We want to appoint an internal champion to lead our AI automation initiatives, but we are unsure where this seat belongs. Should it report to the VP of Technology, the Integrator, or operate as a standalone seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An AI automation champion is an operational accelerator, not just a technical programmer. Placing this seat under the VP of Technology often results in an excessive focus on infrastructure rather than business processes. Instead, this seat should report directly to the Integrator or sit within the operations department. The core roles of this seat must include identifying manual process bottlenecks, building automated workflows, and training staff on AI tools. This layout ensures their daily work is directly tied to improving your Scorecard metrics and driving operational efficiency across all departments. If you are preparing for a clean exit, having a documented automation champion seat on your Accountability Chart shows buyers that you have a highly scalable, tech-enabled operation rather than a business dependent on manual, expensive human labor. It elevates the enterprise value by demonstrating that your workflows are systemized and built for future growth without massive hiring requirements.