3-minute read
Why governing AI adoption matters as much as enabling it and what it looks like when both are done well
The race to deploy AI across the enterprise has created a familiar tension: organizations want to move fast, but the cost of moving without structure—duplicated efforts, ungoverned use cases, solutions built for novelty rather than value—compounds quickly. Tom Cunnie's work is defined by his ability to resolve that tension without sacrificing either speed or rigor.
Tom is a Manager in Logic20/20's Digital Strategy & Transformation practice based in San Francisco. With a background that spans AI go-to-market strategy, program governance, and enterprise enablement, he has built a track record of turning ambition into operating models that organizations can actually run. His selection as a Consulting Magazine 2026 Top Consultant in Technology & Digital Consulting reflects the caliber and consequence of that work.
"Tom brings a level of rigor to AI enablement work that is rare. He doesn't just stand up a program; he builds the structure that allows others to execute at a high standard long after the engagement ends."
— Lionel Bodin, Managing Director, Digital Strategy & Transformation
Governing AI at enterprise scale
The recognition centers on Tom's leadership of a major utility's Copilot Enablement program, a production-ready AI Center of Excellence designed to govern and scale Microsoft Copilot deployments across the enterprise. The challenge was not simply technical. Utility-scale AI adoption requires balancing regulatory weight, operational risk, and a broad base of stakeholders with competing priorities. Getting it right required as much governance discipline as technical execution.
Tom's defining contribution was the design and implementation of a "value-over-volume" framework, a structured approach to prioritizing AI agent development based on measurable business impact and regulatory necessity rather than enthusiasm or novelty. He orchestrated a cross-functional team across four integrated workstreams: use-case blueprinting, standardized design methodology, agile agent deployment, and lifecycle governance. Each workstream was designed not just to deliver, but to leave behind reusable infrastructure the client's internal teams could operate independently.
The results were concrete. More than 80 Copilot use cases were triaged through the structured intake process Tom established. Among the 125-plus participants in his enablement workshops, more than 70 percent reported a significant increase in skills and understanding. The governance framework, design templates, and tiered training curricula he developed are now enabling the client's teams to build and scale without external support.
Reusable capability as a discipline
Tom's approach to consulting treats reusable capability not as a byproduct of good work, but as a deliberate output. In parallel with his client delivery, he developed more than 10 presales and go-to-market assets for Logic20/20's AI Advantage Readiness Program, standardizing how teams intake use cases, scope and estimate engagements, build business cases, and communicate solution value. He also ran weekly AI office hours to create space for Logicians to learn together and apply new developments responsibly.
That instinct—to make it simpler for the next person to do the right thing—runs through everything he builds.
"Tom brings a level of rigor to AI enablement work that is rare. He doesn't just stand up a program; he builds the structure that allows others to execute at a high standard long after the engagement ends," said Lionel Bodin, Managing Director of Digital Strategy & Transformation at Logic20/20. "His work with this client is a strong example of what responsible, scalable AI adoption looks like in practice."
What drives the work
Tom's professional philosophy is grounded in a simple conviction: commitments are your most valuable currency. In an industry where optimism in early planning can quietly undermine delivery, he treats transparency about scope, assumptions, and tradeoffs as a non-negotiable. When priorities shift (as they often do), he resets expectations quickly so teams are never carrying outdated commitments or hidden debt.
For Tom, the most satisfying outcomes are the ones that compound: a template that reduces rework for the next team, a governance framework that outlasts the engagement, a community of practice that keeps learning after the project ends. That sense of impact extending beyond any single deliverable is what keeps him motivated and what makes his work recognizable long after he has moved on.
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