Reimagining Work, Not Replacing Workers: Ivanti’s Human-Centric Approach to Generative AI

How Ivanti turned disruption into opportunity by empowering employees, redefining roles, and building a responsible governance model led by legal and HR leadership.

When generative AI exploded onto the global stage in 2023, many companies scrambled to understand what it meant for their operations, teams, and future. But at Ivanti, a global software leader, there was no panic—only purpose. Rather than reacting to AI’s rise with fear or denial, Ivanti responded with strategy, empathy, and a commitment to its people.

At the heart of this forward-thinking approach was Brooke Johnson, Ivanti’s Chief Legal Counsel, who also wears the hats of Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Security. Guiding the company through a paradigm shift in work, Johnson helped architect a response that did more than manage change—it embraced it.

Building Guardrails Before Acceleration

From the outset, Ivanti recognized that the integration of generative AI (Gen AI) needed more than a technical roadmap. It needed principles. Rather than deploying AI tools blindly, the executive team—led in part by Johnson—asked fundamental questions: Would AI replace jobs, or reshape them? Could it enhance productivity without devaluing people?

To answer these questions, Ivanti established the AI Governance Council (AIGC)—a cross-functional body that translated executive vision into policy. Far from a typical legal committee, the AIGC included representatives from HR, IT, security, privacy, and product. This ensured that decisions were not only compliant, but also ethical and human-centered.

One of the council’s defining philosophies? Treat AI like a new employee. That meant onboarding tools thoughtfully, supervising them closely, and continuously developing them. This analogy shaped how AI was evaluated—focusing on its impact on work, people, and company culture.

When Jobs Changed, People Stayed

The looming question across industries was what to do about jobs displaced by Gen AI. Ivanti’s answer was clear: retain talent by reinventing roles.

“Even if a specific job changed, our goal was to find another place for that person within the organization,” Johnson explained. This wasn’t aspirational—it was operationalized. Ivanti built a structured intake and review process for every proposed AI use case. Part of that assessment included a human cost-benefit analysis: could the tool increase efficiency while preserving employee value?

Often, the answer was yes. Tasks previously considered tedious or repetitive were automated, freeing up employees for more strategic work. Retraining programs followed. Gen AI wasn’t used to shrink the workforce, but to grow internal mobility.

“Reliable AI requires human oversight,” Johnson noted. “We weren’t just reducing roles—we were redefining them.”

A Culture of Transparency and Collaboration

Ivanti didn’t keep its AI strategy behind closed doors. Johnson led a transparent internal communications campaign to help employees understand how and why changes were being made. Every team had to get legal, privacy, and security approvals before implementing Gen AI tools.

Pilot programs were rolled out carefully, with clear metrics for success and open feedback loops. The result was not just adoption—but engagement.

Legal Leadership in a Grey Zone

Unlike many companies that leave AI governance to technical teams, Ivanti placed legal leadership at the center. This wasn’t just about compliance; it was about foresight.

Johnson’s legal background helped Ivanti anticipate the nuanced risks of Gen AI—especially around privacy, ethics, and bias. Recruiting was one particularly sensitive area. “If a Gen AI hiring tool filters candidates based on biased data, how do we even know?” she asked. Transparency became the north star. Ivanti carefully vetted vendors, interrogated their training data, and ensured all decisions were auditable.

Being a global company, Ivanti also looked beyond U.S. borders—aligning with frameworks like the EU AI Act, setting a higher bar for responsibility from the start.

Measuring What Matters

Ivanti’s embrace of Gen AI wasn’t about chasing hype. It was about measurable impact. The company created practical KPIs—hours saved, meetings avoided, and task efficiency improved. One simple but effective win: replacing hour-long meetings with five-minute AI-generated summaries.

“It’s not magic, but it’s real,” Johnson said. And it adds up.

To ensure tools delivered value, Ivanti formed dedicated teams to run controlled testing within departments. Only after validating benefits were solutions rolled out at scale.

A Blueprint for Responsible AI Adoption

Ivanti’s story is a powerful example of what responsible AI transformation looks like. It shows that Gen AI doesn’t have to be a threat—it can be an enabler, if adopted with intention and humanity.

By building governance before deployment, centering legal and ethical oversight, and putting employees at the heart of its strategy, Ivanti showed how innovation can uplift rather than displace.

“We never saw this as just a legal issue or a tech opportunity,” Johnson reflected. “It was always a people question.”

And in answering that question with compassion and clarity, Ivanti has not just adapted to the AI era—it’s helping define it.