don’t need to overhaul your company to benefit from AI.
You need to identify where the next incremental gain is hiding—and move fast to build it.
That’s how you stay ahead.
If you want to explore building a prototype in your business—fast, with real data—Jamie and the ProServeIT team offer a co-investment model for qualifying organizations. Reach out at jmcmahon@proserveit.com, scan the QR code shared during the webinar below, or click here.
This Article Features Insights from Jamie McMahon, Chief Technology Officer at ProServeIT
Jaime McMahon, the Chief Technology Officer at ProServeIT, is passionate about helping organizations unlock their digital future. Jaime has spent years in the technology field, working with both enterprises and small businesses to fuel growth through digital transformation. He has delivered talks throughout North America hosted by Microsoft, Facebook and VMware on a broad range of technology solutions. Jaime’s passion is to help democratize technology and shift thinking around technology from cost-centric into a strategic enabler that is tied to positive business outcomes.
