Greater Cleveland
𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. What they’re less certain about is where to start. Not tools. Not pilots. Not scattered experimentation. Impact. I work with CEOs and executive teams to identify where artificial intelligence can create the most leverage inside their organizations, and how to sequence those opportunities in a way that actually works. In most companies, the real opportunity with AI appears in three places: 1️⃣ Operational leverage — removing friction, manual processes, and bottlenecks 2️⃣ Growth acceleration — unlocking faster insights and better decision-making 3️⃣ Organizational transformation — evolving how teams operate and scale in an AI-enabled world The mistake many organizations make is trying to pursue all three at once. The companies seeing the greatest success are doing something simpler: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. Then they sequence the opportunity. Start with operational leverage. Use that momentum to unlock growth. Then evolve the organization around it. Clarity beats experimentation every time. My perspective comes from decades of operating experience, leading businesses, navigating acquisitions, and helping organizations scale through operational and strategic transformation. That operating lens shapes how I approach AI strategy today. Technology alone doesn’t transform organizations. Leadership does. If you’re trying to make sense of where AI actually creates ROI inside your business, I put together a short executive brief that outlines how I’m seeing leadership teams approach this right now. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞: https://stan.store/craigfrancisco/p/the-ceos-ai-strategy-brief-where-ai-creates-roi I’m the CEO of AI23, where we help organizations deploy AI that actually works through strategic prioritization and transformation sequencing. My work today sits at the intersection of leadership, strategy, and artificial intelligence, helping organizations move from AI curiosity to meaningful impact. If you're exploring how AI could reshape your organization, I'm always interested in hearing how leaders are thinking about it.
𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈-𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Where artificial intelligence amplifies human potential. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how organizations operate. Yet most companies are still experimenting with disconnected AI tools without a clear strategy for how AI should transform their business. AI23 helps leadership teams move beyond experimentation and begin operating as AI-native organizations. We work directly with executive teams to align leadership, identify high-impact opportunities for AI, and help organizations build the internal capabilities required to integrate AI into everyday operations. Our work begins with a focused AI Leadership Strategy Sprint, where we help companies understand how AI should reshape their workflows, knowledge systems, and decision-making processes. From there, organizations expand their capabilities through: • 𝐀𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 • 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 • 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 Over time, these systems become embedded in daily operations through the AI23 Domain Intelligence Platform, helping organizations capture knowledge, automate workflows, and continuously improve how work gets done. AI23 combines leadership strategy, engineering expertise, and real-world operational experience to help companies navigate one of the most important technological shifts in modern business. We believe we are entering 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐫𝐚™ — a time when artificial intelligence amplifies human creativity, intelligence, and productivity. Our mission is simple: Help organizations unlock human potential through AI.
Human + AI Leadership: Unlocking Value in People, Process, and Systems. Most companies, even the best-run, are leaking value every day. Employees spend up to 30% of their time on workarounds, meetings eat hours with little return, and too much energy goes into low-value tasks. This interactive workshop helps CEOs spot these hidden drains and build practical strategies to unlock value across their people, processes, and systems. You’ll see how AI can be applied in simple, non-technical ways—automating routine work, surfacing insights, and freeing leaders to focus on growth and strategy. Each participant will leave with a clear framework, practical tools, and a Next Step Roadmap: three Human + AI moves to immediately reduce waste, empower people, and lead with confidence in the AI era. Value to Member Vistage members will: Understand how AI can augment—not replace—their workforce, freeing people for higher-value work. Learn where CEOs are already applying AI in real-world scenarios (finance, sales, HR, ops). Apply a People–Process–Systems + AI framework to evaluate their own organization. Recognize patterns of waste that AI can eliminate (manual workarounds, redundant tasks, underused tech). Leave with a simple AI-enabled roadmap to test and learn safely inside their business.
Serving as a trusted advisor to Gardner Standard and its portfolio companies. Focused on CEO mentorship, leadership team development, and operational strategy across the firm’s industrial holdings. Supporting value creation initiatives, internal playbook development, and select deal sourcing aligned with the firm’s mission to revitalize lower middle-market businesses.
As Chief Operating Officer at Gardner Standard, I provide operational leadership to ensure both the firm and our portfolio companies achieve sustainable growth and operational excellence. My responsibilities include: 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Driving initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across all operations. 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Leading the seamless incorporation of new acquisitions into our portfolio. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Establishing and promoting best practices to optimize performance across the organization. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Playing a key role in identifying new investment opportunities and conducting thorough due diligence.
As the Chief Operating Officer (COO), I oversaw the daily operations of the company to ensure efficiency, quality, service, and cost-effective management of resources. My role encompassed strategic planning and operational execution to drive sustainable growth and improve our operational excellence. Key responsibilities included: ♦ Strategic Leadership: Collaborating with the CEO and executive team to set and implement organizational vision, operational strategy, and financial goals. ♦ Operational Management: Leading and managing the company's day-to-day operations, including supply chain, production, sales, and customer service to ensure seamless operational processes. ♦ Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Leading and managing M&A activities to support the company's growth strategy, including identifying potential targets, conducting due diligence, and overseeing integration processes. ♦ Performance Improvement: Identifying opportunities for operational enhancements and implementing innovative solutions to optimize efficiency and productivity. ♦ Team Development: Building and mentoring a high-performing team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and professional growth. ♦ Resource Allocation: Ensuring optimal allocation and utilization of resources to achieve business objectives and maximize ROI. ♦ Compliance and Risk Management: Overseeing compliance with industry regulations and standards, and managing risks to protect the company’s interests. My mission is to drive operational excellence, support the company's growth objectives, and ensure we deliver exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders.
As the President of the Americas, I was responsible for managing daily operational, developmental, and customer relations throughout the Calibre family of businesses. I led every project with a moral compass while translating corporate visions into actionable goals that secure viable, growth-driven futures.
At RōBEX, I had the opportunity to lead an amazing team of highly motivated individuals that value team above self. We brought manufacturing and distribution leaders solutions that improved safety, increased productivity, and improved overall quality. (Sold to Private Equity in 2022) I also held the VP of Automation and Director of Strategy roles while at Robex.