Michael Quinn

Welcome to TheTension.AI

I Help Leaders Turn AI Tension Into Direction

Brands today operate in constant tension: between AI's promise and the reality of implementation, between FOMO and measurable ROI, between great ideas and governance. I help leadership teams transform that uncertainty into clarity, and clarity into action.

Why I Focus on Brand AI Readiness

For over 20 years, I've led senior teams solving urgent, ambiguous challenges for brand leaders—the kind you can't solve internally because your team lacks the bandwidth, perspective, or incentives to tackle what's disruptive and new.

When Generative AI arrived, I recognized the pattern immediately. While others wrestled with business transformation, I prepared systematically: executive programs at Wharton and Kellogg, Google's Machine Learning training, and certification as a Generative AI Leader.

But preparation isn't practice. In 2024, I moved from observing to advising.

Daily Immersion, Not Periodic Research

I edit the Brand AI Report, a newsletter for boards and brand leaders. To produce it, I built a custom tech stack that aggregates 50+ AI news stories and research papers for me to review every day. It's not a side project, it's my operating system. It keeps me, my subscribers, and clients grounded in what's next and what matters for brands.

What You Get

Clarity and capability—not another hype-filled presentation of predictions. I bring three things to every engagement:

  • 20+ Years in Brand Strategy & Creative Leadership - Fluent in your commercial realities, from brand repositioning, to product marketing, to the bottom line.

  • Daily AI Immersion - I filter the noise to surface insights on what impact trust, customer experience, and revenue.

  • Trusted Network of Senior Experts - Governance, data, cyber, brand, and creative—a multidisciplinary bench I activate and manage, as needed.

If your team is feeling the tension, let’s schedule a call.

Learn More

Schedule a complimentary call to discuss your AI Objective