Contract to services companies to plan and execute commercial strategy - leveraging the latest tech and AI (All DM's confidential).

Commercial strategy focuses on inflating company earnings valuation via a combination of product, marketing, sales, and distribution initiatives - a mix of core business strategy and functional execution. 

Senior executives often lack access to independent (conflict-free) advice to help optimize the ~7%+ of gross rev they allocate to S&M (or 'growth') each year. This high-risk expenditure often comes with low independent oversight and governance. 

Instead of spending more, changing platforms or vendors, often quicker gains can be had by...

- adding proper strategy into BAU operations 
- better measurement systems
- enhancing internal capability
- direct incentive structures

Engagements typically start with advisory, audits, reviews, workshops, or simple execution oversight. Then custom project work where needed. Once the earnings engine is humming, I then move back into an advisory role.

I've helped hundreds of firms in over 50 sectors, across 4 continents over 17 years.  Professional services, to product, e-com, B2B, B2C and SaaS. From women's luxury apparel, to industrial manufacturing, fine art, plastic surgery, fintech, proptech, education, real estate and more. 

I suit private businesses ($10-200m ARR), PE and forward-thinking corporate brands. Usually reporting directly to the owner, board, C-suite or department heads.

Titles vary from, strategy consultant to fractional CMO, CRO to CGO, CCO, advisor, NED etc. 

In between engagements I work on AI tech of my own. 

You might see me occasionally speak at conferences like WMF or SXSW. Or stumble across articles I've written, heard me on podcasts, seen one of my viral memes on Twitter or completed one of my courses. If you have - cheers!

I also produce a podcast/show called Champagne Strategy which explores all the areas I encounter professionally, featuring world-class practitioners from all around the world. 

DM me to discuss consulting/advisory work, fractional roles and speaking opportunities.

If budgets are tight - follow the link in my bio for pro-bono resources which include:
- the Champagne Strategy podcast
- Hybrency YouTube channel
- A Dose of John *LinkedIn) & Hybrency (Substack) newsletters
- Twitter/X memes
- Brandingmag article series
- Vexpower brand tracking course

TL:DR I enjoy solving difficult business problems for those in need, because everyone wins

John James

Bring joy, build trust, spark fresh ideas. Data driven & human inspired. Digital Transformation @ L’Oreal

My career lives at the intersection of a genuine passion for creative, human-centered businesses and a deep technical knowledge rooted in a computer science degree from École Polytechnique. This dual perspective has been central to my work, from leading digital transformation in operational business units to building L'Oréal's global marketing automation capabilities.

Today, as Generative AI Business Transformation Director, I am hands-on in bringing AI to life across the organization. This practical experience allows me to turn AI's vast potential into tangible business impact, demystifying complexity and translating cutting-edge possibilities into strategic outcomes.

I thrive on pushing boundaries, leading integrated teams to solve core challenges, and making ambitious ideas a reality.

Jean-Paul Paoli Michon

Labs trained AI to code because code was measurable.
They aimed for developer productivity.
They got universal digital automation.

The most specific skill produced the most general capability.

Jean-Paul Paoli

Strategize & Scale GenAI @ L’Oréal | GenAI since GPT2 | Top Voice Jan 24

The $15 Trillion Advance: Why Coding Agents Aren't Staying in Engineering Coding agents are already generating production-ready software. That’s not t

Open article: Code Was Never About Software by Jean-Paul Paoli • 2 min read

Your AI adoption is up.
That's the problem.

Your team uses AI daily.
Prompts up. Content generated up.
Dashboards green.

Value produced: flat.

You're not doing it wrong.
You're measuring the wrong thing.

When activity becomes the target,
the system optimizes for activity.
With great dashboards.

Your AI adoption rate is up. Prompts used: up. Content generated: up. And your organization is producing exactly as much value as before. There's an i

Open article: AI: Activity Metrics Have Two Failure Modes. Both Look Like Wins. by Jean-Paul Paoli • 2 min read

AI: Activity Metrics Have Two Failure Modes. Both Look Like Wins.

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