Laetitia Cailleteau: Accelerating the Future of Artificial Intelligence with Disruptive Innovation

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. They are known for delivering unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, through their Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Their 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, and serve clients in more than 120 countries. Accenture embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.

A Visionary Leader

Laetitia Cailleteau is the Managing Director, UKI Emerging Technology and Global Lead for Conversational AI for Accenture. She is also Accenture Technology's lead for Data & AI in Europe – driving innovation, sales, and delivery for multiple industries and clients. She has more than 20 years of experience in the consulting industry, has authored several academic publications, and holds patents in the conversational AI domain. She founded the Liquid Studio in London, an applied innovation lab, where her team offers flagship capabilities within AI and cognitive processes, as well as offering expertise in augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things, Cloud, Blockchain and Security, amongst other essential technology solutions, while practicing a user-centered approach. She is also a reserve member of the Artificial Intelligence High-Level Group at the European Commission.

Shaping Career Oriented Traits from Real Life

During her early 30s, Laetitia found it challenging to juggle the responsibilities of client travel and being a new mother when she landed in the UK, in the middle of what was then the biggest recession in history.

For Laetitia, it was a roller-coaster of new emotions, insecurity and cultural adaptation. It demanded a drive and energy to keep her work and priorities relevant and impactful, and it was finding this balance that helped her center herself. Laetitia realized the importance of the support network which helped bring her new perspective – from being a workaholic with not many responsibilities outside work, to being a working mother who needed to cater to so many things and reinvent herself. This support network concept had not struck her as essential before, but it quickly became a matter of survival.

The importance of time became very obvious for her, and so did choosing where to spend it. It was then that she started to engage with WomenInTech in Accenture and charities like riseUp and the Cherie Blair Foundation – to help younger individuals from  deprived backgrounds and fellow women find their own ways. These were mutually beneficial relationships, helping Laetitia as much as it helped them.

When Laetitia was promoted to Managing Director (MD) just before the birth of her third child, it opened up a number of new doors and presented the perfect opportunity for Laetitia to discover her capabilities through new responsibilities. "I landed the perfect job – I was asked to create our applied innovation capabilities in the UK. Even better – I had a completely blank sheet of paper to start from," says Laetitia.

From there, things quickly gained traction– the impact of her team's passion, skills and the technology they managed started to be recognized in both the UK market and on a global scale. Laetitia reminisces, "This was when I started to pile-on second 'hats' to my absolute delight, juggling many dimensions of this ever-growing space of Data & AI." She asserts that the breadth of people, clients, problems, and solutions she was interacting with daily helped further fuel her passion for her work.

Understanding the Power of an Intuitive Mind

Laetitia cites that keeping an eye out on the horizon and spotting market opportunities are integral to a leader with a visionary mindset. That skill, coupled with strong communication can enable leaders to demonstrate perseverance, acclimatize to changes, and challenges. They should be able to inspire people, and demonstrate the right cultural and community leadership.

Innovation Begins with an Idea

Laetitia shares that the inspiration behind Accenture's products usually comes from a mix of things colliding and forming an idea – this can be a conversation with people or through conferences, TED talks, news, client challenges, internal targets and thought leadership – played against a basis of knowledge of what seems possible or could possibly be. This is where the importance of a diverse team plays in. In addition to the above, surrounding oneself with a diversity of thinking can enable an employee to innovate for a range of target audiences. Upending the hierarchical corporate structure in an organizational group, breaking siloes, and promoting equal opportunities for younger colleagues to lead within the organization also goes a long way. This action dramatically speeds up the flow of ideas and the pace of innovation, and helps define if the ideas are worth pursuing.

Technology as a Precursor to New Leadership Roles

Accenture is now a part of a very disruptive tech world. The company can digitize a whole new range of activities that were not possible before. These new technologies blur the boundaries of industries, enabling new levels of collaboration and creating new products and services, only dreamt of before.

Laetitia upholds the notion that the role of a leader in the digital age is to inspire and democratize this knowledge and ensure all employees are on board, while being attentive to the benefits and responsibilities shared across every team and every person within the business.

Thriving in the Age of Disruption

Laetitia confirms that the 4^th industrial revolution has formally kick-started. Companies are aiming to switch towards more human-centered services from industry siloes. Disruptive technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data enable organizations to work smarter and focus on the more rewarding aspects of work and boost productivity.

"Hopefully equating to less work and longer weekend for most of us!" says Laetitia humorously.

That being said, Laetitia forsees a new world that will be much more inclusive and balanced. She feels that our current mental model of the various phases of life – university, work, retirement – is somewhat outdated and needs to synch-up with modern life.

Be Relentless – Advice for Emerging Women Leaders

Laetitia advises budding leaders to, first and foremost, elevate their individual work in the market and public sphere, get perspectives, take it all in and be relentless with things they believe in. She further encourages to listen, adapt, and not be afraid of getting knocked down, as long as you get back up! According to her, one must chase their dreams and go after things one is passionate about.

Laetitia also affirms that there will be female leaders cheerleading young minds on the way to the top and asks that one must also make sure to lend a hand to pull others up too.