The Unworking Podcast

Driving Workplace Change with Agentic AI: A Conversation with Elisa Rönkä

The Unworking Podcast Season 1 Episode 23

In this episode of The Unworking Podcast, we are excited to welcome Elisa Rönkä, Managing Director, Digital at Johnson Controls, and a leading voice in smart building innovation. 

Elisa joins us to explore how AI—especially agentic AI—is reshaping the workplace and what it means to move from tool-based technology to truly outcome-driven solutions.

Elisa unpacks why many traditional workplace technologies fail to deliver value and how this next wave of AI challenges everything from software procurement models to legacy mindsets. She shares strategies for overcoming resistance to change, highlights the importance of empathy in technology adoption, and offers a bold vision for a future where AI is a trusted team member, not a threat.

We discuss the end of the current SaaS model as we know it, the need for trust and governance in AI systems, and how human-machine collaboration could solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our industry. With deep insights and refreshing honesty, Elisa paints a compelling picture of what the smart building industry could—and should—look like by 2030.

Don’t miss this thoughtful and energising conversation from one of the leading thinkers in workplace transformation.

Connect with Elisa Rönkä:
LinkedIn

Get in Contact with UnWork:
If anything in this podcast has piqued your curiosity and you want to delve deeper into the conversation, please get in contact with us at unworking@unwork.com. We look forward to hearing from you!