As a partner at EY Consulting and a specialist in digital and agile transformation, what are the main trends you currently observe in European companies in terms of innovation?
Today, major dynamics driving innovation revolve around four key trends, each creating value in its own way:
- First, of course, artificial intelligence – it is THE topic capturing all the attention and occupying everyone’s mind! Whether it involves Machine Learning or generative AI, exploring the opportunities offered by AI unveils immense value potential, transforms our processing capabilities, and allows us to design much smarter and more efficient solutions.
- Process automation (RPA) remains a crucial topic, continuing to deeply transform operational processes and generating significant gains in efficiency and productivity.
- Sustainability is gaining prominence and is now embedded in most strategies, aiming to reduce environmental impact while increasing societal impact.
- Finally, on a more organisational but equally important note, the adoption of product-centric models, collaborative approaches, and agile methods is gaining even more traction and becoming systematic across all functions, embedding innovation into corporate culture, securing projects, and strengthening team engagement.
You operate across Western Europe. What cultural or sectoral differences do you observe in the adoption of AI between countries or industries?
It is true that the adoption of AI in Western Europe varies greatly depending on cultural and sectoral contexts. I find that France is very well positioned, with an ambitious AI strategy and a strong emphasis on research and innovation. The government has invested in programs aimed at integrating AI into various sectors while supporting start-ups and technology companies.
There is a vibrant culture of innovation in France, well-balanced with ethical and societal responsibility concerns, which are topics particularly close to my heart. On issues such as safety and ethics, France goes even further than some of its European neighbors, although these themes remain central priorities across the entire region.
What specific challenges related to diversity and inclusion can AI address within the transformations you lead?
One significant example of how AI can support diversity and inclusion, in my view, is its use in facilitating and deepening the analysis of pay equity and organizational diversity (gender, age, experience, etc.), highlighting potential inequalities or structural disparities, as well as areas with low diversity or insufficient inclusion that might otherwise go unnoticed. AI makes it easier to identify the factors behind these disparities, better understand their origins, and develop targeted solutions to address them.
Another example, which I find particularly relevant for inclusion, comes from my work with public administrations, where we use AI to simplify administrative processes and provide clearer, more accessible explanations. This approach allows information to be “translated” into clear, simple language free from bureaucratic jargon, making it understandable for a wide range of users. For non-native speakers, we implement next-generation chatbots capable of responding independently of language, ensuring equitable access to information even for those who do not speak the national language.
What advice would you give our readers for navigating a constantly evolving technological environment?
I believe the most important point today is to cultivate a strong intellectual curiosity. More than ever, we need to embrace continuous learning, stay open-minded, curious, and proactive in understanding the profound technological and cultural changes that are happening and emerging, and continuously develop new skills.
This also requires a high degree of mental flexibility, enhanced collaboration, and a “problem-solving” mindset. My personal philosophy is that no problem is without a solution—there are simply solutions we have not yet explored. Being curious means having the courage and perseverance to seek out those solutions, even where they may not be immediately obvious.
If you were to launch an initiative within the JFD Club related to your expertise, what would it be and what objectives would it aim to achieve?
I would propose creating a “Tech & Inclusion Mentorship” component as a complement to JFD’s “Women rAIsing” program, designed to help JFD Club members accelerate projects related to artificial intelligence while fostering diversity and inclusion within their teams and ecosystems.
This program would offer cross-mentorship opportunities between Club members and experts or entrepreneurs from diverse sectors. It would also include collaborative workshops to tackle practical challenges, such as implementing AI solutions aligned with inclusive values or designing algorithmic models free from bias.
The main objective would be to transform the vision of inclusive AI into an operational reality by equipping members with best practices, tangible case studies, and tools to measure their impact on inclusion and diversity.
Alena Martinez, Partner EY Consulting and JFD Club member
After beginning her career at Accenture, Alena joined EY in 2008 and has since specialized in digital innovation, supporting companies in rethinking their processes, identifying optimization opportunities, designing and implementing innovative digital solutions, and enhancing their operations by introducing user-centered, experimental, and data-driven approaches.
Since the emergence of generative AI as a primary driver of digital innovation, Alena has developed deep expertise in this field. Her focus includes identifying and implementing use cases, building processes, and establishing governance frameworks to ensure seamless integration with business operations, analyzing impacts, and managing risks effectively.
