ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
An AI-native strategy firmGlobal Advisors: a consulting leader in defining quantified strategy, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions, achieving measureable results.
A Different Kind of Partner in an AI World
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consulting
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Quantified Strategy
Decreased uncertainty, improved decisions
Global Advisors is a leader in defining quantified strategies, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions and achieving measureable results.
We specialise in providing highly-analytical data-driven recommendations in the face of significant uncertainty.
We utilise advanced predictive analytics to build robust strategies and enable our clients to make calculated decisions.
We support implementation of adaptive capability and capacity.
Our latest
Thoughts
Podcast – The Real AI Signal from Davos 2026
While the headlines from Davos were dominated by geopolitical conflict and debates on AGI timelines and asset bubbles, a different signal emerged from the noise. It wasn’t about if AI works, but how it is being ruthlessly integrated into the real economy.
In our latest podcast, we break down the “Diffusion Strategy” defining 2026.
3 Key Takeaways:
- China and the “Global South” are trying to leapfrog: While the West debates regulation, emerging economies are treating AI as essential infrastructure.
- China has set a goal for 70% AI diffusion by 2027.
- The UAE has mandated AI literacy in public schools from K-12.
- Rwanda is using AI to quadruple its healthcare workforce.
- The Rise of the “Agentic Self”: We aren’t just using chatbots anymore; we are employing agents. Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett revealed he has established a “Head of Experimentation and Failure” to use AI to disrupt his own business before competitors do. Musician will.i.am argued that in an age of predictive machines, humans must cultivate their “agentic self” to handle the predictable, while remaining unpredictable themselves.
- Rewiring the Core: Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted the difference between an “AI veneer” and a fundamental rewire. It’s no longer about summarising meetings; it’s about autonomous agents resolving customer issues without scripts.
The Global Advisors Perspective: Don’t wait for AGI. The current generation of models is sufficient to drive massive value today. The winners will be those who control their “sovereign capabilities” – embedding their tacit knowledge into models they own.
Read our original perspective here – https://with.ga/w1bd5
Listen to the full breakdown here – https://with.ga/2vg0z
Strategy Tools
Strategy Tools: The 7S Framework – A Comprehensive Guide
By John Khova Global Advisors digital consultant Introduction The McKinsey 7S Framework is one of the most enduring and widely recognised management models in strategic consulting and organisational design. It posits that organisational effectiveness depends not on...
Fast Facts
Fast Fact: Great returns aren’t enough
Key insights
It’s not enough to just have great returns – top-line growth is just as critical.
In fact, S&P 500 investors rewarded high-growth companies more than high-ROIC companies over the past decade.
While the distinction was less clear on the JSE, what is clear is that getting a balance of growth and returns is critical.
Strong and consistent ROIC or RONA performers provide investors with a steady flow of discounted cash flows – without growth effectively a fixed-income instrument.
Improvements in ROIC through margin improvements, efficiencies and working-capital optimisation provide point-in-time uplifts to share price.
Top-line growth presents a compounding mechanism – ROIC (and improvements) are compounded each year leading to on-going increases in share price.
However, without acceptable levels of ROIC, the benefits of compounding will be subdued and share price appreciation will be depressed – and when ROIC is below WACC value will be destroyed.
Maintaining high levels of growth is not as sustainable as maintaining high levels of ROIC – while both typically decline as industries mature, growth is usually more affected.
Getting the right balance between ROIC and growth is critical to optimising shareholder value.
Selected News
Term: Agent2Agent (A2A)
“The Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol is an open standard that enables different AI agents, built by various vendors and using diverse frameworks, to seamlessly communicate, collaborate, and coordinate on complex tasks.” – Agent2Agent (A2A)
A2A addresses the challenges of multi-agent systems by providing a vendor-neutral framework for agents to discover each other, exchange capabilities, delegate tasks, and manage complex workflows.1,2,3 It leverages familiar web standards such as HTTP, JSON-RPC, and Server-Sent Events (SSE) to ensure reliable, interoperable interactions while incorporating enterprise-grade security features like JWT and OIDC authentication.1
Key Features of A2A
- Agent Discovery and Capabilities Exchange: Agents publish standardised ‘Agent Cards’ (JSON files) that detail their abilities, enabling dynamic discovery and task negotiation.1,3
- Structured Task Management: Defines protocols for task delegation using unique task IDs, supporting states like submitted, working, and completed, ideal for long-running processes.1,3
- Standards-Based Communication: Uses HTTP POST requests and structured JSON messages for consistent messaging between client agents (task initiators) and remote agents (task executors).1,3
- Enterprise Security and Privacy: Includes encryption, fine-grained authorisation, payload validation, and support for various authentication schemes to protect data and identities.1,2
- Support for Collaboration: Facilitates message exchanges for context sharing, real-time updates via asynchronous notifications, and dynamic UX negotiation.1,3
How A2A Works
A2A operates on a client-server model: the client agent formulates tasks and identifies suitable remote agents via Agent Cards, then communicates structured requests over HTTP.3 Tasks progress through defined lifecycles with messages containing parts for content delivery, ensuring agents remain synchronised even in opaque, diverse environments.1,3
For example, in e-commerce, an inventory agent could use A2A to collaborate with demand forecasting, customer service, and logistics agents to optimise supply chains.5
Key Theorist: Sundar Pichai and Google’s Role in A2A
No single ‘strategy theorist’ in the traditional academic sense originated A2A, as it is a practical engineering protocol driven by industry leaders. The most directly associated figure is **Sundar Pichai**, CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc., whose strategic vision propelled its development and announcement.4
Biography of Sundar Pichai
Born in 1972 in Madurai, India, Sundar Pichai grew up in a modest middle-class family. He excelled academically, earning a degree in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1993. Pichai then pursued higher education in the US, obtaining an MS in materials science from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.1 (Note: Biographical details drawn from general knowledge, aligned with A2A context.)
Joining Google in 2004, Pichai initially led product management for Google Chrome, transforming it into the world’s most-used browser through innovative strategies emphasising speed, security, and user-centric design. His success led to promotions: Vice President of Product Development (2008), overseeing Chrome OS and apps; Senior VP for Chrome and Android (2012); and Chief Business Officer (2014). In 2015, he became CEO of Google, and in 2019, CEO of parent company Alphabet Inc.4 (contextual link).
Relationship to A2A
Under Pichai’s leadership, Google prioritised AI agent interoperability as part of its broader AI strategy, culminating in the A2A protocol’s announcement via the Google Developers Blog in 2025.4 Pichai’s emphasis on open standards mirrors his earlier work on Chrome’s open-source model, fostering ecosystems over proprietary silos. A2A embodies his vision for ‘a new era of agent interoperability,’ enabling secure multi-agent collaboration across frameworks – much like Android unified mobile ecosystems.1,4
Pichai’s strategic oversight ensured A2A adhered to principles of discovery, interoperability, delegation, and trust, positioning Google as a leader in agentic AI infrastructure while inviting broad industry adoption through its open GitHub repository.7
Tags: Agent2Agent, A2A, agents, AI, artificial intelligence, term
References
1. https://www.solo.io/topics/ai-infrastructure/what-is-a2a
2. https://developer.pingidentity.com/identity-for-ai/agents/idai-what-is-a2a.html
3. https://www.descope.com/learn/post/a2a
4. https://developers.googleblog.com/en/a2a-a-new-era-of-agent-interoperability/
5. https://www.alumio.com/blog/what-is-a2a-agent2agent-ai-protocol
6. https://www.credal.ai/blog/what-is-agent2agent-a2a-protocol
7. https://github.com/a2aproject/A2A
8. https://ai.pydantic.dev/a2a/
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tud9HLTk8hg
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