Subject: Seeking Your Guidance on Purpose-Driven Exploration in 2025

Dear [Executive's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. Reflecting on our professional journey over the past [20/25] years, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with you on so many impactful projects. Your vision and leadership have always been an inspiration, and I’ve learned a great deal from every challenge you’ve presented to us.

Our shared journey began with the Maple Grove project in 2005, where you challenged us with a simple yet profound question: "Show me what you can do with this dataset?" Those 12 short weeks were transformational, and I’ll never forget your words: "I can't believe what you could demonstrate in such a short time."

From there, we collaborated on initiatives like Adopt A Hub, a purpose-driven exploration project that you so generously sponsored, and later in 2019, you challenged us again at the North Bay sorting center, asking us to identify Metrics That Matter. Out of 500+ potential metrics, we distilled the insights into a balanced scorecard of a dozen key metrics that drove meaningful outcomes.

These projects not only demonstrated the power of purposeful insight but also highlighted your ability to frame the right questions that inspire impactful work.

As we enter 2025—a year I see as pivotal for Agentic AI—I’ve been thinking about how we can transition our collaboration into this new era. Historically, our work together has been rooted in the insights/execution loop, addressing immediate challenges and delivering results with precision. Now, I am inspired by the opportunity to pivot toward the foresight/exploration loop, embracing disciplined experimentation to explore future possibilities while remaining purpose-driven.

Estrell, who has been such a valuable part of our shared journey, recently retired and agreed to collaborate with me to approach this next phase with an AI-first, exploration-focused mindset, where learning and adaptability take center stage. I am confident that you agree that she has the domain knowledge that we need to validate UPS data and processes to make any AI-driven solution provide real, accurate and quantifiable results that UPS can use effectively. We’re particularly drawn to the idea of designing purpose-driven initiatives that combine your guidance and sponsorship with disciplined experimentation, allowing us to navigate the complexity and emergence that define this era.

I would deeply value your guidance on how we could engage you in this next phase of exploration. Specifically, we’re interested in:

1. Framing the Big Questions: Identifying the most meaningful areas where foresight and experimentation could unlock future opportunities for reimagining AI-First UPS Sorting Centers.

2. Purpose-Driven Sponsorship: Co-creating initiatives that align with your strategic priorities while focusing on long-term value and adaptability.

3. Learning-Centric Design: Structuring experiments to drive learning, agility, and actionable foresight.

Your leadership and unique perspective have been instrumental in shaping my professional growth, and I believe this new journey offers an opportunity to continue that partnership in a way that aligns with the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and innovation.

Would you be open to a conversation to explore how we might collaboratively shape this vision? Estrell and I would love to learn from your perspective and share more about our ideas.

Thank you as always for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Warm regards,

Mani

Ecosystem Orchestrator

Digital Foundry 360

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