Rodrigo Kede Lima, President of Microsoft Frontier Company: It Is Not Technology That Slows AI Implementation, But Organization
Rodrigo Kede Lima, President of Microsoft Frontier Company, proposes a four-step model for enterprise AI implementation: starting with value rather than technology, redesigning processes rather than single tasks, iterating quickly, and embedding governance from day one. Using Northern Trust as an example, an AI agent reduced client onboarding data preparation time from two and a half weeks to three days, achieving a first-pass quality score of 96.5%.
Most business leaders I meet no longer need to be convinced that AI works. They have seen the pilots, the demos, and the copilots. In his November 2026 blog post, Rodrigo Kede Lima, President of Microsoft Frontier Company, notes that the question in boardrooms has shifted: how do we move from AI that impresses to AI that actually changes how the business operates? His assessment is that the technology is ready; what slows down AI is everything surrounding it—value identification, trust and governance, operating model redesign, and enabling people to work in new ways.
The model he proposes has four elements: start with value, not technology; redesign processes, not just optimize individual tasks; iterate quickly alongside customer teams; and embed security, governance, and cost management from day one. The Northern Trust case specifically illustrates how this model works. Onboarding to its Asset Servicing Front Office Solutions platform originally took about two and a half weeks per client. Microsoft engineers collaborated with Northern Trust experts to build an AI-driven onboarding agent within the Excel and SharePoint tools analysts were already using, rather than replacing the existing toolchain. The result was an 83% reduction in data preparation time, dropping from two and a half weeks to three days, with a first-pass quality score of 96.5% in testing. Analysts retained control over decisions while gaining more time for higher-value client service.
Kede Lima cites IDC data to explain why this model matters: 66% of organizations report substantial or transformative results from AI, but only 48% have achieved scaling or sustained value across their organizations. Meanwhile, 71% of organizations expect AI spending to increase by at least 10% in the coming year. The gap between reported outcomes and scaled outcomes is precisely what the model he describes attempts to bridge. It should be noted that the case data (such as the 83% reduction at Northern Trust) comes from Microsoft’s self-reporting on its own consulting projects, presented at Microsoft’s discretion; although the IDC survey data is published by a third-party agency, the report is sponsored by Microsoft. Neither has independent verification.