Paul Verkaik

Global Field CTO, Enterprise SoundHound AI

Paul Verkaik is Global Field CTO, Enterprise AI at SoundHound AI, with nearly two decades in enterprise AI, from early autonomics and conversational AI to today's agentic systems.

He challenges a persistent assumption: deploying AI is the same as creating value. His focus is the last mile, where AI must move beyond the pilot to optimize the customer experience, drive employee effectiveness, and improve business outcomes.

Having deployed AI in complex, regulated environments across Europe, he welcomes conversations with CX, operations, and transformation leaders.

Workshop & Hackathon Day - Monday, 5th October 2026 [CET]

13:20 Workshop M: Build It Live: Production-Ready AI Agents for Your Contact Centre

In this workshop, you won't just hear about AI agents – you'll build one. AI agents were supposed to change the face of CX, but many deployments have not gone past pilot. This workshop provides an honest look at the state of agentic AI today: what's working, what's failing, and why. Through learnings from real deployments and a live hands-on build, gain practical tools and firsthand experience deploying voice-native, production-ready AI agents that hold up in the real world.

Learning Objectives

Evaluate the current state of AI agent adoption in contact centres – separating proven outcomes from stalled pilots
Identify the operational and technical factors that determine whether an AI agent reaches production or stalls
Walk through a live build of a voice-native AI agent designed for enterprise contact centre deployment

Key Takeaways

A practical framework for assessing AI agent readiness across your contact centre use cases
Firsthand experience building a production-ready AI agent – voice-native, reliable, and fast to deploy
A shortlist of the most common pitfalls and the decisions that separate operators who ship from those who stall

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Paul.

Download The Latest Agenda

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