The Progress Report

Hosted by Kyndryl

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Progress demands transformation. But in a digital-first world, with the velocity of change increasing every day, how do you know you're making the right kind of progress? How can you think big while juggling rising IT complexity, costs, and vulnerability? Welcome to The Progress Report, a podcast brought to you by Kyndryl, your partner for continuous innovation. Join our Chief Design Officer, Sarah B. Nelson, and Vice President for Design, Insights and Innovation, Tom Rourke, as they sit down with thought leaders, technologists, and creative problem solvers. We’ll explore provocative ideas about how to modernize IT for efficiency and growth, create differentiated experiences, secure a resilient business, and ensure you’re always ready for change. Keep your finger on the pulse—listen to The Progress Report.

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55 recent

August 19, 202625 min

AI makes more. Design makes meaning

If the future of work is less about replacing people and more about helping them work differently, design deserves a seat at the planning table. Kyndryl's 2026 People Readiness Report found that 61% of organizations have already redesigned roles within or across functions. In this episode, our guests explore how human-centered design can help organizations create experiences that drive meaningful business value and deepen trust. They suggest what AI makes faster, design must make smarter. Featured experts Kevin Bethune , President, Design Studio, ImagineCo Nicholas Kim, Global Lead, Vital and Transformation, Kyndryl

July 22, 202625 min

Responsible AI: When AI can decide, should it?

Just because AI can, does it mean AI should? Data cited in Kyndryl’s 2026 People Readiness Report suggests increasing numbers of leaders will soon answer the question with, “Yes.” The People Readiness Report found that 81% of respondents expect within 12 months, autonomous AI agents will make decisions with material business impact for their organizations. How will they get there? Particularly when roughly half of the respondents cite questions about bias, transparency, explainability and trust as top barriers to activating their AI strategy? The barriers are matters of responsible AI. In this episode, AWS joins us with a perspective on how—and how well—organizations are working toward a future AI makes decisions with material business impact. Featured experts Diya Wynn , Responsible AI Lead, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Tony De Bos , Global GTM and Consult leader for Security & Resilience, Kyndryl

July 8, 202620 min

AI in advertising: What it unlocks and what it may risk

AI can optimize every impression. It can personalize every message. It can tell you exactly what’s working. So why is trust getting harder to earn? In this episode, McKinsey joins us to unpack a tradeoff at the heart of modern advertising: the more precisely you target, the more fragile your brand can become. We examine how personalization, performance and brand consistency are being reshaped in an AI-fueled market, and what leaders must rethink to scale impact without losing control. Featured experts Craig Macdonald , Partner, Media and Advertising at McKinsey & Company Richie Naylor , Partner, Kyndryl Consult, Kyndryl

June 24, 202625 min

How Kaiser Permanente uses AI to reduce clinician burnout

As clinicians face rising administrative burden and burnout, there’s a growing need for technology that helps them be more present and informed at the point of care. At Kaiser Permanente, that means starting with real clinician pain points, from ambient AI scribes that reduce documentation burden to digital twins that enable more personalized, proactive care. This episode explores how AI is being integrated into healthcare to improve clinician workflows and patient care, while balancing innovation with a human-centered approach. Featured experts Dr. Kris Lee , Associate Executive Director, Chief Transformation Officer, The Permanente Medical Group Anupama Ambe, SVP & Managing Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Kyndryl

June 10, 202622 min

Why private cloud is in the spotlight. Again

Private cloud has become a priority topic as forces of change, from AI to geopolitics, reshape where critical data and workloads reside. With AI becomes more deeply embedded in core operations, enterprises are seeking a public cloud experience in private setting, with greater control over data, security, cost, and compliance. This episode explores how private cloud can enable enterprise AI, resilience, and long-term competitiveness. Featured experts KC Funk , Senior Director of Global Specialty Sales , Global Alliances, Dell Technologies Noel Bravo , Vice President of Cloud Practice, Kyndryl Learn how the foundation discussed in this episode can help enable an AI-ready enterprise in our guide to the Agentic AI era . Discover how Kyndryl partnered with Dell and NVIDIA to accelerate AI adoption with proven frameworks and integrated services for measurable impact. Explore Kyndryl’s Cloud Innovation Survey and insights on how organizations are advancing cloud transformation. Read the ISG report naming Kyndryl a Leader in U.S. Private and Hybrid Cloud – Data Center Services.

May 27, 202621 min

Agentic AI is here. Now how to implement it?

Agentic AI can accelerate how enterprises modernize, but introducing the capability to established environments—while keeping them running—becomes architectural Sudoku. As these systems introduce new privileges and autonomous actions, they also demand stronger governance, visibility and control. This episode invites a solution architecture point of view about what it really takes to move from agentic experimentation to trusted, real-world impact. Featured experts Ninad Joshi , Senior AI Solution Architect, EMEA, Agentic AI and LLMs, Amazon Web Services Logan Wolfe , Partner, Global Enterprise Transformation, AI and Tech Strategy, Kyndryl

April 29, 202628 min

Why citizen trust is the real test of AI in government

Governments are adopting AI to make public services more efficient. But when it comes to maintaining citizens' trust, progress isn’t linear. One outage, one confusing workflow, one moment of failure can outweigh dozens of improvements. This episode explores why the success of modernizing government services depends less on capability and more on reliability, usability and human judgment. Featured experts Doug Gartner , Principal Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services Anita Mikus , Managing Director, US State and Local Government, Kyndryl

April 8, 202624 min

What it means to trust and govern AI systems you don’t fully control

What happens when AI governance is no longer just about limiting risk, but about enabling trust, experimentation, and value realization at scale? Our guests for this episode explore how governance must evolve to meet the realities of agentic systems, hybrid workforces, and the challenges leaders face in this transformative era. Featured experts Dr. Ashwin Mehta , Founder and CEO, Mehtadology Dr. Diana Wolfe , Vice President and Head of AI Research & Strategy, Kyndryl

March 18, 202624 min

From quick wins to enterprise AI transformation with NatWest Bank

Episode notes What happens when a legacy institution in a heavily regulated industry turns AI from a compliance challenge to a competitive advantage? Our guest for this episode, NatWest Bank's Diana Kennedy, shares how the financial services leader does exactly that. The wide-ranging chat explores how NatWest Bank approaches AI-driven transformation, its approach to partnership, and expectations for leaders in setting the pace for innovation. Featured experts Diana Kennedy, Director, Architecture and Engineering, NatWest Digital X Ralitsa Nenkova, Global Insurance Leader, Consult Partner and Vice President, Kyndryl More to the story Scaling AI in regulated spaces Read Diana Kennedy’s featured article from the Kyndryl Institute on finding the right partners for AI at scale. AI in Insurance Explore Kyndryl’s Insurance Recommendation paper for applied industry insights.

October 29, 202524 min

How Lloyds Bank drives sustainability across its supply chain

What does it take to decarbonize a global supply chain in banking? As emissions reporting grows more complex and sustainability standards tighten, financial services leaders are redefining their supplier engagement strategies to meet ambitious climate targets. Tune in as experts uncover how purpose-driven innovation, AI, and supplier collaboration are enabling banks to build resilient supply chains and drive progress on net zero goals. Featured experts Jenny Pickett , Head of Sustainability for North America, Lloyds Bank Faith Taylor , SVP & Global Citizenship and Sustainability Officer, Kyndryl