RSW Consulting
Executive AI advisory

AI is a business decision. Treat it like one.

Business first. Technology second.

I help CEOs and leadership teams evaluate AI opportunities, understand the financial and operational risks, and make informed investment decisions. Independent advice grounded in business experience, not technology hype.

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30+ years of executive leadershipP&L responsibility for businesses over $500 millionHealthcare, pharmaceutical and business services
The challenge

The Cost of Getting AI Wrong

In many organizations, AI spending is driven by enthusiasm, vendor pressure or concern about falling behind, rather than the financial discipline applied to other investments. Projects are approved on the strength of a demonstration, and the expected return is never clearly defined.

At the same time, employees adopt tools without oversight, vendors propose platforms larger than the problem requires, and leadership is asked to approve spending it cannot fully evaluate.

The answer is to hold AI to the same standard as any other investment: a clear business case, defined accountability and measurable results. That requires an advisor who understands both the business and the technology, and can translate one into the other.

Services

Advisory services

Three advisory services designed to improve AI decisions, manage risk, and strengthen execution.

Where you stand

AI Readiness, Risk & Governance

A clear view of how prepared your organization is to use AI, and of the exposure it may already be carrying.

The issue
Most leadership teams don't know whether their processes, data and people are ready for AI. Meanwhile, employees may already be using unapproved tools and sharing company or customer data without anyone tracking it.
What it involves
A review of your processes, data, leadership understanding and workforce, alongside how AI is already being used across the business, including unapproved tools and the points where sensitive data could leave the organization.
What you receive
Deliverables include a readiness assessment, an AI use and risk register ranked by exposure, a governance gap analysis, and an executive summary with prioritized recommendations.
Why it matters
It gives leadership a factual starting point before money is committed, and identifying risks early costs far less than responding to a data incident.
Investment decisions

AI Investment & ROI Advisory

Independent evaluation of AI proposals, so investment decisions rest on business value rather than vendor claims.

The issue
Vendor proposals are often larger and more expensive than the business problem requires, and the expected return is rarely spelled out.
What it involves
Building on what is known about your readiness and risks, identifying the operational constraints that genuinely affect performance, then using a practical understanding of the technology to assess the most cost-effective options.
What you receive
Deliverables include an investment scorecard, cost-benefit assessment, prioritized recommendations, and an executive decision brief.
Why it matters
Capital goes to initiatives with a clear business case, and unnecessary spending is avoided.
People and accountability

Workflow & Accountability Design

Technology does not remove the need for accountability. It increases it.

The issue
When AI becomes part of a workflow, ownership can become unclear and errors are too easily attributed to the system rather than to a responsible person.
What it involves
Redesigning the workflows affected by approved AI investments, along with their performance measures, with human review at the points where judgment matters and clear ownership of every important decision.
What you receive
Deliverables include redesigned process maps, defined roles and decision rights, human review checkpoints, and updated performance measures.
Implementation
Your teams and technology partners carry out the implementation. I support the rollout and review the results against the plan.
Why it matters
AI should support human judgment, not replace it. Customers, regulators and boards hold people accountable, not software.
Who I work with

The people accountable for the decision

CEOs and business owners

Established mid-sized companies

Leaders who need to decide what AI means for their company without a large internal technology team to lean on.

Leadership teams and boards

Executives and senior decision-makers

Teams that need a shared understanding of the opportunities, costs and risks before they commit.

Larger organizations

Evaluating AI investments and change

Organizations weighing significant investments and the business change that comes with them.

Approach

How an engagement works

A structured process with a clear decision point at each stage, so you commit to the next step only when the previous one has proven its value.

  1. 01

    Assess

    Review your readiness, current AI use and risk exposure, and identify where AI investment is financially justified.

  2. 02

    Prioritize

    Evaluate each proposal against its cost, risk and expected impact on the P&L. The strongest opportunities move forward and the rest are set aside.

  3. 03

    Design

    Establish governance, design human-in-the-loop workflows and assign clear accountability for results.

  4. 04

    Implement and review

    Support the deployment, track the financial return and confirm the technology continues to serve human judgment.

About Scott

Executive experience, applied to the AI decisions facing business today.

I have spent more than 30 years in senior business leadership in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and business services sectors, with responsibility for profit and loss, operations and people, including businesses with revenues of more than $500 million. I have led growth, operational improvement, acquisitions and organizational change.

I have also invested the time to understand how today's AI systems work: how they are built, how they connect to existing systems and what they can realistically deliver. That lets me translate technical proposals into business terms and tell leadership teams plainly where a technology will create value and where it will not.

The technologies that succeed are tied to a clear business problem, a sound investment case and leaders who prepare their people. AI is no exception.

Independent by design.

I do not sell AI software. My responsibility is to help leadership teams make sound business decisions, whether that means investing, changing direction, or deciding not to proceed.

Insights

Perspectives on AI and Business Leadership

Observations on the financial, operational and leadership decisions facing executives as AI becomes part of everyday business.

Start with the process, not the tool

Most AI projects that stall picked a product first. Here is how to begin with the work itself.

Strategy · 1 min

How to run an AI pilot that proves something

A pilot should end in a clear yes or no. Four rules for designing one that does.

Operations · 1 min

A one-page AI policy for small businesses

You don't need a legal team to set sensible rules. Start with these five questions.

Governance · 1 min
Contact

Discuss the AI decisions in front of you.

Start with a 15-minute discussion about your priorities, concerns, and potential opportunities.

An initial discussion to understand your business priorities, identify the AI decisions requiring attention, and determine whether an advisory engagement makes sense.

Email: scott@rswconsulting.ca

Phone: 416-700-8214

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