How can AI agents transform employee and business communication workflows and processes? Frank Gauld, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Poppulo weighs in with a few thoughts:
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Take us through your journey as CPTO in the HRTech space and more about your experience building Poppulo’s product?
I joined Poppulo a year ago to lead our product management organization, so I’m relatively new to the HRTech space. However, my 20 years as a product and technology executive in the banking and fintech sectors have equipped me with a deep understanding of the demands faced by large enterprises, similar to those Poppulo supports with our employee communications software.
What drew me to Poppulo was the chance to bridge the gap between organizations and their people. As any HR leader can attest, employee disengagement places a tremendous strain on an organization’s ability to grow and adapt. Poppulo was one of the pioneers in addressing this challenge through robust internal communications, and it’s been exhilarating to build on an already market-leading product.
One of the most exciting opportunities for us now is integrating more AI into our products. Our goal is to enhance efficiencies while maintaining a human-centric approach, enabling hyper-personalization at scale of messages to foster greater workforce connection and engagement. Organizations can finally create employee experiences that are as tailored and engaging as those we encounter in our consumer lives.
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What would you say are some of the biggest drawbacks in modern day employee and business comms?
One of the biggest challenges we face today in employee and business communications is the lack of targeted messaging. This often leads to communication overload, where employees are inundated with information that isn’t relevant to them, causing distraction and reducing productivity.
Another significant issue is the one-size-fits-all approach. Many organizations rely on single communication channels, which means they’re not meeting employees where they prefer to receive information. This can result in disengagement and missed opportunities for effective communication.
Tool sprawl is also a common problem. With so many communication tools available, it can be difficult to maintain governance, ensure consistent messaging, and manage budgets effectively. Juggling multiple platforms often becomes cumbersome and counterproductive.
Lastly, there’s a notable lack of measurement and insights. Many organizations still don’t have a way to collect data on what employees are actually consuming and what’s working. Without these insights, it’s tough to refine and improve communication strategies effectively.
As enterprises open up to AI Agents in this regard, what should they keep in mind at the starting stages of implementation/deployment?
When embarking on the journey of implementing AI agents, it’s essential to start with clear goals and well-defined use cases. This approach ensures that the AI aligns with business priorities and delivers tangible value. For instance, focusing on automating routine tasks or enhancing employee experience can make a significant impact.
Equally important is the quality of data. AI thrives on accurate, complete, and relevant data, so robust data governance practices are crucial. At Poppulo, we help clients build these datasets with deep insight into their historical content and engagement data. Our system also uses what’s known as explainable AI (XAI) so the reasoning is transparent, and customers know they can trust the outputs.
To that end, human oversight plays a vital role in the deployment of AI agents. Keeping humans involved in critical decision-making processes ensures that the AI makes ethical choices. Moreover, fostering collaboration between AI and employees can boost productivity and build confidence in the technology.
Ethical considerations and governance cannot be overlooked. It’s imperative that AI operates transparently and ethically to avoid issues like bias and privacy violations. Establishing a governance framework to oversee AI deployment ensures that it aligns with organizational values and complies with regulations.
Addressing these essential aspects can set enterprises up for a successful AI implementation, paving the way for future innovations and improvements.
Can you share a few highlights on Poppulo’s AI agents for enterprise comms and how it’s an enabler given modern workplace challenges?
Poppulo’s AI Agents are redefining enterprise communications by turning internal comms teams into strategic powerhouses. Traditional communication methods can’t keep pace in today’s workplace, where employees expect personalized, relevant, and timely information across multiple channels. That’s where Poppulo’s AI Agents come in.
These agents aren’t just productivity boosters. They act as intelligent partners that automate and optimize the full communications lifecycle—from planning and creation to personalization, delivery, and analysis. What makes them transformative is their ability to learn from every campaign, adapt in real time, and make data-backed recommendations for what communicators should do next.
With deep insight into employee behaviors, preferences, and sentiment, Poppulo’s AI Agents enable communicators to:
- Deliver hyper-personalized messaging at scale
- Ensure alignment with business goals
- Continuously improve outcomes through real-time analysis
Whether crafting messages in a brand’s tone, translating them into multiple languages, or recommending the best delivery time and channel, these agents remove guesswork and reduce manual effort, allowing teams to focus on strategy and storytelling.
In a modern workplace where change moves fast and alignment matters more than ever, Poppulo’s AI Agents empower enterprise communicators to accelerate transformation, foster engagement, and drive measurable impact, turning communications into a critical business advantage.
A few thoughts on the future impact of AI on HR and HRTech?
AI is already transforming internal communications, and its impact on HR and HRTech is only accelerating. As highlighted in our CEO, Ruth Fornell’s, keynote at our recent Pop Summit 2025 event, AI isn’t just improving efficiency—it’s helping organizations reimagine how they engage employees. From automating routine tasks to delivering personalized content at scale, AI enables HR and communications teams to focus more on strategy, culture, and connection. The future isn’t about replacing human expertise, it’s about using AI to amplify it.
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[To share your insights with us, please write to psen@itechseries.com ]
Chief Product and Technology Officer, Poppulo. Frank is an experienced product leader who has more than 20 years’ experience, serving at executive level in product management, product development, IT and professional services organizations