Top-down AI initiatives frequently stall because no one on the actual team owns making it work day-to-day. A department-level champion changes that.
The champion doesn't need to be technical
The most effective AI champions are often the person already known for finding better ways to do routine work — not necessarily the most technically skilled person on the team.
Their job is translation, not evangelism
A good champion translates general AI capability into "here's exactly how this helps with the report you do every Friday" — specific to their team's actual work.
Give them real time, not just a title
Champions who are expected to drive adoption on top of a full existing workload rarely make meaningful progress. Some protected time signals the initiative is genuinely valued.
Connect champions across departments
A champion network that shares what's working across teams accelerates adoption faster than isolated efforts in each department working it out independently.