Thinking clearly
about AI.
We work with organisations on AI. No hype, just practical, pragmatic advice and support.
Three things we do, in the combinations you need.
Awareness
We help you understand exactly how AI is, or is not, relevant to you right now. What are the opportunities? Where are the threats? How ready are your staff? What are your competitors doing? How are your compliance obligations shifting?
Direction
AI is progressing fast enough that it can feel impossible to plan more than a few months ahead. Good planning still matters. We work with you on flexible, pragmatic AI roadmaps, and align leadership around a shared view of what they mean.
Execution
Build, operate, transfer. Grounded in governance, curated knowledge, safe experimentation, and an adaptive culture. We productionise what works, establish feedback loops, and leave you with clear runbooks, not dependencies.
Two people, one practice.
Shepherd Thomas is a two-person practice. Between us, we've shipped work across business, not-for-profit, and government. We take on a small number of engagements so we can do the work ourselves.
Stephen Shepherd
An experienced coach and facilitator who has helped innumerable boards and executive teams set their strategic direction. Stephen enables alignment and keeps everyone on the same roadmap.
Barry Thomas
A technologist and futurist whose work across business, not-for-profit and government sectors has helped transform industries. Barry turns strategies into implemented plans.
Stephen is one of the sharpest people I have met in the industry and has a way of delivering a message in a powerful and effective manner.
MD, The Customer Experience Company
Barry stands out as a rare leader who combines deep technical knowledge with strategic business acumen.
Research Director, CSIRO's Data61