Episode 006: PAL Power - How the Paul Ramsay Foundation Built an AI Agent to Search, Analyse & Create with Confidence
In this episode of the ADAverse podcast, Shaun Leisegang is joined by Paul Akkari, IT Manager at the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), to explore what happens when a purpose-driven foundation builds its own private AI assistant - from the ground up.Meet PRF PAL, a GPT-powered AI agent designed to unlock knowledge trapped in documents, systems, and minds. Custom-trained on PRF’s own data and grounded in trust and transparency, PAL is more than a search tool - it’s a colleague that helps staff find answers, analyse grant data, summarise reports, and even perform research.We unpack the full journey - from the original challenge and “aha” moments during development, to the core tools PAL uses:🔍 Document Search with RAG (retrieval-augmented generation)📊 Natural Language Grant Queries🌐 Trusted Web Search with source transparencyLearn how PAL is saving staff hours of admin time, reducing reliance on external consultants, and empowering frontline teams to work smarter. Paul also shares how PRF is using AI in a human-first way - building trust, encouraging adoption, and creating a blueprint for an AI agent ecosystem that aligns with PRF’s mission and values.💥 Bonus: Stick around for the ADAverse Hot Seat to hear Paul’s take on competitive basketball, robots, and how he wants to be remembered.🎯 Perfect for nonprofit leaders, CIOs, IT managers, and anyone exploring custom AI agents for knowledge management and impact.
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Episode 005: Your Data Health Check – From Diagnosis to Transformation
In this episode of the ADAverse podcast, Shaun Leisegang sits down with Gladwin Mendez, Fractional Chief Data & AI Officer at GEC Prudentia, to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in modern business: data health.Using a powerful health and wellness metaphor, Gladwin introduces a three-stage model to help organisations shift from chaotic data firefighting to structured, outcome-driven transformation:🧪 Maturity Assessment – Your Data Blood TestDiscover how a 140-question deep-dive across strategy, people, process, and data uncovers blind spots, diagnoses risk, and helps leaders face facts - because you can’t fix what you haven’t measured.🥗 Strategy – Your Organisational Diet PlanLearn how to cut the "data fat" and create a lean roadmap that focuses on value, agility, and governance - without getting distracted by shiny tools.🏋️ Execution – Your Data Personal TrainerExplore how to operationalise your strategy with the right partners, embedding automation, analytics, and real delivery muscle to achieve measurable outcomes.Whether you're an executive unsure where to begin or a data leader needing to turn strategy into reality, this episode delivers the clarity and tools to get started.💥 Bonus: Stick around for the ADAverse Hot Seat as Gladwin reveals his childhood dreams, bucket list moments, and the book that shaped his thinking.🎯 Perfect for CIOs, Heads of Data, Operations Leaders, and anyone serious about making data work for the business - not the other way around.👉 Join the ADAverse community today: ADAverse.com.au🎧 Subscribe & listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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Episode 004: Modernising Insurance through Automation, Data and AI
In this episode of the ADAverse podcast, Shaun Leisegang sits down with Wai-Lum Tang (Head of Information Technology) and Tricia Kopka (Head of Operations and Process Improvement) from IQumulate, one of Australia and New Zealand's leading premium funders.Together, they unpack how IQumulate is accelerating growth and operational excellence by embracing automation, cloud-first architecture, and a culture of continuous improvement. From overcoming manual processes and legacy systems to building a scalable digital backbone - this is a masterclass in modernisation.Discover how IQumulate empowered teams, reduced processing times, improved compliance, and laid the groundwork for AI and analytics. This story is packed with practical insights for IT and operations leaders looking to future-proof their business.Plus, stick around for the ADAverse Hot Seat to hear what's on Wai-Lum and Tricia's bucket lists, and the book recommendation that might just change your mindset.Perfect for leaders in financial services, insurance, operations, or IT looking to drive measurable transformation.👉 Join the ADAverse community today: ADAverse.com.au🎧 Subscribe & listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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Episode 003: Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the Age of AI
In this episode of the ADAverse podcast, Shaun Leisegang is joined by Alex Tulintsev, PII Redaction Specialist at ABBYY, to tackle one of the most high-stakes challenges facing modern organisations: protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Payment Card Information (PCI) in an AI-driven world.With global fines now hitting $50 million or 30% of turnover for privacy breaches, safeguarding sensitive data isn’t just IT’s problem—it’s a board-level concern. Shaun and Alex break down what PII/PCI really mean, how the regulatory landscape is evolving, and why manual redaction is no longer fit for purpose.Discover how AI and automation can turn compliance from a cost centre into a competitive advantage, with real-world insights and learn more about Tecala’s Redactr tool, built with ABBYY, that’s already delivering measurable risk reduction.The episode closes with Alex in the Hot Seat—a rapid-fire round of questions that brings a light-hearted end to a heavy-hitting discussion.Perfect for professionals in banking, insurance, government, or anyone serious about data privacy in the AI era.👉 Join the ADAverse community today: ADAverse.com.au🎧 Subscribe & listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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Episode 002: The Next Evolution of Automation: From RPA to AI Agents
In this ADAverse podcast episode, Shaun Leisegang and Tony Nudd from UiPath explore the cutting-edge world of AI agents, highlighting the evolution beyond standard RPA tools. The conversation covers technical essentials like trust management, orchestration frameworks, and real-world implementation scenarios. Gain valuable insights from industry case studies, learn to spot tasks ideally suited to AI agent automation, and uncover practical next steps to seamlessly introduce intelligent automation technologies into your workflow.👉 Join the ADAverse community today: ADAverse.com.au🎧 Subscribe & listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Welcome to the ADAverse Podcast—your hub for all things Automation, Data, and AI. In each episode, we explore the trends and innovations transforming the business landscape, engaging with industry experts, thought leaders, and visionaries at the forefront of the digital revolution. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just curious about how intelligent technologies are reshaping our world, our in-depth conversations, inspiring stories, and actionable insights will empower you to stay ahead of the curve. Tune in, join the conversation, and be part of the future—right here in the ADAverse.
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