
OpenWater AI Council
Cut Through the AI Noise—Focus on Strategy, Not Hype
AI dominates headlines, but most discussions miss the point—your business.
The OpenWater AI Council takes a different approach. We help CEOs and leadership teams integrate AI with clarity, strategy, and measurable impact—ensuring it drives execution, not just automation.
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Why Us?AI Expertise with a Business Lens
Most AI firms focus on technology. We focus on outcomes.
AI isn’t just about automation—it’s about business advantage. We help leaders turn AI into a strategic asset, not an operational risk.
Decades of leadership + AI expertise —
We’ve led through economic shifts, disruption, and transformation.
AI as a leadership tool —
Not just an IT project, but a driver of strategy and execution.
Structured, scalable adoption —
AI should fuel growth, efficiency, and decision-making, not just experimentation.
Training for leadership teams —
We equip executives with the knowledge to integrate AI effectively.
OpenWater Advisors have driven AI-powered success for global brands — turning strategy into execution.

Paul Walborsky
OpenWater, The New York Times, AI.Reverie, GigaOm

Mike Scafidi
Digitas, PepsiCo, Razorfish

Dave Zinman
TextNow, Deputy, Drawbridge

Jason Goecke
Intel, Cisco, Tropo, Voxeo

Justin Simpson
Morgan Stanley, Quiris Capital

Ricardo Quintero
Movado, Clinique, Estée Lauder

Shane Holland
Sagen AI, Cision, JPMC
The OpenWater Execution BlueprintWe use a three-phase framework to embed AI into strategy, leadership, and operations— turning AI from hype into real business impact.
Discover
Identify high-impact opportunities
- Align AI with business goals—growth, efficiency, and competitiveness.
- Assess current AI use—spot risks and untapped potential.
- Prioritize high-impact AI initiatives.
Roadmap
Align AI with business goals and culture
- Ensure AI strengthens company culture.
- Engage leadership—AI is a business-wide initiative.
- Establish governance, compliance, and risk management.
Execution
Deploy and scale with clear milestones and accountability
- Embed AI across all business functions.
- Train employees—AI success is about people, not just tech.
- Maintain oversight—AI is a long-term advantage.