Alex Poulos

Crossbeam

Crossbeam is the first and largest Ecosystem-Led Growth platform, used by over 30,000 companies to leverage their partner ecosystems to attract, convert, and grow customer relationships.

We are building something special here in the form of a new go-to-market motion we call Ecosystem-Led Growth. While all traditional playbooks are tapering off, ecosystem-led motions are becoming the most prolific drivers of efficient growth. As CMO, I lead Growth & Analytics, Brand & Content, Experiences & Events, Product Marketing, and Pricing & Packaging.

Chief Marketing Officer

Stage 2 Capital

The Stage 2 Capital Catalyst supports early stage B2B software companies in scaling their businesses by combining Venture Capital and Go-To-Market, empowering founders with hands-on coaching from an unrivaled network of go-to-market leaders.

Limited Partner, Stage 2 Capital

Pavilion

Instructor at Pavilion University's CMO School.

Executive Member

MadKudu

Advising the CEO and exec team on GTM strategy & execution topics.

Advisor

MadKudu is a no-code data activation platform that allows marketers to use data and science to run all of their go-to-market motions (product-led, marketing-led, sales-led, channel-led) with their current team and stack.

After serving as an advisor to the CEO, I joined as CRO to help shift the company from founder-led go-to-market to a more scalable motion. Developed the right customer profile to pursue, refined the right messaging to hook folks in, and recruited/promoted the right GTM exec talent (VP Marketing, VP Sales, VP Customer Success) to accelerate growth. During this time, we doubled ARR, got NRR to 130%+, and doubled the size of the GTM organization. We also raised a great Series A round in the midst of the economic downturn.

Chief Revenue Officer

Advising the CEO and exec team on GTM strategy & execution.

Various Companies

ON THE SIDE, I Invest in and advise great companies and leaders in software. Some of the companies I've been involved with through the years include:
⏵ Stage 2 Capital (2023-present): Limited Partner in the Catalyst fund that supports early stage B2B software companies in scaling their businesses by combining Venture Capital and Go-To-Market, empowering founders with hands-on coaching from an unrivaled network of go-to-market leaders.
⏵ Pavilion (2022-present): Executive Member and Instructor at the CMO School.
⏵ Product-Led Leaders (2022-present): Founding Member of a community of Product-Led Growth leaders sharing knowledge and best practices.
⏵ Cowboy Ventures (2022-2024): Wrangler for new investments.
⏵ Switchboard Software (2021-2023): Advisor to the CEO. Switchboard's next-generation software turns the constant deluge of data that enterprises experience today into smarter revenue decisions made faster and with more confidence.
⏵ Blendo.co (2019-2020): Advisor to the CEO. Blendo is a lightning-fast data integration platform for cloud data. Acquired by RudderStack in 2020.

Advisor & Investor

Dropbox

At DocSend we enable business leaders to confidently share critical documents and get real-time, actionable feedback. Acquired by Dropbox in 2021.

As CMO I was responsible for go-to-market and partnerships for a Product-Led Growth model. Created the DocSend Startup Index (https://docsend.com/index) to track the activity of the startup fundraising market and demystify the capital raise process. Set up the company's channel program with VCs, banks and strategic technology partners. Launched the DocSend Fundraising Network (https://docsend.com/fundraising-network) to connect quality founders with committed VCs. These strategies drove 2x YoY ARR growth resulting in a successful exit to Dropbox.

After the acquisition, I managed the DocSend marketing integration into the Dropbox organization, retaining all members of the marketing team and maintaining the highest growth rates across all Dropbox product.

Chief Marketing Officer (DocSend)

Chartio

Advising the CEO on GTM strategy & execution.

Chartio couples incredibly powerful data processing and visualization with an intuitive user interface. Our vision: the democratization of data. Acquired by Atlassian in 2021.

I ran go-to-market strategy and execution based on a 100% inbound marketing model targeting data-conscious SMB teams. I implemented a full customer lifecycle marketing approach that delivers value from awareness (DataSchool.com), interest & engagement to acquisition, onboarding & advocacy (Data Heroes). I also owned and managed all partnerships and alliances with companies like AWS, Snowflake, Fivetran, and others. In this capacity, I brought to market an industry-first OEM offering for an automated cloud data stack that led to streamlining customer experience and blue ocean growth.

Support.com

Support.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPRT) is a leading provider of cloud-based software and services to disrupt customer support and deliver a fantastic customer experience leading to happier customers and greater brand loyalty.

I was part of a new executive management team that came in to lead the transformation of the company from technology support services to a cloud software provider. I launched and marketed a brand new SaaS product in the customer support space that reached $1M ARR in 15 months via an ABM go-to-market strategy targeting midsize and enterprise customers.

VP Marketing & Customer Success

NetDimensions

Established in 1999, NetDimensions (AIM: NETD; OTCQX: NETDY) is a global provider of performance, knowledge and learning management systems. Acquired by the Learning Technologies Group in 2017.

I joined as CMO to build the marketing function from the ground up, create a model for growth internationally and establish the company as a leader in the enterprise learning & talent management market. I led the transformation of the company's offering to a SaaS model and I drove new product innovation by successfully launching four new products as part of a rebranded product suite. This resulted to a 4x increase of revenue during my time with the company.

Covisio 

Boutique agency providing expert online marketing services to technology companies worldwide.  Covisio’s clients included global brands like Interwoven/Autonomy, OpenText, SPSS/IBM, Biodesix, Xyleme and NetDimensions. 

I co-founded and built organically from the ground up a profitable marketing agency focused exclusively on the technology sector and offering solutions for integrated content marketing, social media engagement, webinar & email campaign execution and sales enablement.

Managing Director & Co-founder

SaaS GTM leader and entrepreneur at heart | CMO with multiple exits

Engineer turned marketer with 20 years executive experience developing marketing strategies and leading global, integrated execution for software brands. Exceptional record in building high-velocity, data-driven SaaS marketing teams for new products in high-growth environments. Proven effectiveness in partnering with product, sales, and customer success to create outstanding outcomes across the entire customer lifecycle for sustainable and profitable growth. Multiple successful exits.

Leadership - I am a fair and decisive manager with experience leading international and matrix teams working remotely. I believe in building a strong culture of marketing measurement, linking marketing objectives to revenue growth, and differentiating via unique points of view and strong moats. I build and develop teams that excel and have fun.

Skills - Superb analytical, organizational, communicational, and presentational skills. Results-driven reflecting individual leadership and a strong team spirit. Ability to lead by example and innovate with an excellent grasp of both business and technology issues.

Overseeing marketing, sales, customer success, and partnerships. Humbled & excited to be working with some of the most forward-thinking B2B marketing teams in the industry as our customers.

MadKudu is a no-code platform that allows marketers to use data and science to run all of their go-to-market motions with their current team and stack. We power PLG marketing at scale.

Helping technical experts & product specialists improve their win rate on pitches. 829 clients helped to-date with training that had an immediate, positive impact on their results. Will you be next?

👩 Hello!  My name is Mary Beth and I help technical experts & product specialists improve their win rate on sales pitches by leveraging a 34-year-old template ➡ www.PitchWinMultiplier.com ⬅

Imagine tripling your sales pitch win rate. Sound good? Then, you're in exactly the right spot.

Who Am I?

I've spent over 25 years in corporate sales, navigating through senior roles at juggernauts like JPMorgan Chase, PwC, and Commerzbank. My journey has been more than a career; it's been a deep dive into the art of persuasive communication and sales strategy.

What I Do

🌎 Global Seminars: I've globe-trotted, teaching over 9,000 delegates the art of 'Pitching to Win' with a proven, 34-year-old template.

👥 Executive Coaching: Personal coach to 157 C-Suite executives, transforming their presentation skills into undeniable assets.

💡 Psychological Insights: Leveraging my background as an NLP Master Practitioner, Psychologist, and Hypnotherapist to unlock the secrets of persuasive communication.

How Can I Help You?

🔑 Unlocking Pitch Potential: Transform your pitches from good to unforgettable, making every word count and every moment resonate.

🎯 Tailored Strategies: Customized coaching that addresses your unique challenges and goals, ensuring you stand out in the crowded marketplace.

💡 Psychological Edge: Dive deep into the psychology of persuasion, learning how to connect, convince, and convert with ease.

Why Choose Me?

✅ Proven Experience: 25+ years in high-stakes sales environments.

✅ Global Recognition: 450+ glowing recommendations and a worldwide teaching footprint.

✅ Psychological Mastery: Unique insights into the human mind, enhancing how your messages are received and acted upon.

Let's Talk Results

⭐ Increased Win Rates: Aim to triple your success in closing deals through impactful pitches.

⭐ Engagement Boost: Captivate your audience, keeping them engaged and eager to act.

⭐ Long-Term Partnerships: Turn one-time pitches into ongoing relationships, driving sustained business growth.

Ready to Transform Your Pitches?

If you're looking to elevate your sales game, to not just participate in the market but dominate it, let's connect. Together, we'll unlock the full potential of your sales pitches, ensuring you lead the pack.

Your journey to sales pitch mastery starts here. Let's make those pitches not just heard, but unforgettable. 

✅ Are you in?  If so, check this out: ➡ www.PitchWinMultiplier.com ⬅

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Templates won't save your presentations.

I know. I sell templates.

But here's the truth:

A template gives you structure. It doesn't teach you why that structure works.

- It doesn't show you how to adapt when your CEO throws a curveball. 
- It doesn't help you read the room and pivot mid-slide. 
- It doesn't build the muscle memory that makes you confident under pressure.

Templates are training wheels. At some point, you need to learn to ride the bike.

After 24 years in financial services at JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, and Commerzbank—plus 15 years teaching presentation skills—I've seen the difference:

→ Template users plateau → Trained presenters compound

That's why I built my course: AI-Enhanced Presentation Mastery.

It's not about downloading files. It's about developing skills—with Copilot as your co-pilot.

When you bring coaching and training together with templates, you create the space to actually excel.

Link in comments 👇

I help executives present with confidence | 10,000+ trained | Ex-JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, Commerzbank

I watched a private equity associate waste his entire Sunday rebuilding a pitch deck.

The deal? £85 million acquisition. The deadline? Monday 8am partner review.

He had Copilot. He had all the data. He had 36 hours.

He still ended up at 2am manually fixing fonts, chasing rogue bullet points, and copy-pasting the same disclaimer onto 47 slides.

I know this pain intimately. 24 years in financial servies — JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, Commerzbank — I've been that person staring at a screen at midnight wondering why the technology that was supposed to save me time is somehow making everything worse.

Here's what nobody tells you about Microsoft Copilot for PowerPoint:

It's not broken. You're just prompting it like it's a search engine.

"Make this slide better" → rubbish output
"Fix the formatting" → chaos

But when you understand how AI actually thinks?

Same tool. 75% time savings. Decks that don't need 45 minutes of brand cleanup.

I've spent 8 months testing every Copilot update on real client work — investment banking pitches, M&A books, board presentations with those terrifying compliance requirements.

The November 2025 update finally fixed the brand consistency nightmare. I tested it on a corporate banking deck with notoriously strict guidelines. Before: 42 minutes of cleanup. After: 8 minutes.

I've documented everything — the prompts that actually work, the workflows, the mistakes that waste your time — in a tutorial I keep updated monthly.

If you're in financial services and Copilot isn't saving you hours yet, this will change that.

Link in comments 👇

Curious — what's your biggest Copilot frustration right now? Mine was the fonts. Always the fonts.

#MicrosoftCopilot #PowerPoint #FinancialServices #InvestmentBanking #Productivity

Executive Presentation Coach | PowerPoint Copilot Expert | 24 yrs JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, Commerzbank | Presentations that get results

Your slide has 3 seconds.

That's how long an executive spends deciding whether to keep reading or check their email.

Most slides fail this test instantly.

Here's the 60-second check I run before every executive presentation:

1. Can I explain this slide in ONE sentence? If not, split it or simplify it.

2. Is the "so what" obvious? Your audience should never wonder why they're seeing this.

3. Would my CEO understand this without me talking? Slides get forwarded. They need to stand alone.

4. Is there ONE clear takeaway? Multiple messages = no message.

5. Does the title tell the story? Not "Q3 Results" but "Q3 Revenue Up 12% Despite Market Headwinds"

6. Have I removed everything non-essential? Every element should earn its place.

After 24 years at JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, and Commerzbank, I've watched executives tune out of thousands of presentations.

The ones that got results? Passed all 6 questions.

Print this checklist. Use it before every presentation. It takes 60 seconds and catches 90% of problems.

Full breakdown + examples in comments 👇

3 books that transformed how I present.

Not presentation books. Not "public speaking" guides.

These shaped how I think about influence, structure, and connecting with an audience.

𝟭. "𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸" by Chip & Dan Heath

This book taught me why some ideas survive and others die.

The answer: Simple. Unexpected. Concrete. Credible. Emotional. Stories.

Every presentation I build now passes the "sticky" test. If I can't explain the core message in one sentence, I'm not ready to present.

𝟮. "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲" by Barbara Minto

This is the book McKinsey consultants learn from.

The key insight: Start with the answer. Group supporting ideas. Lead with what matters.

Most presenters build to a conclusion. Minto taught me to lead with it. Executives don't want a journey — they want the destination first.

𝟯. "𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲" by Robert Cialdini

This changed how I think about persuasion.

Reciprocity. Commitment. Social proof. Authority. Liking. Scarcity.

Every decision-maker is influenced by these principles — whether they know it or not. Understanding them made me a better presenter and a better reader of rooms.

—

Here's what connects all three:

Great presenting isn't about slides or delivery tricks.

It's about understanding how humans process information, make decisions, and take action.

The frameworks in these books work whether you're presenting to a board, pitching investors, or convincing your team.

AI can help you build slides faster.
But it can't replace understanding *why* certain messages land.

That's the human work.

♻️ Share if someone on your team needs a weekend reading list.

---

💬 What book changed how you communicate? Drop it below. I'm always looking for recommendations.

A director at a FTSE 250 company blocked his entire Saturday for a board presentation.

12 slides. 8 hours planned.

By 3pm, he was 6 hours in and only on slide 9.

The formatting kept breaking. The charts looked amateur. His wife wasn't happy.

Two weeks later, he built a similar deck in 41 minutes.

Same quality. Same professionalism. Different approach.

The difference wasn't a magic tool. It was learning to use AI properly.

Most executives treat Copilot like a fancy autocomplete:
→ "Create a presentation about Q4"
→ Get generic slides
→ Spend 3 hours fixing them manually

That's backwards.

The executives saving 70%+ of their time do three things differently:

1. They brief AI like a junior analyst (context, audience, constraints)
2. They know what AI should handle vs. what humans do best
3. They iterate WITH AI, not after AI

One prompt. Refine. Another prompt. Refine. Done.

The 6-hour deck becomes a 45-minute deck.

Not because AI is magic.

Because you learned how to use it.

I've trained 200+ executives on this approach. The pattern is always the same: they're working too hard because no one taught them the right method.

What's your current process for building presentations? Still doing it the old way, or have you cracked the AI code?

Budget season is here. And most requests will get the same response:

"Great idea. Let's revisit next quarter."

I watched a marketing director lose a £400K request this way. Her slides were thorough. Every chart was perfect. Two weeks of prep.

The CFO said it was "interesting." Meeting over. No decision.

Three months later, same request, same CFO.

She got £500K. More than she asked for.

The difference wasn't better data. It was a completely different structure:

Old approach (22 slides):
→ Background
→ Market research
→ Vendor comparison
→ Implementation plan
→ Finally... the ask

New approach (6 slides):
→ The Ask (yes, first)
→ The Problem (cost of inaction)
→ The Solution
→ The ROI (with assumptions shown)
→ The Timeline
→ The Risk Mitigation

CFOs don't reject good ideas. They reject presentations that don't speak their language.

Their language is ROI. Their question is "why this instead of everything else competing for budget?"

If you can't answer that on slide 1, you've already lost.

The £500K request? Her first slide said:

"Requesting £400K. Expected return: £1.2M in 12 months. 3x ROI. Decision needed by January 15."

32 words. The CFO knew exactly what was at stake before she even started presenting.

What's your budget request process look like?

Most executive presentations fail in the first 5 slides.

Not because the content is wrong.

Because they're built backwards.

After 24 years at JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, and Commerzbank, I've reviewed thousands of board decks and investor pitches.

The difference between funded and forgotten?

Usually comes down to structure, not substance.

Here are the 3 mistakes that kill executive presentations:

1.  Burying the lead - If your recommendation is on slide 15, you've already lost. Executives check out by slide 5.

2.  Label titles instead of message titles -  "Q3 Financial Results" tells me nothing. "Q3 Revenue Up 12% Despite Market Headwinds" tells me everything.

3.  Missing the decision - Every slide should answer: what do you need from me?

I've just published a complete guide covering:
→ The 10 executive presentation types you'll use throughout your career
→ Exact structures for each (QBR, budget request, board meeting, strategic recommendation)
→ A 60-second slide check used by investment bankers
→ AI prompts that turn 2-hour presentations into 30-minute tasks

Link in comments 👇

An £84 million deal.

Lost.

Not because of the financials. Not because of the strategy.

Because the banking team spent 18 hours rebuilding their pitch deck instead of rehearsing their delivery.

The competing bank closed the deal with a tighter deck, stronger delivery, and half the preparation time.

I watched this happen at a major UK clearing bank. And it changed how I think about presentation workflows in investment banking.

Here's what most PowerPoint Copilot guides get wrong:

They tell bankers to "create engaging presentations with compelling visuals."

That advice will get you fired in investment banking.

Banking presentations aren't about engagement. They're about precision, defensibility, and regulatory compliance.

Using the wrong shade of blue at my old bank could delay board approval for weeks. A junior banker nearly tanked a £120M acquisition because Copilot rounded a debt-to-equity ratio to 3.2 when the actual figure was 3.247.

Generic AI prompts don't understand:

→ 47-page brand guidelines that treat PMS 280 vs PMS 281 as a compliance violation
→ Financial figures that need auditable precision, not approximate charts
→ Regulatory language that can't be "simplified" without legal consequences
→ Credit committees who expect information in a specific sequence

I spent 24 years in corporate banking at JPMorgan Chase, PwC, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Commerzbank.

Now I help banking teams save 60-70% on pitch deck creation while maintaining the precision deals require.

I've put everything into a complete playbook: tested prompts, brand compliance workflows, Excel integration techniques, and real case studies from live deals.

If you're creating 2-5 pitch decks weekly and want those hours back for actual deal work, this is for you.

Link in the first comment.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 £𝟒𝟕,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬

A COO sat across from me, furious.

"We spent £47,000 on Copilot licenses. Adoption after 6 months? 11%."

Her CFO wanted to cancel everything.

I asked one question: "Did you calculate ROI before or after rollout?"

Silence.

Here's what I've learned from 23 Copilot implementations:

The companies that fail never measured.

The companies that succeed document everything.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐎𝐈 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
→ Investment bank M&A team: 6,760% ROI
→ Biotech exec team: 6,150% ROI
→ Management consultancy: 5,852% ROI

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐅𝐎𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞:
(Hours Saved × Hourly Rate × Annual Decks × Team Size) - License Cost = Net Value

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟒 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞:
1️⃣ No baseline measurement (78% of companies)
2️⃣ Generic training instead of industry-specific prompts
3️⃣ Expecting magic instead of building systems
4️⃣ No accountability for tracking results

That same COO?

Her team now has 89% adoption.

First-year savings exceeded £340,000.

The CFO became Copilot's biggest champion.

The difference wasn't the tool.

It was a 30-minute ROI calculation.

Bottom line: The question isn't "Is Copilot worth £360/person?"
It's "Can you afford NOT to know?"

P.S. I've written the complete guide to calculating and proving your Copilot PowerPoint ROI—including the exact CFO presentation template that's worked 17 times.

Link in comments 👇

♻️ Repost if this could help someone justify their tech investment.
💡 Follow Mary Beth Hazeldine for AI presentation insights that actually work.

PowerPoint Copilot is the most overhyped tool in Microsoft 365.

It's also massively underutilised.

Here's the thing: I've tested Copilot on 100+ real client presentations. Not demos with perfect data. Board decks. Investor pitches. QBRs with messy content and 48-hour deadlines.

Most people try it once, get generic garbage, and quit.

That's because they're using it wrong.

What Copilot actually does brilliantly: 
→ Turns a 30-page Word doc into a presentation draft in 60 seconds 
→ Organises your chaotic bullet points into logical slides 
→ Polishes wordy text faster than any human editor 
→ Generates speaker notes you'd actually use

What it does terribly: 
→ Creating presentations from nothing (you get corporate nonsense) 
→ Design and visual layout (mediocre at best) 
→ Data visualisation choices (default everything) 
→ Industry-specific content without guidance

The problem isn't the tool. It's expecting magic from vague prompts.

"Create a presentation about Q3 results" gives you trash.

"Create a 5-slide presentation for our CMO about Q3 marketing results. She needs to decide whether to increase Q4 budget. Include: headline results, channel performance, ROI analysis, recommendation. Tone: confident, data-driven, concise."  That gives you something usable.

The secret? Copilot is an accelerator, not a strategist.

You bring the thinking. It brings the speed.

Full breakdown (what works, what doesn't, and the exact prompts I use with banking and biotech clients)... link in the comments.

The biggest mistake I see in board presentations:

Burying the ask on slide 15.

After 24 years in banking and 15 years with Winning Presentations, I've watched executives with brilliant ideas fail because they built suspense like a Netflix drama.

Boards don't want suspense. They want answers.

Here's what I learned sitting in boardrooms where £50 million decisions were made:

Board members are scanning for 3 things:
→ What do you want?
→ What will it cost?
→ What's the return?

If they can't find these in 10 seconds, you've already lost them.

The fix is counterintuitive:

Put your recommendation on slide 1. Not your agenda. Not your introduction. Not "context setting."

Your ask.

Everything after that is supporting evidence.

I once saw a proposal get deferred twice. Same content. Same board.

The third time? The presenter moved the ask to slide 1.

Approved unanimously.

The content didn't change. The structure did.

---

What's the most frustrating presentation feedback you've ever received?

I'll share my worst one in the comments 👇

I just tested Agent Mode in PowerPoint Copilot.
Here's what it can (and can't) do for your presentations:

What Agent Mode does well:
→ Builds entire decks from a single prompt → Applies consistent formatting across all slides → Iterates on feedback without losing context → Handles multi-step instructions in one go
I gave it: "Create a 6-slide budget presentation requesting £400K for marketing automation. Include ROI projections and risk mitigation."
90 seconds later: A structured deck with an executive summary, investment table, timeline, and risk slide.
Two months ago, that same task would have taken 3-4 separate prompts and manual cleanup.

What Agent Mode still can't do:
✗ Know your audience's politics ✗ Anticipate the questions your CFO will ask ✗ Read the room when you're presenting ✗ Build the trust that gets proposals approved
The slides were solid. But they were still generic solid.
They didn't know that our CFO hates pie charts. Or that the VP of Sales will challenge any number over £200K. Or that the last automation project failed and everyone's still burned.

The real insight:
Agent Mode doesn't change what wins presentations.
It just handles the mechanical work faster — which means the human work matters more than ever.
The executives getting ahead aren't the ones with the best AI prompts.
They're the ones using AI to save 5 hours on slides... and investing that time in preparation, stakeholder relationships, and presence.

What's been your experience with Agent Mode so far?
Genuine question — I'm curious whether others are seeing the same pattern.

P.S. I'm teaching a course in January on combining AI efficiency with human persuasion. If that sounds useful, link in comments.

PowerPoint Copilot Agent Mode - What it can do (build decks, apply formatting, iterate, handle multi-step instructions) vs what it can't do (know audience politics, anticipate CFO questions, read the room, build trust)

The presentation that almost ended my banking career:

I was 26. First time presenting to the Executive Committee.

45 slides. Three weeks of prep. Every number memorised.

Seven minutes in, the Global Head of Operations held up his hand:

"What's the ask?"

My ask was on slide 38.

I froze. Fumbled forward. Lost the room completely.

The meeting ended with "send us a one-pager" — which in banking means no.

That moment taught me something I carried for 24 years:

Executives don't want information. They want decisions.

They don't want your journey. They want your conclusion.

They don't want 45 slides. They want to know what you need from them — in the first 2 minutes.

The best presenters I worked with at JPMorgan, PwC, RBS, and Commerzbank all did the same thing:

→ Led with the recommendation
→ Spent more time before the meeting than during it
→ Prepared for the conversation, not the presentation

Your slides are a prop. They're not the show.

The show is what happens in the room.

What's the worst presentation lesson you learned the hard way?

---

📋 I put together a free checklist of what to do before every executive presentation — the prep I wish I'd had at 26.

Link in comments.

I watched a £2M deal die last month.

Not because of the product. 
Not because of the price. 
Because of a 15-slide AI-generated deck.

The founder had used Copilot to create "the perfect pitch."

It was comprehensive. Professional. Beautifully formatted.

And utterly forgettable.

The PE firm's feedback: "We couldn't figure out what you actually wanted us to do."

Here's what AI gets wrong about presentations:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 ≠ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 AI includes everything. Great presentations focus ruthlessly on 2-3 messages.

𝟮. 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 A CFO wants ROI. A CTO wants integration. AI gives everyone the same generic deck.

𝟯. "𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹" ≠ "𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗲" Polished slides create false confidence. You trust the tool instead of testing the thinking.

The fix isn't avoiding AI.

It's using frameworks FIRST:

→ AVP (Action-Value-Proof) before prompting 
→ 132 Rule: 1 message, 3 points, 2 min per section 
→ S.E.E. Formula for memorable proof

AI is an execution tool, not a thinking tool.

The people pulling ahead use both.

P.S. I wrote the complete breakdown: why AI presentations fail and the 4-step fix.

Free checklist included.

Link in comments 👇

♻️ Repost if someone in your network relies too heavily on AI for important presentations.

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Mary Beth Hazeldine

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The Battle

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