TLDR: At the CIO Leadership Live ASEAN event, Adnan Gonibeedu, Digital Services Lead for Africa, Middle East, and Asia at Mondelez, outlined the company’s strategy for scaling AI responsibly. He emphasized a ‘common as possible, different as needed’ principle for AI platforms, focusing on data quality, governance, and talent readiness. Mondelez employs a global AI board to ensure ethical use and bias control, while also building internal AI capabilities for both employee productivity and enterprise-wide transformation in areas like manufacturing and supply chain.
Mondelez International is charting a course for responsible AI integration across its diverse markets, as detailed by Adnan Gonibeedu, the company’s Digital Services Lead for Africa, Middle East, and Asia, at the recent CIO Leadership Live ASEAN event. Gonibeedu articulated a strategic framework centered on maximizing the utility of AI while upholding stringent ethical and governance standards.
The core of Mondelez’s approach is a ‘common as possible, as different as needed’ philosophy for its AI platforms. This ensures that while foundational AI capabilities are scalable across regions, their application can be tailored to meet specific local market demands and consumer nuances. Gonibeedu underscored that the success of AI initiatives hinges not merely on technological prowess but critically on ‘data quality, governance, and talent readiness.’
Mondelez views AI adoption through a dual lens: enhancing everyday productivity for its employees and driving deliberate, enterprise-scale transformations. For employees, this means providing access to AI tools that streamline routine tasks, from drafting emails to generating documents. Concurrently, the company is deploying AI as a ‘game changer’ in core operational areas such as manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and sales strategies.
Governance is a paramount concern for Mondelez. A global AI board has been established to oversee the ethical deployment of AI, ensuring bias control, and robust stewardship of consumer data. Gonibeedu highlighted that ‘if the consumer has entrusted their information and data with us, it’s our responsibility to hold it in a safe and secure manner.’ This commitment extends to well-established methodologies and governance protocols covering both data and AI usage.
Capability building is another cornerstone of Mondelez’s strategy, encompassing both technology and business functions. This involves structured upskilling programs and leveraging internal platforms like Workday to foster AI literacy and expertise across the organization. When integrating AI into existing legacy operations, Gonibeedu stressed that ‘people and data matter more than systems,’ emphasizing the critical role of strong change management and data governance.
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Looking to the future, Mondelez advocates for collaboration among Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) players to establish industry standards and facilitate responsible data sharing, even amidst market competition. For talent development, Gonibeedu proposed a ‘step in, step out, step up’ framework, encouraging employees to embrace AI, offload repetitive tasks, and transition into higher-value, more strategic roles.
