--- title: A candid conversation on AI, transformation, and what’s next description: On October 15, join executives from Advantage and BTS for a candid executive conversation about leading beyond AI fluency to next-level AI transformation image: https://info.advantageperformance.com/hubfs/oct-15-event-BTS-APG-1200px-v2.jpg --- [![Advantage logo](https://info.advantageperformance.com/hs-fs/hubfs/advantage-black-150px.png?width=151&height=76&name=advantage-black-150px.png "Advantage logo")](http://www.advantageperformance.com) *We help organizations develop great people* [![Leading Through What's Next (A conversation with Jonathan Hodge, Jessica Skon, and Rick Cheatham)](https://info.advantageperformance.com/hs-fs/hubfs/oct-15-event-BTS-APG-1500px-v2.jpg?width=3000&height=1000&name=oct-15-event-BTS-APG-1500px-v2.jpg "Leading Through What's Next (A conversation with Jonathan Hodge, Jessica Skon, and Rick Cheatham)")](https://advantageperformance.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K4WRL7FuScmMSXqRa4Soow#/registration) # Leading Through What's Next A candid conversation on what organizations are doing now to move beyond AI fluency, what’s working, where they’re getting stuck, and the bigger questions keeping leaders up at night. #### ![2026-10-15](https://info.advantageperformance.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2026-10-15.png?width=91&height=91&name=2026-10-15.png)Join us Thursday, October 15, from 12-1pm Eastern [RESERVE YOUR SPOT](https://advantageperformance.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K4WRL7FuScmMSXqRa4Soow#/registration)   AI adoption is outpacing the ability to prepare people for it — and outpacing the harder work of reimagining workflows and redesigning how work gets done. According to BTS's [AI Pulse Survey 2026](https://info.advantageperformance.com/hubfs/docs/BTS-AI-Pulse-Survey-Advantage-2026.pdf) (388 professionals surveyed this spring), most organizations have AI in wide use, but only 38% have trained more than half their people to use it well, and just 35% list redesigning workflows around AI as a near-term priority. The harder questions aren't about adoption. They're about getting your organization beyond AI fluency toward a deeper, strategic focus on what stays human and what leading well means now, especially with a heavier **financi**al impact **for AI tools** looming in 2027. On October 15, join executives from Advantage Performance Group and BTS for a candid conversation about what they're seeing from the front lines — and what they believe leaders should be paying attention to next.   You’ll leave with a clearer view of where leadership expectations are shifting, where AI-enabled transformation is getting stuck, and what deserves attention now. Featuring: Jonathan Hodge, President & CEO, Advantage Performance Group Jessica Skon, Global President & CEO, BTS  Rick Cheatham, Chief Revenue Officer & Partner, BTS ### You'll get an inside look at what we're hearing. This conversation is shaped by what we're hearing directly from senior leaders and transformation teams right now. Jessica has spent months interviewing CEOs and senior executives around the world and is directly involved in fostering "bottoms-up" AI innovation within BTS and beyond. Rick works at the intersection of strategy and execution. Jonathan sees these issues play out across clients and industries. Together, they bring a rare, current vantage point on how organizations are actually navigating this shift. - How is AI changing the **leadership** agenda? - Why are some organizations moving from experimentation into changed ways of working — while **others stay stuck** in pilots? - Where is AI transformation actually gaining **traction**, and where is it getting **bogged down**? - How are **expectations** of leaders and employees changing? - What **capabilities** will matter most as organizations move into what's next? There won’t be a scripted playbook or a tidy list of predictions.  Instead, expect a wide-ranging, timely conversation among three business leaders with a unique view into what organizations are facing right now—and an opportunity to think differently about what may be coming next. [REGISTER NOW](https://advantageperformance.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K4WRL7FuScmMSXqRa4Soow#/registration) via Zoom to attend or get the replay. ## Panelists Jonathan HodgeClick to reveal bio With over 22 years in leadership—including 11 as a CEO—Jon has helped organizations navigate transformation, complexity, and high-stakes decision-making. His work spans industries, equipping leaders to accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and align leadership strategies with business goals. As a consultant, coach, and advisor, Jon has partnered with leaders in high-tech, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, FMCG, and non-profits, helping them strengthen executive presence, lead change, and drive organizational growth. His coaching approach combines business expertise with self-awareness, leadership authenticity, and actionable strategies. Jon holds an ICF certification through Georgetown University's Institute of Transformational Leadership and serves as an executive board member for several non-profits in the Western U.S. He has also been a strategic advisor to firms in the talent development space. Outside of work, Jon can be found on a river casting his next line, exploring a museum or beach with his wife and two children, sharing a joyful moment with a friend, or—most likely—in the kitchen, making dinner. Jessica SkonClick to reveal bio Throughout her more than 20-year career at BTS, Jessica has pioneered the application of enterprise simulations for strategy execution, built the BTS leadership practice and delivered CEO and C-Suite advisory in service of transformations. Her client experience is primarily software and tech, where she has helped clients lead and execute through growth pivots, strengthened their leadership culture, shifted from waterfall to agile, and from software to SaaS, including clients such as Microsoft, Salesforce.com, SAP, VMWare, New Relic, Uber, Atlassian, Twitter and others. She has also worked with fortune 50 healthcare, oil and gas, and financial services organizations (e.g. McKesson, Fidelity PI, Chevron) to support their transformations, working with the C-Suite and driving leader readiness throughout the organization over multi-year engagements to drive change. Jessica joined BTS in 1999 as a Business Analyst and has since grown with their teams across six continents to over 1,100 professionals in 38 offices. Her focus has always been creating a simulation-driven learning culture that inspires leaders and organizations to transform at scale. Today, they're applying that same simulation and experiential rigor to help clients adapt to and embrace advances in artificial intelligence. At BTS, she has led the integration of AI-powered coaching, agentic simulations, and enterprise adoption programs designed to enhance human capability. Their goal is simple: to move organizations from experimentation to scaled, trusted AI adoption—where AI becomes a natural part of decision-making, learning, and leadership. Rick CheathamClick to reveal bio Rick helps leading companies redesign how their go-to-market systems work in an era where AI has made "more" meaningless. More leads. More content. More dashboards. All easy. What's hard, and what moves the numbers, is building better systems: sharper focus, faster execution, and deeper human connection. His work sits at the intersection of big-picture strategy and everyday execution. He pushes teams to drop outdated playbooks, turn strategy into clear choices, and practice until new habits stick. The result: revenue growth, stronger customer relationships, and leaders who know how to embrace change instead of resisting it. Rick has partnered with executives at Google, J.P. Morgan, Nike, and others to diagnose what's holding them back, scale real practice with simulations and bots, and align culture with strategy so teams adapt as circumstances change. He knows clients don't need someone to tell them about their markets. They need fresh perspective, the courage to challenge old habits, and systems that work under pressure. As a former sales leader and CMO, Rick takes every project personally and thrives on shaking up how people think, decide, and win. Get it on your calendar! #### [REGISTER NOW](https://advantageperformance.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K4WRL7FuScmMSXqRa4Soow#/registration)    [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Finfo.advantageperformance.com%2Fleading-through-whats-next%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Finfo.advantageperformance.com%2Fleading-through-whats-next%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Finfo.advantageperformance.com%2Fleading-through-whats-next%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) © 2026 Advantage Performance Group