The Transformation Playbook
by Anthony A. O'Brien
The meeting room went silent. Twelve weeks into their AI rollout, the marketing team still refuses to adopt the new automation platform.
Maybe you've seen this scenario before. The technology performs perfectly in demos. Leadership is fully onboard, and the budget has been approved. Still, three months later, adoption rates remain around 15%. Employees are developing creative ways to avoid the new system entirely.
According to the 2025 State of AI in Operations Report, 73% of companies plan to implement or have already implemented AI, with staff resistance cited as a common obstacle.
Traditional change management assumes people resist change because they don't understand it, so you just need to train them better, communicate more clearly, and show them the benefits. If only it were that simple.
AI is different. The resistance runs deeper. It touches something primal, like the fear of being replaced, becoming irrelevant, or losing control over work that once defined their expertise.
You and your clients need you more than ever, but they require a different version of you. The old playbooks that worked for CRM rollouts and process improvements no longer suffice. AI transformation demands a new approach that considers the psychological complexity of human-machine collaboration.
“One of the best introductions to Artificial Intelligence, a must-read for all businesses. ”
Brad Edwards
Anthony O’Brien is a well-read author specializing in artificial intelligence, energy, equities and real estate. He is the Managing Partner of Fyntra AI, where he helps clients identify and implement AI solutions aligned with their business needs.
Tony O’Brien is Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Fyntra AI, a nationally recognized provider of enterprise AI solutions. With more than 30 years of senior leadership experience, Tony combines domain expertise in energy, real estate, and equities with a proven track record of building high‑performing sales organizations and commercializing complex products. Career Highlights and Commercial Impact • Commercial Leadership: Recruited, trained, and scaled a 400‑person sales force across 13 deregulated states while launching Glacial Energy, driving monthly revenues to $30 million. • Entrepreneurial Success: Founded and ran Spinnaker Partners, a proprietary hedge fund, for 19 years and later established RealEstateLender.com, which grew to become a top‑10 commercial lender. • Market Entry and Scaling: As Managing Director of SFE/FE Energy (Summitt Energy subsidiary), led go‑to‑market efforts to position energy brands in the Commercial & Industrial segment and built a responsive, results‑driven sales organization. • Cross‑Sector Expertise: Deep experience in B2B sales, marketing, AI strategy, and team development, helping organizations translate advanced technology into measurable revenue and operational gains. • Leadership Style and Value Proposition: Tony is a strategic operator who focuses on measurable outcomes: building scalable revenue engines, aligning product strategy with market needs, and institutionalizing sales and operational processes. His background gives clients and partners confidence in navigating regulated markets, complex channel builds, and AI commercialization. Publications • Author - “Comprehensive Guide to Private Money Markets” (2021 – Best Seller). • Author – Artificial Intelligence-Navigating the Future of Business and Society (2025) • AI-Ready Change Management Playbook (2026)