The Ivey Impact Podcast is the flagship series of Ivey Business School, one of Canada’s top institutions for business education. Tailored for modern leaders, each brief yet impactful episode brings the expertise and innovative thinking of Ivey’s globally recognized faculty to the forefront. The dynamic discussions tackle today’s most critical issues, from start-ups and sustainability to AI-integration, responsible leadership, and more. Released monthly, Ivey Impact Podcast is the source for leaders seeking exclusive insights and actionable ideas that ignite change.
What turns new technology into real transformation?
Digital transformation often begins with optimism. A new technology promises exciting possibilities, a compelling business case wins support, and expectations for change run high. Yet time and again, organizations encounter the same challenge: the technology arrives, but the transformation doesn't.
So where does technology transformation go wrong?
In this episode of Dialogue with the Dean, recorded February 2026, Julian Birkinshaw (https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/faculty_research/directory/julian-birkinshaw/) sits down with Nicole Haggerty (https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/faculty_research/directory/nicole-haggerty/), Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Digital Innovation and Information Systems at Ivey, to explore what it really takes to drive meaningful digital change. And no, the answer isn’t investing in better technology. It’s understanding that lasting transformation is ultimately a human challenge, not a technological one.
Drawing on her extensive research in Canadian healthcare organizations, Nicole reveals how organizational “ruptures” – moments of tension, disagreement, and uncertainty that emerge during periods of change – can become powerful catalysts for transformation. Together, she and Julian examine how leaders can use these moments to foster learning, navigate complexity, and create lasting value. They also explore what these insights mean for organizations seeking to transform amid ongoing disruption.
At a moment when organizations everywhere are racing to adopt AI, this timely conversation offers a grounded and compelling reminder: technology may enable change, but people determine whether it succeeds.
In this episode:
1:23: From industry challenges to research discoveries
3:24: Understanding the role of ruptures
11:24: How do people learn their way into the future they are trying to create?
15:02: Why transformation thrives – or dies
16:51: The strategy behind AI integration
18:46: Is AI the answer to workplace productivity?
22:06: The high cost of moving too fast
24:24: The ruptures emerging in AI adoption
27:53: Teaching the art of digital transformation
To learn more about the research discussed in this episode, please visit:
Generative mechanisms of IT-enabled transformation of a hospital laboratory: A critical realist evaluation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963868725000381?via%3Dihub (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963868725000381?via%3Dihub)
Ruptures during IT-enabled change: A sensemaking and imbrication analysis
https://misq.umn.edu/misq/article-abstract/49/1/61/87/Ruptures-During-IT-enabled-Change-A-Sensemaking?redirectedFrom=fulltext (https://misq.umn.edu/misq/article-abstract/49/1/61/87/Ruptures-During-IT-enabled-Change-A-Sensemaking?redirectedFrom=fulltext)
Strategies and Tools for Electronic Health Records and Physician Workflow Alignment: Protocol for a Scoping Review
https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e60464 (https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e60464)
27 May 2026
Rethinking sustainable supply chains: Three myths businesses must consider
Sustainability is rising to the top of boardroom and policy agendas around the world. But are the supply chains businesses rely on actually compatible with a sustainable future, or are we simply hoping they will be?
In this episode of Dialogue with the Dean, Julian Birkinshaw is joined by Jury Gualandris, Associate Professor of Operations Management and Sustainability and Abell Hodgson Chair in Regenerative Agriculture at Ivey, and Academic Director of Ivey's Building Sustainable Value Centre. Drawing on his latest research, Gualandris unpacks three widely held myths about sustainable supply chains and explains what it really takes to build supply chains that don't just reduce harm, but actively regenerate the social and ecological systems we all depend on.
The conversation explores the complexity behind well-intentioned business decisions, the hidden costs of chasing efficiency at all costs, and why the way businesses think about their resources may need to be fundamentally rethought. The episode also explores insights from his Collective Action Program, a ground-level research initiative working with farmers across Southwestern Ontario to build the kinds of coalitions that make systemic change possible.
This podcast is essential listening for business leaders, sustainability practitioners, and anyone who wants to move beyond good intentions and start making better decisions for people, planet, and profit.
In this episode:
0:00 Nesting business inside society and ecology
3:37 Exploring upcycling
13:10 Challenging the Toyota model and pushing efficiency to far
24:42 Searching for the customer for wasted resources
29:12 The Collective Action Program for Southwestern Ontario farmers
22 Apr 2026
Who's in the boardroom? Examining politics, expertise, and good governance
Canada's government-owned corporations control assets worth billions of dollars and deliver essential services, from electricity to water, to millions of Canadians. But who is actually overseeing them? And are the right people in the room?
In this episode of Dialogue with the Dean, Julian Birkinshaw is joined by Guy Holburn, Professor of Business, Economics and Public Policy at Ivey and former Director of the Ivey Energy and Policy Management Centre, to explore the state of governance in Canada's public utilities. One of Canada's leading experts on energy policy and corporate governance, Holburn brings both rigorous research and real boardroom experience as a director of London Hydro.
The conversation digs into a striking and underexamined finding: roughly a quarter of directors on Ontario's electricity distribution boards are elected politicians such as municipal councillors and mayors, rather than independent industry experts. Holburn explores what this means in practice: how political and independent directors may bring different priorities to the table, what questions this raises about expertise and accountability, and examples where good governance has led to mega-project success.
This episode is essential listening for policymakers, business leaders, and anyone who cares about how public assets are managed, and by whom.
In this episode:
0:00 Essential ingredients for a board
7:18 How elected politicians approach board work
13:18 What does bad governance look like vs. good governance
19:46 Personal experience on the London Hydro Board
24:53 Students understanding role of government
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