In this episode of AI with Maribel Lopez, Maribel sits down with Ian Bramson, Vice President of Global Industrial Cybersecurity at Black & Veatch, to explore the growing intersection between artificial intelligence and operational technology (OT) security.

From power grids and oil refineries to manufacturing plants, critical infrastructure systems are becoming increasingly connected—and therefore more vulnerable. Ian shares how Black & Veatch is helping industrial organizations rethink cybersecurity from the ground up, integrating protection early in the design and build process rather than bolting it on later.

Together, Maribel and Ian discuss the evolution of OT threats, the rise of AI in both defense and attack scenarios, and why cybersecurity must be seen as a core business function, not an afterthought.

🧩 Key Discussion Topics

1. The Evolution of Industrial Cybersecurity

• Ian’s unconventional career path—from Coca-Cola to futurist consulting with Alvin Toffler to leading cybersecurity initiatives.
• Why Black & Veatch launched its dedicated industrial cybersecurity practice and how it’s integrated across engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC).

2. IT vs. OT Cybersecurity: What’s the Difference?

• IT focuses on data protection; OT focuses on physical safety and uptime.
• The rising threat of cyber-physical attacks on power, water, and manufacturing systems.
• How the increasing connectivity of devices—from pumps to sensors to AI controllers—creates new risks.

3. Foundational Security: Basics Still Matter

• Start with asset inventory—knowing what you need to protect.
• Identify vulnerabilities and train your “human layer.”
• Build security in from day one instead of bolting it on later.

4. The Expanding Threat Landscape

• Why ransomware is still relevant but no longer the only concern.
• The growing risks of supply chain attacks, remote operations, and super dependencies (as seen in the CrowdStrike outage).
• How attackers are weaponizing AI to accelerate attacks—and how defenders can use AI for faster detection and response.

5. AI and OT: A Double-Edged Sword

• How AI is reshaping the attack surface for industrial systems.
• Why every company is already “in the AI game,” whether they realize it or not.
• The three layers of AI to consider: AI used in cybersecurity, AI inside your operations, and AI in the wild used by partners and adversaries.

6. The Biggest Misconceptions About OT Security

• The “myth of the air gap”—why physical isolation no longer guarantees safety.
• Common organizational blind spots: board confusion between IT and OT, fragmented responsibility, and lack of lifecycle thinking.
• The need for Cyber Asset Lifecycle Management (CALM) to ensure long-term resilience.

7. Building a Resilient Future

• Why early planning and a holistic approach are key to managing future risks.
• The importance of embedding security, governance, and ethics into every new AI or industrial project.

About This Episode
Daniel Ziv, Global VP of AI and Analytics at Verint, reveals why experienced executives are making their worst decisions in decades—and how AI analytics is rewriting the rules of business intelligence. Learn the two critical frameworks that separate AI winners from losers, and why the biggest risk isn't picking the wrong technology—it's doing nothing at all.
Guest Bio
Daniel Ziv leads AI and analytics product management and go-to-market strategy at Verint, where he helps global enterprises transform customer experience through data-driven decision-making. With two decades in the analytics space, Daniel has witnessed firsthand how AI is fundamentally changing what's possible in customer insights.
Key Timestamps
[00:00] - Why change is happening faster than ever before
[03:04] - The Macro vs. Micro Analytics Framework explained
[06:19] - Two flawed decision-making patterns destroying value
[09:20] - Real ROI: $80M saved, $10M found in 48 hours
[15:32] - Generative AI vs. Agentic AI: What's the difference?
[21:03] - The hybrid cloud advantage (why on-prem isn't dead)
[26:35] - Common misconceptions about Verint
[28:49] - Daniel's advice for making AI decisions today
[32:17] - Final thoughts: "Ride the dragon"
Key Takeaways
The Two Fatal Mistakes:

Gut-based decisions without data - Your experience is becoming less reliable as change accelerates
Analysis paralysis - Waiting weeks for insights while competitors move in hours

The Macro-Micro Framework:

Macro Analytics: Understand patterns across ALL interactions (the 30,000-foot view)
Micro Analytics: Apply insights to individual interactions in real-time
Companies that excel at both create significant competitive advantage

Real Results:

Large telecom: $80M saved + 11% sales increase
Typical deployment: $5-10M in insights found within 1-2 days
UK financial services: $5M additional revenue from loan process improvements
Energy supplier: $2M saved through increased agent capacity

Generative → Agentic Evolution:

Generative AI responds to prompts (you ask, it answers)
Agentic AI breaks down goals and executes multi-step workflows autonomously
Example: Genie Bot evolved from answering questions to analyzing, quantifying, and exporting results automatically

Action Items for Listeners

Audit your decision-making speed - Are you making gut calls or waiting too long for data?
Identify one quick-win AI deployment - What could you turn on this week without changing infrastructure?
Evaluate your analytics gaps - Do you have macro insights, micro operationalization, or both?
Test before scaling - Start with 300 users, validate, then scale to 30,000
Connect with Daniel - Reach out on LinkedIn to discuss your specific use case

Connect With Daniel Ziv
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dziv1/
About the Host
Maribel Lopez brings decades of technology industry analysis experience, helping business leaders cut through hype to understand what actually works in AI, cloud, and digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribellopez/
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Tags: #AI #Analytics #CustomerExperience #GenAI #AgenticAI #BusinessIntelligence #CXAutomation #DataDriven #DigitalTransformation #Verint

Episode Overview

Host Maribel Lopez sits down with Kerrie Jordan, the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Epicor, to discuss the evolution of ERP systems and the transformative power of cognitive ERP in manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain industries.

Guest Bio and social links

Kerrie Jordan - Chief Marketing Officer, Epicor

Kerrie Jordan, Chief Marketing Officer at Epicor, leads the global go-to-market efforts, bringing together her deep product innovation and strategic marketing experience to drive brand growth and customer engagement across the make, move, and sell industry communities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriejordan/

Key Topics Discussed

Cognitive ERP: From System of Record to System of Action

• Definition: Transforming ERP from passive data storage to intelligent, proactive decision-making systems
• Key capabilities:
  • Sensing signals in data noise
  • Serving up actionable insights when needed
  • Connecting organizations across supply chains
  • Creating intelligent business communities

Epicor Prism: Agentic AI Technology

• What it is: Conversational ERP experience launched last year
• Key features:
  • Natural language interaction (type or speak)
  • Information querying without knowing system screens/reports
  • Automated actions with human approval (semi-autonomous approach)
  • Multiple specialized agents (Knowledge Agent, RFP Agent, Business Communications Agent)

Real-World Success Stories

Measuring AI ROI

• Focus on specific business outcomes, not just AI implementation
• Apply fundamental business case principles
• "Nail it before you scale it" approach
• Baseline analysis and clear success metrics

Future Vision (Next 1-2 Years)

Data Platform Evolution

• Explosion of structured and unstructured data
• Critical need for data normalization and health
• Open, secure connections as "good cloud citizens"

AI Development Trajectory

• Current: Pre-trained models and agentic AI
• Future: Self-service pipelines for custom AI model creation
• Model-agnostic strategy with patented inference pipeline
• Community-based insights and collaboration

Quotable Moments

• "We are an organization that is really focused on our core industries... making, moving, selling the things that we use every day"
• "It's all about accelerated value... How can we get as close to zero as possible?"
• "This era that we're in [is] like the modem dial-up era of AI"
• "Nail it before you scale it