We're thrilled to welcome Damian Kernahan as JOURN3Y's new Director of Human-Centred AI. With 17 years of experience driving growth and business optimisation across 200+ projects throughout Australia and New Zealand, Damian brings another dimension to how we help businesses bridge the gap between AI ambition and real-world adoption.

The Real AI Challenge: It's About People, Process and Technology

Just as Damian has discovered through his customer experience work that most businesses have a much bigger CX problem than they realise, we're seeing the same pattern with AI adoption. Companies know AI can deliver value, but they're struggling to translate that potential into practical improvements that work for both their people and their customers.

The disconnect we see everywhere

"Where do I start?" - Leadership teams paralysed by the endless possibilities of AI, struggling to identify which initiatives will actually deliver business value rather than just impressive demos.

"How do I achieve ROI on AI?" - Organisations investing in AI technology without clear pathways to measurable returns, often because they haven't considered the human and process changes needed for success.

"How can we navigate siloed systems and data quality?" - Technical teams building AI solutions that can't access the data they need or work within existing workflows, creating friction rather than efficiency.

"Assure me on security, compliance and governance" - Employees and customers experiencing anxiety about AI implementation because governance frameworks weren't designed with human concerns at the centre.

The problem isn't just the technology, it's that most AI implementations focus solely on the technical capabilities without considering how people will actually use them or how they fit into existing processes. We need to think about people, process and technology as an integrated system, not separate pieces that we hope will somehow work together.

Start Where It Matters: Give People Their Time Back

At JOURN3Y, our approach to AI adoption begins with a simple but powerful question: "Where can we save your people 1-2 hours a day?"

This isn't just about efficiency. When you give someone back 1-2 hours of productive time, you're doing something transformative:

• You're proving AI's value in terms people can feel immediately

• You're identifying where the real work happens in your organisation

• You're creating space for the human work that actually drives customer value

• You're building internal advocates who've experienced tangible benefit

Why 1-2 Hours Changes Everything

Damian's customer experience expertise reveals a crucial truth: the best customer experiences happen when your people have the time and headspace to actually focus on customers. Most businesses struggle with CX not because they don't care, but because their people are buried in tasks that should be automated, following processes that weren't designed with AI in mind.

The productivity-first approach means asking:

• What repetitive tasks are consuming your people's best hours?

• Where are skilled employees doing work that AI could handle?

• What customer touchpoints suffer because people are tied up in administrative work?

• How would an extra 1-2 hours daily change what your people could accomplish for customers?

From Customer Experience to Employee Experience

Damian's systematic approach to understanding what customers truly need translates perfectly to understanding what your employees need to serve those customers better. His proven methodology of deep research, strategic integration, and continuous refinement ensures we're not just implementing AI—we're implementing AI that makes people's work more meaningful and effective while improving customer outcomes.

Just as he helps businesses move from CX assumptions to real insights, Damian will help identify where AI can create the most meaningful productivity gains that cascade into better experiences for both employees and customers.

What This Means for JOURN3Y Clients

With Damian joining our team, every AI conversation starts with understanding the integration between your people, processes, and technology to deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes:

• People-First Design: We identify where your teams spend their time and design AI that enhances human capabilities

• Process Integration: We ensure AI fits seamlessly into existing workflows while improving them, not disrupting what's already working

• Technology That Serves: We select and implement technology solutions that genuinely save time and create measurable productivity gains

• Measurable Impact: We track the 1-2 hours saved per person, the improvement in customer experiences, and the tangible business outcomes that result

This integrated approach means every AI initiative we design connects people, process and technology in ways that deliver demonstrable value, whether that's time saved, customer satisfaction improved, or revenue generated. We're not just implementing AI; we're creating sustainable systems where technology amplifies human potential and improves business outcomes.

The Path Forward: Start Human, Scale Smart

If you're ready to move beyond AI buzzwords to real productivity improvements, if you want to understand where your people's time actually goes and how that impacts your customers, or if you're keen to give your teams back 1-2 hours a day to focus on what matters most, we're here to help.

Because at the end of the day, successful AI adoption isn't just about having the most sophisticated algorithms. It's about giving your people the tools they need to do more meaningful work, serve customers better, and feel genuinely supported by technology rather than overwhelmed by it.

Welcome to the team Damian. Let's start giving people their time back.

Ready to discover where AI can save your people 1-2 hours a day? Let's identify those opportunities together. Contact us at info@JOURN3Y.com.au