BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Enterprise Explores  >  Beyond Pilot Purgatory: How Winners Scale AI

Beyond Pilot Purgatory: How Winners Scale AI

Shazrul Asari, Partner, Bain & Company | Dhruva Murugasu, Partners, Bain & Company

17-Dec-25 12:00

Beyond Pilot Purgatory: How Winners Scale AI

General Managers must own AI, not CIOs or CTOs. A new report from Bain & Company reveals a sharp divide: while most companies are stuck in "pilot purgatory," a small group of AI leaders are securing 10–25% gains in EBITDA. The difference isn't the software, it's the strategy.

Shazrul Asari and Dhruva Murugasu, Partners at Bain & Company, join us to explain why scaling AI requires a fundamental business transformation rather than just "sprinkling AI on top" (like adding extra sambal to Nasi Lemak). We explore why plugging AI into old workflows is like driving a supercar in a traffic jam, and why the rise of "Agentic AI" demands a total rethink of the organisational chart.

We discuss:

  • The Divide: Why leaders achieve scale while others get stuck in sheltered pilots.

  • Workflow Redesign: Why you must decommission old processes, not just layer AI on top.

  • Agentic AI: The structural shift from "digital helpers" to "digital workers" that act autonomously.

  • The Talent Trap: How to prevent the "hollowing out" of junior roles via augmented apprenticeships.

  • CEO Advice: Why momentum matters more than perfection in the race to scale.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  technologyCorporatesmanaging

Tags:  artificial intelligencedigital transformationagentic aiBain & Companycorporate strategy





Play / Pause

Listen now : Morning Brief: We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, discusses the realities of middle powers' geoeconomic choices.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Syafiq Ridzwan, Chief of Information of the Malaysian Youth Council discusses measures to attract youth to join the civil service.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Prof. Emerita Dr. Durisha Idris, Vice-Chancellor of IJN University College, discusses the institute’s unique programs and its future plans to achieve full university status.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Bradley Freeman, Professor of Creative Arts & Media, School of Arts, Sunway University discusses the changes coming to TikTok after they announced changes to their ownsership structure.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT)Stefan Angrick, Head of Japan Economics at Moody’s Analytics, on Japan's economy outlook 2026.

9:35 AM

People, Planet, Profit

We cover the latest news and views in the ESG space to help businesses thrive with impact.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Amy Gan, Vice President of Marketing, Etika; and Pearl Liang, from SJK(C) Serdang Baru 1, Selangor (Grand prize winner of Goodday KidStart 3.0 for her innovative idea, “AI Unicorn”.)

11:00 AM

Marketing Mojo

Malaysia’s festive calendar is crowded, but not all holiday campaigns cut through. PHD Malaysia’s David Soo shares how brands can sharpen their messaging, timing, visuals, and spend to drive real impact across multicultural festive moments.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Nick Eayrs, VP of Field Engineering, APJ at Databricks

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Prof. Emerita Dr. Durisha Idris, Vice-Chancellor of IJN University College, discusses the institute’s unique programs and its future plans to achieve full university status.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

We speak to Danesh Prakash Chacko, the chairperson of Tindak about their ‘petugas’ program and why you should get involved.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Olympian and former national artistic gymnast Farah Ann talks about the ups and downs of her career, and how she coped with the immense pressure on her mental health.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Talkback Tuesday