AI Luminaries: Spotlighting visionary organizations reshaping business with AI

As more organizations discover what’s possible with AI, Microsoft customers are sharing incredible stories of achievement from across the organization as people redefine how they get work done, innovate, deliver customer value, and unlock growth opportunities. In a short time, the transformative promise of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot has been eclipsed by real-world success, with AI leveraged in ways even we at Microsoft couldn’t imagine a year ago.  

As part of our AI Luminaries series, we will showcase organizations embracing AI to achieve impactful results, as told by global executives helping to lead the transformation. A common theme across the market leaders showcased below—Avanade and Lumen Technologies—is a pioneering spirit of innovation and a dedication to disrupt traditional ways of doing business. The efforts are clearly paying off in inspiring ways.

Avanade: Elevating client services with Copilot

Avanade is a world leader on Microsoft combining global scale with local expertise in AI, cloud, data analytics, cybersecurity, and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Avanade took an early lead in AI adoption, which has provided both a competitive advantage and a platform to shape a bold new vision for the future of enterprise operations and client services. 

Avanade was an early adopter of Copilot for Microsoft 365, which has made a big impact, according to Ron White, Global Chief Information Officer at Avanade. Employees have experienced a 50 to 70% increase in personal productivity on specific tasks—reducing the time to complete tasks that once took hours or days to only minutes. And by deploying Microsoft Copilot for Sales, sellers have increased the number of client contacts integrated into their Dynamics 365 system.  

An unexpected benefit of Copilot is the impact on neurodiverse employees. People who struggle to maintain focus during lengthy meetings can leverage Copilot to catch up on crucial information they may have missed, which has empowered greater confidence and participation.

This is a testament to our belief that AI isn’t just about productivity; it’s about enabling higher-quality outcomes for everyone—outcomes that we can only begin to imagine.

Ron White, Global Chief Information Officer, Avanade

To ensure a smooth rollout, Avanade cultivated a learning culture that empowers teams to experiment with the AI toolsets, which amplifies productivity and knowledge exchange. An extensive training program has sparked enthusiasm, particularly around prompt engineering.

This initiative aimed not only to enhance employees’ roles and client interactions but also to shift our company culture towards viewing AI as an opportunity rather than a threat to job security.

Ron White, Global Chief Information Officer, Avanade

The deployed AI toolset is just the start. A new team dedicated to AI research and innovation—Disrupt Avanade—is identifying and capitalizing on emergent opportunities to transform the business with AI. When it comes to AI, White explains that you can’t move fast enough. “My vision is for AI to be a fundamental element in this transformation, bringing together our advisory services, experiences, and technology expertise to deliver outcomes that are uniquely Avanade.” 

Lumen Technologies: Embracing AI for human-powered disruption 

Lumen is a leading global technology company that ignites business growth and efficiency with a range of solutions—including networking, cloud, collaboration, and security tools.  

Committed to pioneering services that provide higher value to customers, Lumen has set out to transform its own operations with AI. By deploying Copilot for Microsoft 365 across the organization, Lumen is empowering employees to be “architects of disruption;” equipping them to unlock new customer solutions that evolve the company from a traditional telecommunications company to a more comprehensive global technology company.  

In an article on the Lumen blog, Ryan Asdourian, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Lumen, highlighted how AI aligns with Lumen’s identity as industry disruptors, empowering employees with tools to catalyze change and drive the company forward. 

Copilot for Microsoft 365 empowers Lumen employees to optimize their time and access critical information swiftly, which has helped to revolutionize internal operations, and the quality of service provided to customers, according to Asdourian.

Once people experience the benefits of receiving meeting recaps and action items in such an efficient way, it becomes indispensable. For those like me who are often booked in back-to-back meetings, it’s possible to gather what I missed and who I need to follow up with from the meetings I was unable to attend.

Ryan Asdourian, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Lumen

These productivity efficiencies are amplified across teams. “I see the same delight in our sales teams, marketing teams, and engineering teams who are discovering new levels of productivity and satisfaction as they shave time off mundane tasks and spend more of their day engaged in the creative and dynamic aspects of the job—the things they are there for.”

AI is also transforming how Lumen developers build customer solutions. They’ve adopted GitHub Copilot to create new scenarios for customers, enhancing connectivity and service delivery. “By changing the way our developers spend their time and bring applications to life, GitHub Copilot is helping us advance our ability to innovate and disrupt the industry,” says Asdourian. “GitHub Copilot is supporting our developers’ ability to code at a speed that accelerates customer support—now we are seeing dividends paid in the lives of the customers that we serve.”

By transforming into an AI-powered business, Lumen employees can focus time and energy on critical business goals—revolutionizing high bandwidth, low latency connectivity, enabling real-time interactions, and unlocking previously unimaginable experiences. This secure, real-time connectivity is a game-changer, positioning Lumen to lead in the generative AI landscape. “The gap is rapidly widening between those who are prioritizing AI adoption and leadership, and those who aren’t,” says Asdourian.

Embracing AI today means setting the pace for tomorrow, and establishing benchmarks for what comes next in your organization, in your industry, and beyond.

Ryan Asdourian, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Lumen

Also, take a closer look at how Lumen is redefining productivity and employee engagement with Copilot for Microsoft 365 and accelerating developer productivity with GitHub Copilot, Azure DevOps, and Visual Studio.  

Take the next step in your AI journey 

Avanade and Lumen demonstrate the trailblazing mindset that businesses need today to compete, innovate, and grow. We celebrate their pioneering spirit and early achievements with Copilot and AI and will keep you updated on their journey. 

As our customer spotlight series continues, we’ll bring you more creative and impactful ways businesses are leveraging AI to transform the way people work, drive business growth, and deliver customer value.

We encourage you to explore Microsoft AI solutions, dive into the AI Strategy Roadmap, and skill up with Microsoft Learn’s AI learning hub to ensure you’re ready to leverage Microsoft AI to its fullest potential.