​Real patterns. Real decisions. No hype.

​Most AI initiatives stall not because the technology fails, but because the organisation does. This session draws on over a decade of building autonomous systems inside traditional industries to surface what actually works when the constraints are real, the budgets are finite, and the sceptics are in the room.

​No slides. No pitch. Just a direct conversation with someone who has built the thing, not just advised on it.

​Jonathan Laporte built the DriX uncrewed surface vessel programme from a blank page at iXblue into the market-leading autonomous maritime vessel, with 35-plus units deployed globally. He then founded Fugro's Maritime Autonomy Developments programme and delivered the first full autonomy prototype in under twelve months. He has spent his career taking AI and autonomous systems from concept to deployed, revenue-generating product inside large, complex, conservative organisations. He has done it more than once, in different contexts, under different constraints, always starting small and proving value before scaling.

​The conversation will cover:

• ​How to frame an AI or autonomy initiative so executives and boards will fund it

• ​Why traditional industries are not behind on AI, and the specific advantages they rarely recognise

• ​What changes when you stop asking what AI is capable of and start asking what problem actually needs solving

• ​How to prove value in small, credible ways before committing capital to scale

• ​Where AI initiatives fail in traditional organisations, and how to see it coming

​The session runs as a moderated interview followed by open Q&A.

​Who should attend

​CEOs · COOs · CFOs · CTOs · CPOs · Managing Directors · General Managers · Head of Digital · Head of Transformation · Head of AI

​Confirmation requires role verification for attendance. Limited space.

​About the AI Collective Executive Track:

​A global peer forum for senior leaders navigating AI strategy and investment decisions. Peer-led, operator-focused, no commercial agenda. Each session produces an Executive Decision Brief and a LinkedIn synthesis distributed globally. Attendance is free. The track runs monthly.

​Speaker:

​Jonathan Laporte is Head of Software and Product Director for Autonomy and Remote Operations at Fugro, one of the world's leading geo-data and ocean technology companies. He is currently building Fugro's autonomy software division, leading multiple cross-functional teams across software, navigation systems, and robotics.

​Before Fugro, Jonathan spent seven years at iXblue (now Exail) where he created the DriX uncrewed surface vessel programme from scratch. DriX is now a market leader in nearshore and offshore autonomous maritime operations, deployed by organisations including NOAA, and recognised as an industry benchmark. He built the business case, defined the physical and software architecture, led sea trials, and scaled the programme to global commercial deployment.

​He holds a Diplôme d'ingénieur from Arts et Métiers ParisTech and is completing an Executive MBA in Business and IT at Nyenrode Business University.

​Chris Parker is Executive Education Advisor at the AI Collective, where he leads the Executive Track, a global peer forum for C-suite leaders in traditional businesses navigating AI strategy and investment decisions. He also serves as Strategy Advisor at Datachef and works with senior leadership teams as an Interim and Fractional CPTO through his practice, Ebullient.

​Event Details:

​📅 Thursday, April 23rd

​⏰ Time: 8 AM PDT | 11 AM EDT | 16:00 BST | 17:00 CEST

​🚀 Live on Roam 

​The AI Collective is a global non-profit building the human layer for the AI era. We unite 200,000+ leaders, builders, and stakeholders across 100+ forums worldwide to democratize the frontier, build trust, and coordinate how society navigates the rapid acceleration of technological progress.

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