The hardest part of AI adoption isn’t the technology. It’s the people.
I’m Dr. Xenia Wade. For over a decade I’ve studied and led organizational change, first as a researcher, then as a manager running large digital transformations at Accenture. I bring that background to the problem most AI rollouts run into: the technology works, but the people were never part of the plan.
Book a Discovery Call →- PhD, Universität Trier
- Ex-Accenture Manager: 30,000+ users, 800+ banking institutions
- University lecturer, 10+ years
- Favikon Top #44 Digital Transformation Consultants on LinkedIn, DE 06/2026
- 900K+ LinkedIn impressions in under 12 months
My PhD at Universität Trier studied intergenerational knowledge transfer: why knowledge between people doesn’t move the way organizations assume it will. I published, presented at the Academy of Management, and taught at university level.
Then I went into the field. Nearly 6.5 years at Accenture, first as a consultant and then as a manager, on large-scale digital transformation: Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 rollouts across more than 800 German banking institutions, reaching over 30,000 users. Change management, training, communication. I led sub-projects of up to 40 people, held client relationships across multi-year engagements, and was the internal go-to on anything workforce and change related. I saw up close why these initiatives stall. The tools were fine but the people layer was the problem.
In 2026, after relocating internationally, I founded Xenia Wade Consulting to do the work most transformation programs skip: diagnosing the real adoption risks before they become expensive failures.
Background
Rooted in Real Expertise
PhD, Management, Organisation & Human Resources
Universität Trier · Erasmus teaching residency, University of Warwick
M.A. Economic Sociology
Universität Trier & Clark University, USA
B.A. Sociology
Universität Trier & Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium
Certifications
Research
The whitepaper I’m writing asks one question: why do AI rollouts stall even when the technology works and leadership is committed? To answer it, I’m interviewing senior transformation and technology leaders across three continents. Banking, FMCG, higher education, manufacturing, utilities. More than a dozen interviews so far, structured through the Organizational Adoption Profile.
The same question drove my PhD a decade ago, just with a different technology. Knowledge does not move the way organizations assume it will. Neither does adoption.
Selected publications
Published under my maiden name, Schmidt.
- Determinants of role-incongruent knowledge transfer behavior of apprentices and trainers in the context of the German apprenticeship system.German Journal of Human Resource Management
- What’s so special about intergenerational knowledge transfer? Identifying challenges of intergenerational knowledge transfer.Management Revue
As Heard On
Podcast Appearances
Now to Next · Jason Averbook
EP26: The Human Side of AI: Trust, Fear, and Why Change Management Must Change with Dr. Xenia Wade
Three Moves That Get Your AI Adoption Off the FloorYou bought the AI licenses. Most of them sit unused. I wrote a short field guide with three moves to change that. Get The Field Guide → |
Work With MeBook a 30-minute discovery call to discuss your organization’s adoption challenges. Explore what’s getting in the way of momentum and where clarity is missing. Schedule a Discovery Call → |