The Rise of the CAIO: Strategic Takeaways from Holon’s AI Leadership Event
By Eric Postow
On August 7, Holon and EisnerAmper co-hosted a packed evening in New York City focused on the rising power and impact of the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO). What started as an intimate breakfast series in Washington, D.C. has grown into a bicoastal movement—one that brings together top thinkers, operators, and regulators for focused, future-oriented strategy around AI implementation.
The August session was well attended, with participation from multiple industries and disciplines—technology, finance, consumer products, law, and public sector leaders all showed up to move the conversation forward.
Moderated by Holon’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chair of the AI Practice Group, Eric Postow, the fireside chat featured David Frigeri, CAIO at EisnerAmper, and Randy Soper, former Chief of AI at the Internal Revenue Service. Together, they tackled how the CAIO is fast becoming a strategic pillar of enterprise leadership, how to translate AI initiatives into measurable ROI, and why regulatory literacy is essential as state-level AI legislation continues to outpace federal frameworks.
The takeaway was clear: the Big Four are already all-in. Firms like EY and PwC are advancing enterprise-wide AI transformations. Mid-tier firms must now leapfrog cautiously but deliberately—and learn from leaders like EisnerAmper, where Frigeri’s work emphasizes measurable value, implementation discipline, and cross-departmental alignment.
The event was enriched by two standout Holon clients who are helping define what AI looks like in practice today. Toufi Saliba, CEO of HyperCycle, shared a powerful glimpse into his company’s breakthrough infrastructure, described as “the internet for AI-to-AI operations.” HyperCycle is building the core backbone that enables secure, scalable coordination between decentralized AI agents—a critical foundation for enterprise-level AI adoption across sectors. Toufi’s contributions underscored the importance of infrastructure-first thinking as AI continues to proliferate in corporate strategy.
Michael O’Donnell, CEO of Emergent Beverage, brought a market-facing perspective on how AI can fuel growth in consumer products and brand-driven industries. His insights reflected the unique challenges—and opportunities—emerging companies face in applying AI to marketing, logistics, and product innovation. Both leaders showcased how visionary founders and enterprise strategists are converging in this moment, not only talking about AI’s potential—but building it.
We’re thrilled to announce that Round Two of our series will take place on November 17 in New York City. This next session will focus squarely on AI and the C-Suite—what it means for general counsel, CFOs, COOs, and other executive leaders to understand, adopt, and govern AI in their domains. This isn’t a tech conversation. It’s a leadership conversation—and one that’s only becoming more urgent.
Mark your calendars. Details to follow. Seats will be limited.
