Leaders in the Loop – Episode 06 -- AI at the System Level: Leadership, Shared Services, and Scale with Ryan Low

In this episode, Dan and Gaurav are joined by Ryan Low, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Strategic AI Integration at the University of Maine System, for a deep dive into what it takes to lead AI adoption across a large, multi-campus organization. Ryan shares how AI is moving beyond pilots and experiments into core operational workflows, reshaping shared services, financial planning, faculty engagement, and leadership practices across the system.

Episode Overview

This conversation explores AI not as a standalone technology initiative, but as a leadership and systems challenge. Ryan discusses how governance, training, trust, and modeling behavior are just as important as the tools themselves when scaling AI responsibly.

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Topics Covered

• AI as a system-wide capability, not a niche pilot

• Shared services as the highest-impact use case for AI

• Using AI agents in budgeting, forecasting, and reporting

• Leadership modeling vs. top-down mandates

• Faculty adoption and voluntary experimentation

• AI literacy as an equity and access issue

• Risks of organizational lag in fast-moving AI environments

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Key Takeaways

• AI delivers the most value when embedded in everyday tools and workflows.

• Shared services offer measurable efficiency gains and better insight.

• Leaders accelerate adoption by modeling use, not issuing mandates.

• Continuous learning matters more than one-time AI training.

• Scaling AI responsibly requires balancing speed, trust, and governance.

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Resources & Mentions

• Ryan Low – University of Maine System profile:
  https://www.maine.edu/chancellors-office/staff/

• Google Gemini:
  https://ai.google

• Microsoft Copilot:
  https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot

• Hard Fork (New York Times podcast):
  https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork

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Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Join the conversation and let us know how AI is showing up in your organization.

Stay curious. Stay human.

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