AI Leadership in Action: How Red Robin Balances Innovation, Governance, and Real Business Impact

AI adoption in enterprise environments requires a delicate balance between encouraging employee innovation and maintaining rigorous governance. Deena DePhilips, VP and Head of Technology at Red Robin, emphasizes a "lean in and lead" philosophy, where executive sponsorship and a growth mindset drive transformation. Rather than chasing every trend, organizations should prioritize pragmatic use cases that improve operational efficiency, such as optimizing labor and cost of goods. Empowering employees to "run to the edges" through controlled experimentation fosters deeper understanding, while clear policies and training mitigate risks like data leakage. Ultimately, AI serves as an "Ironman suit" for restaurant managers, automating complex tasks to free up time for meaningful human-to-human guest interactions. This journey involves moving from wobbly initial steps to a more structured, agentic workforce that delivers tangible business value without needing to solve every problem with technology.