EY Oceania's AI Revolution: How Microsoft 365 Copilot Transforms Enterprise Productivity

David Larocca, the Regional Managing Partner and CEO of EY Oceania, has not only witnessed the AI revolution firsthand—he has been a self-proclaimed front-runner in pushing its adoption across the organization’s 9,000-strong workforce. For Larocca and for EY in Oceania, the implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot has not been a quiet, background technology refresh—it has become, as Larocca himself phrases it, part of the “day’s DNA.” Through intentional personal engagement, active experimentation, and a leader-as-coach approach, Larocca’s experience provides a clear, uniquely human window into the real-world transformation triggered by AI-powered productivity tools in one of the world’s largest professional services firms.

How Microsoft 365 Copilot Became Integral to EY Oceania​

When EY member firms across Oceania—including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji—became among the earliest adopters of Microsoft 365 Copilot in 2024, Larocca saw the strategic necessity of learning not just the “what” but the “how” of generative AI. He began devoting structured time each fortnight to absorbing the latest developments in AI: reading, listening to podcasts, connecting with fellow business leaders, and above all—using Copilot himself in his daily workflow.
This hands-on approach embodied the “lead from the front” style Larocca advocates. “Particularly when it comes to change and new tools and new ways of doing things,” he said, “I think it’s important that all of our leaders lead from the front here and actually show that you’re rolling the sleeves up and doing, not just telling.” This ethos set a critical tone for EY Oceania’s AI journey, modeling a culture of experimentation and openness at every level.

Beyond Inbox Management: The Expanding Reach of Copilot​

Larocca’s Copilot journey began with simple tasks—organizing emails, summarizing meeting notes. Very quickly, he discovered Copilot’s capacity stretched beyond administrative tidiness. Soon, he was deploying Copilot to synthesize all materials for upcoming client meetings, distill lengthy documents into actionable points, and even plan complex weeks with a few quick prompts. On more than one occasion, facing a sensitive conversation, Larocca turned to Copilot to draft an initial message—leveraging the AI’s linguistic prowess to streamline emotionally nuanced communications, before editing to fit his personal voice.
What’s most notable is the seamlessness with which Copilot has fitted into these productivity routines. Whether late on a Friday or during weekend preparation, it has evolved into a silent, always-available assistant—accelerating processes and liberating valuable time for strategic focus.
During a high-profile panel on EY’s alliance with Microsoft, Larocca even took Copilot onstage, asking it live: “What does success look like for the EY / Microsoft alliance? What does being great in this alliance mean?” This kind of spontaneous, public engagement not only shows Copilot’s versatility but also legitimizes its use at every level of the organization.

Transforming the Meeting Experience and the Pace of Business​

One of Copilot’s most immediate benefits at EY Oceania has been in the realm of executive leadership meetings. Where leaders once expended energy deciphering lengthy discussions and follow-up actions, Copilot now summarizes, extracts discussion points, flags agreements and disagreements, and can even suggest actions in real-time. If an executive leaves a meeting, they can rapidly catch up on what they missed—no more scouring emails, chasing handwritten notes, or missing critical junctures.
This boosts not just productivity, but inclusiveness: distributed and remote leaders, or those stepping in and out of meetings due to conflicting priorities, remain fully looped in.

Adoption at Scale: From C-Suite to Frontline Staff​

Beyond Larocca and the C-suite, Copilot’s adoption across EY Oceania has reached impressive heights: nearly 70 percent of the organization’s 9,000 professionals are using the AI assistant in their daily routines, according to figures shared in recent press and Microsoft’s own case study.
This scale is not just a reflection of enthusiasm; it’s a sign of Copilot’s practical usefulness. Staff report a notable shift: away from repetitive data-sifting (for example, finding and collating credentials in response to RFPs) towards more consultative, higher-value activities (like designing winning proposals and crafting client strategies).
Larocca confirmed that this shift is contributing to tangible impact for clients: “There’s a real opportunity, a massive opportunity, for our people and our business to be even more impactful with our clients.”

The Strategic Lessons: Why AI Adoption Must Start at the Top​

After a year deep in the Copilot and AI learning curve, Larocca openly shares his takeaways for other organizations pondering similar journeys:

• Clear, Strategic Vision: Leaders must articulate why AI tools like Copilot matter for the business. The “why” will differ depending on sector and organizational context, but Larocca contends, “there is no sector or business in my view that shouldn’t be engaging” with AI.
• Role Modeling and Regularity: It isn’t enough to authorize AI rollouts; leadership must set aside regular intervals to experiment with AI, try new prompts, and actively learn. Sharing these learnings with teams fuels cultural adoption.
• Emphasis on Training and Engagement: Unlocking Copilot’s value requires ongoing experimentation and upskilling. The more it is used, the more opportunities (often unanticipated) surface. As Larocca put it, “If we have this discussion in six months, I’m sure I’ll come up with six, seven or eight other things that I didn’t think about.”
• Build AI Literacy: Larocca’s emphasis on personal knowledge-building—reading, listening, sharing—sets a clear expectation: AI is not an optional bolt-on, but a core business skill for the future.

Notable Strengths of Microsoft 365 Copilot in Real-World Enterprise Use​

It is one thing to tout AI’s theoretical benefits; it is another to see them play out inside one of the world’s most demanding professional services environments. From the experience at EY Oceania, several practical strengths of Copilot stand out:

1. Time Liberation at Scale​

For senior executives, reclaiming minutes or hours from routine tasks is not trivial—it can significantly compound organizational agility. Copilot’s ability to instantly summarize information, draft communications, and automate data-gathering has rerouted focus towards creativity, insight, and client service.

2. Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing​

The AI’s capacity to parse, synthesize, and distribute information from meetings, documents, and communications has consolidated collective knowledge. Teams can quickly harmonize understanding, reducing misunderstanding and wasted effort.

3. Consistency and Objectivity​

AI-generated summaries and suggestions are impartial and based on the same information available to all. This reduces the risk of human error or key data points being overlooked due to fatigue or bias.

4. Employee Engagement and Digital Confidence​

By handling routine tasks, Copilot is freeing EY professionals to invest more energy in strategic, human-centered work. This boosts job satisfaction and encourages digital upskilling—a virtuous cycle for retention.

5. Demonstrable Adoption​

The 70 percent adoption statistic, which Microsoft has published and which Larocca cited, supports the claim that Copilot is not a technology left idle in the background—EY’s professionals are actively using it, and the effects are cumulative and compounding.

Critical Risks and Challenges: What Needs Vigilance?​

While the EY Oceania example provides many positives, a balanced analysis demands frank consideration of potential pitfalls and unanswered questions. AI adoption, particularly in a high-stakes business context, is never risk-free.

1. Accuracy and Trust​

As with any AI system, Copilot’s outputs are only as reliable as the data it ingests and the algorithms it operates. Mistaken summaries, inappropriate suggestions, or generative errors can have significant business consequences if not double-checked. Larocca’s practice of “tailoring” Copilot’s output to his own style is a best practice—but not every user will do this by default.

2. Data Security and Confidentiality​

AI assistants leverage company data—sometimes highly sensitive information. The method of data handling, encryption, and privacy compliance is paramount for professional services firms. Microsoft touts robust security credentials for Copilot, but ongoing diligence (and independent technical verification) are essential.

3. Change Management and Cultural Resistance​

A 70 percent adoption rate is remarkable, but it raises the question: what about the 30 percent? Resistance may be due to digital skills gaps, cultural inertia, or skepticism about AI’s value. Bridging this final segment will require sensitive change management and potentially enhancements to training programs.

4. Over-Reliance and Deskilling​

While Copilot liberates time, there is a risk of staff becoming over-reliant or deskilled in foundational tasks—such as minute-taking, proposal collation, or basic drafting. Organizations must ensure AI augments, rather than atrophies, critical business skills.

5. Client Perception and Transparency​

In professional services, clients value human judgment and discretion. Overuse or inappropriate use of AI in client-facing outputs could raise questions about authenticity, quality, or compliance with professional standards. Transparency about when, where, and how Copilot is used is ethically important and may, in time, become an industry requirement.

Key Takeaways for Organizations Considering Microsoft 365 Copilot​

For business and IT leaders evaluating Copilot, the EY Oceania story offers several actionable lessons:

• Personal engagement by leadership accelerates both acceptance and successful integration.
• Regular, structured learning time—even if just an hour a fortnight—multiplies return on investment.
• Active communication about learnings removes mystery and builds confidence across teams.
• Integration with enterprise workflows, from meetings to client communication, amplifies both productivity and the perceived value of AI.
• Ongoing risk management—from data security to quality assurance—cannot be neglected, even as enthusiasm rises.

Future Trajectory: What Next for AI and Copilot in the Enterprise?​

If the history of digital transformation teaches anything, it is that tools like Copilot will only grow smarter and more deeply embedded in business operations. Larocca openly predicts that six months from now, his list of Copilot use cases will be longer and more diverse—suggesting that the real value of such technology is in the learning curve itself.
EY’s Oceania experience demonstrates the classic pattern of technology adoption: commitment at the top, experimentation throughout the ranks, tangible benefit realization, followed by continuous learning and cultural reinforcement. The firm’s ability to push past initial novelty and convert Copilot into a lasting competitive advantage will hinge on its willingness to persist through cultural resistance, upskill the late adopters, and keep one eye firmly fixed on security and quality.
For readers and business leaders watching from the outside, the message is clear: the era of generative AI in the enterprise is not coming—it is already here. Those willing to “roll up their sleeves,” as David Larocca does, will be best placed not just to survive, but to thrive in a future defined by humans and machines working smarter, together.

---

Source: Microsoft EY Regional CEO David Larocca on weaving Microsoft 365 Copilot into his day’s DNA - Source Asia