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Chief AI Academy

From AI-curious to AI leader in four weeks.

Four live evenings, a small group, and a working AI workflow of your own by the end. For managers and AI champions who want to lead adoption, not just read about it.

15 seats max Next cohort: 25 November 2026
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Trusted by 2,400+ professionals across 80+ workshops

ESADE Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts Austrian Standards EU Artificial Intelligence Act

Why the Chief AI Academy?

Unlike generic AI courses, we focus on change: what's possible, the toolkit that fits you, real prototypes, and AI that sticks after the course.

The AI possibility space

Get inspired

See what AI can really do for your company: live demos of real use cases across text, data, images, code and research.

Your AI toolkit

Get equipped

Master the tools that fit your world: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude and self-hosted options, and how to combine them.

From idea to prototype

Get building

Build real prototypes for your actual work, and find out what's worth pursuing and what isn't worth your time.

Sustainable AI operations

Get scaling

Turn your wins into team-wide change: an AI hub, documentation, training and measurable results.

90+professionals trained
10+hours saved per week
6+cohorts delivered
92%satisfaction rate
100%career boost guarantee

Your 4-week AI transformation sprint.

A proven journey from AI curiosity to AI operations that last. Wednesdays, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time, live online.

1Week 1 · Wednesday, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time

The AI possibility space

What if AI could do this for you?

See what's truly possible: live demos across text, data, images, code and research.

See what you'll get after week 1

What you'll learn

  • Why 2024–2025 changed everything, and why AI adoption is now essential
  • Five to six live demonstrations of AI capabilities you can apply immediately
  • What AI can't do yet: managing expectations and hallucinations
  • Ethics, bias and the human oversight imperative
  • Three skills tutorials to complete before week 2

Key skills you'll gain

AI opportunity mappingAI capability awarenessExpectation managementEthics awareness

Walk away knowing exactly where AI fits in your organisation.

Identify 3 AI opportunities

By the end of the session, you'll have real tasks to transform.

2Week 2 · Wednesday, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time

Your AI toolkit

Which AI platforms fit your world?

ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, self-hosted: learn which tools fit your tech stack, security requirements and compliance needs.

See what you'll get after week 2

What you'll learn

  • The AI platform landscape: strengths and trade-offs of each major player
  • A platform selection framework: tech stack, security, budget, team size
  • A live comparison demo: the same task across three platforms, and the real differences
  • How to build your personal multi-tool toolkit
  • Three skills tutorials to complete before week 3

Key skills you'll gain

Platform selectionMulti-tool strategySecurity assessmentProcurement navigation

Make confident platform decisions based on your tech stack, security needs and team requirements.

Week 2 deliverable

Your personalised AI toolkit: the right platforms for your specific role and organisation.

3Week 3 · Wednesday, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time

From idea to prototype

Is this use case worth it?

Not every AI idea is worth building. Learn to evaluate, prioritise and prototype the ones that matter.

See what you'll get after week 3

What you'll learn

  • The Toothbrush Test: our 2x2 framework for evaluating any AI use case
  • Use case prioritisation: quick wins, strategic projects, and what to avoid
  • From prototype to production: documentation, training and team handoff
  • Automation platforms: n8n, Power Automate, and when to use which
  • Three skills tutorials that deliver complete, working prototypes

Key skills you'll gain

Use case evaluationRapid prototypingn8n / Power AutomateProduction readiness

Build with n8n and Power Automate: platforms your IT team will actually approve.

Week 3 deliverable

A working prototype ready to test, and a clear plan to scale it.

4Week 4 · Wednesday, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time

Building sustainable AI operations

How do we make AI stick?

From individual wins to organisation-wide change: build the AI hub, data foundations and governance your organisation needs.

See what you'll get after week 4

What you'll learn

  • A prototype showcase: how peers across industries applied AI
  • From prototype to team adoption: documentation, training and handoff
  • Building your AI hub: one place for capabilities, knowledge sharing and best practices
  • Data sharing strategies: making your organisation's data accessible and AI-ready
  • The AI organisation: governance, policies and guardrails for adoption that lasts

Key skills you'll gain

AI hub designData sharing strategyAI governanceChange management

Build the hub, data foundations and governance that turn AI experiments into lasting operations.

Week 4 deliverable

A certificate of completion, the alumni network, monthly webinars and continued community access.

Small cohorts

Fifteen AI leaders at most. Real conversations, not a webinar crowd.

Community

Six months of premium community access included.

Practical focus

No theory for its own sake: workflows you can use the next morning.

Learn from people who do this every week.

Your instructors have run 80+ workshops for 2,400+ professionals and identified 1,500+ real-world AI use cases across industries.

Malcolm Werchota

Malcolm Werchota

Co-founder and Principal Partner
NovartisESADESerial entrepreneur
  • Former Global AI Evangelist at Novartis (a $2B business unit)
  • 80+ AI workshops delivered to 2,400+ professionals
  • Faculty at ESADE and HSLU
  • Serial entrepreneur: from pharma to AI consulting
Maria Werchota

Maria Werchota

Co-founder and Managing Partner
SchlumbergerPhD in mathematicsLeadership coach
  • Led teams from Siberian drilling platforms to executive deployments in Africa
  • Designs AI-powered organisational architectures for enterprise transformation
  • Weaves mindfulness into operational strategy
  • Leads AI training and development initiatives

Investment options

Choose the option that works for you or your team. All prices exclude VAT.

Individual

Perfect for AI champions and leaders

€1,500One-time fee €1,600 Save €100
  • Four live sessions (Wednesdays, 18:00–20:00 Vienna time)
  • All session materials and recordings
  • Circle community access
  • Quarterly alumni AI updates
  • On-demand 1:1 office hours
  • AI leadership toolkit: frameworks, templates and real case studies
Enroll now
Best value

Teams

Scale AI leadership across your organisation

€1,000Save up to 33% €1,500 Save €500 per person (teams of 2–6)
  • Everything in Individual
  • Two to six team members from your organisation
  • A shared AI language across your team
  • Built-in momentum and accountability
  • Fast-track to implementation projects (25% discount on the AI Playbook)
  • Further partnership opportunities
Enroll your team

Alumni discounts!

Alumni get a discount on every later cohort, and 15% off the AI Playbook when they bring it to their organisation.

Upcoming cohorts: choose your start date

Cohort 4 · starts 25 November 2026Cohort 5 · date to follow

Sessions

25 Nov2 Dec9 Dec16 Dec
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Want this for your whole team? We bring it in-house.

The same curriculum runs as a private cohort for one company: AI Capability Building: Fluency cohort. Four sessions, your people only, one flat fee for the group.

See the team programme →

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions about the Chief AI Academy.

What if I can't attend a live session?

Every session is recorded and online within 24 hours. You also get the session templates and can book office hours to catch up.

What tools do I need?

Just your computer and internet access. We work with free AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and business tools you likely already use.

Is this only for agencies?

No. It's for business leaders, managers and AI champions in any organisation who want to drive AI adoption in practice.

How technical do I need to be?

Not at all. If you can use ChatGPT and tools like email or a CRM, you can do this programme.

What's the time commitment?

One two-hour live session a week, plus two to three hours applying it to your own work.

How does the guarantee work?

If you don't have a working AI workflow saving you time by the end of week 2, we refund your full investment. No questions, no hassle.

Can team members join different cohorts?

Yes, though joining the same cohort gives your team more to build on together.

What support do I get afterwards?

Lifetime access to the alumni community, quarterly group calls, and updated templates and resources.

Ready to become the AI leader in your organisation?

Join the next cohort and lead your organisation's AI adoption by week 4. Fifteen seats; the next cohort starts on 25 November.

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