Most CEOs talk about AI adoption. Few have the courage to deploy untested technology in clinical settings where lives are at stake.

When Michelle Aquilina joined MoleMap Australia and New Zealand as CEO, she stepped into a business facing a range of commercial and strategic headwinds, including an identity challenge as it oscillated between the technology, healthcare and retail niches.

But she also discovered something remarkable: a proprietary AI algorithm that had been developed years earlier but remained dormant.

“I came along and thought, ‘This is the golden nugget that MoleMap has been waiting for, and that can seriously elevate early skin cancer detection,’” Aquilina recalls on CEO: Behind the Scenes. “And it required bravery and courage.”

Balancing innovation with oversight

That bravery paid off. MoleMap now operates Kāhu AI, which provides 95 percent accuracy in detecting potentially life-threatening melanoma.

But Aquilina’s approach wasn’t reckless innovation. She established an AI governance committee comprising independent bodies, AI experts, dermatologists, general practitioners, registered nurses and the executive team to continuously challenge the status quo.

What’s more, the AI journey revealed important limitations.

“We know that the AI is not a good reader over tattoos or within hair,” Aquilina explains. “So this is why I strongly believe that the world of AI will never take over the human element of healthcare, and it can’t, because there’s always a degree of variability.”

Research conducted across Australia and New Zealand revealed another critical insight: Communities loved the concept of AI but didn’t trust it yet. This finding shaped MoleMap’s soft launch strategy, positioning Kāhu AI as a ‘second set of eyes’ rather than a replacement for clinicians.

Leading the AI transformation

The integration required far more than the deployment of new technology. Aquilina believed that as AI becomes increasingly commoditized, competitive advantage will stem not only from the technology itself, but from an organization’s ability to lead change, drive adoption and execute effectively. With that in mind, she focused on building alignment across the business.

She appointed dedicated AI champions, tasked with visiting every clinic to educate staff on why Kāhu AI was being incorporated and how it would benefit both patients and clinicians. At the same time, she ensured MoleMap’s people were united behind a shared vision for the transformation and worked to connect the strategy, systems, processes and service delivery model required to support successful implementation.

By aligning leadership, technology and frontline operations, MoleMap created the conditions for AI to be embedded seamlessly into clinical practice rather than being treated as a standalone technology initiative. For Aquilina, the lesson was clear.

As AI becomes more accessible and widely available, sustainable advantage comes from both the technology and an organization’s ability to lead change, build trust and integrate innovation into the way it delivers value to customers and patients.

Building trust and driving adoption

The approach worked. Registered nurses embraced the technology immediately. Rather than viewing the technology as a replacement, clinicians saw it as a tool that enhanced their expertise and enabled them to focus on the patient interactions and clinical judgement that AI could not replicate.

Patients also quickly became comfortable with the technology when its role was clearly explained, understanding that it served as an additional layer of support in the diagnostic process while their care remained firmly in the hands of experienced clinicians.

Aquilina even brought reluctant dermatologists along by demonstrating how the technology complemented rather than competed with their expertise. Since then, the results speak for themselves: greater accuracy in diagnostics and fewer unnecessary excision rates.

Beyond clinical applications, MoleMap Australia and New Zealand has deployed agentic AI solutions in back-office operations. ‘Molly’, an AI voice agent, interacts with potential corporate clients and converts them into warm leads. She can engage with 1,000 customers daily compared to the five a human sales representative can handle.

“And then we have our amazing team that then comes in and closes the deal,” Aquilina explains.

With her own success story clear to see, Aquilina’s advice to other CEOs is unequivocal: “Leaders most definitely need to embrace digital technology and AI. If you are not doing this today or within the short-term, you will be left behind.”