An AI strategy defines why and where you’ll use AI. A framework explains how you’ll manage it, from data governance and privacy through to risk, ethics, and ongoing value tracking. Both are needed to make AI adoption safe and sustainable.
When Levande’s CEO Kevin McCoy handed every senior leader a copy of Digitally Curious, it wasn’t a symbolic gesture. It was a signal.
The message was clear: the world was changing fast, and Levande needed to understand how artificial intelligence could help the business live its purpose of enriching lives and communities.
For Jon Heung, Head of Architecture, Strategy and AI, that moment sparked the realisation that curiosity alone wouldn’t be enough.
“Everyone was talking about AI. But we needed more than enthusiasm. We needed structure, clarity and confidence to turn that curiosity into momentum, and to do it responsibly.”
A business with many moving parts
Levande operates more than 50 retirement communities across Australia, home to over 10,000 residents. It designs and builds new villages, manages existing ones, supports residents day to day, and employs hundreds of people across Village Operations, Finance, People & Culture, and Property.
As one of Australia’s newest and fastest-growing retirement living providers, Levande is reshaping the industry with its Everyday Exceptional philosophy, creating vibrant, modern communities where residents can live with connection, movement and joy. With smart technology, sustainable design and a customer-first mindset, the company has quickly established itself as a leader in modern retirement living.
That breadth and ambition make Levande a uniquely complex organisation, and also one where AI’s potential touches almost everything. From construction and finance to resident engagement and staff experience, the opportunities are endless. But so too are the questions.
- How do you prioritise where AI belongs?
- How do you protect resident data and dignity?
- How do you make AI something everyone can trust?
Curiosity meets complexity
Surveys and discussions were used to capture sentiment and insights across the whole workforce. Enthusiasm was high. Like many organisations exploring AI for the first time, excitement and anxiety often sat side by side.
Adoption confidence showed that enthusiasm alone wasn’t enough; it needed to be supported through skill building, training and clear prioritisation.
The barrier wasn’t motivation; it was clarity. Teams couldn’t yet see clearly enough where AI could make the most meaningful difference, and concerns about ethics, privacy and bias loomed large.
When you’re responsible for people’s living communities, trust is everything. You can’t experiment carelessly. We had to balance innovation with responsibility.”
That realisation led Levande to partner with Fusion5 to develop an AI Strategy and Activation Framework that would provide the foundation for its AI journey.
The collaboration and approach
Fusion5’s Director of AI, Shannon Moir, led the engagement. The brief wasn’t to deliver a one-size-fits-all plan. It was to first understand Levande, its people, pressures and priorities, and build a strategy that reflected them.
Over several weeks, Shannon spent time with key leaders across the business to understand how Levande operates, how ready the organisation was to take on AI, and how culture, capability and opportunity could align. The focus was on ensuring every recommendation reflected Levande’s purpose, people and practical realities.
A strategy like this only works if it mirrors the organisation it’s built for. Levande’s mix of property development, community and resident focus meant the opportunities and the risks looked very different to a typical commercial enterprise.”
The discovery and diligence phase resulted in two key documents designed to guide Levande’s AI journey.
1. The Levande AI Strategy: A clear, practical document created to help Levande’s leaders and teams approach AI adoption with confidence and consistency. It included:
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A vision for becoming a data-driven, AI-empowered organisation built on care, community and trust
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Drivers and alignment linking AI directly to business priorities and digital transformation goals
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An AI portfolio of high-value, practical use cases such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, invoice automation and internal AI assistants
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An operating model covering governance, literacy, data and technology foundations
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A roadmap that balances short-term wins with long-term capability
2. The Trustworthy AI Framework: A companion document designed to ensure every AI initiative at Levande is developed and deployed responsibly. It outlined:
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Three guiding principles for Lawful, Ethical and Robust AI
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Clear expectations for human oversight, transparency and accountability in AI systems
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Requirements for data privacy, security and governance aligned with Australian Privacy Principles
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Processes for risk identification, monitoring and continuous improvement
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Practical guidance to help teams balance innovation with integrity when implementing AI
“The Trustworthy Framework is about pairing innovation with integrity. You can’t build trust in AI unless people can see how it’s being managed.”
From ideas to confident action
Together, the strategy and framework give Levande confidence in how they move forward and create momentum.
They have established formal governance for AI, including plans for an AI Council to oversee projects and risks. They have also defined how success will be measured through productivity gains, cost savings and improvements in resident experience.
The work also set expectations for how AI literacy and capability will be developed across all levels of the business. Training, ‘promptathons’ and role-based workshops will give teams the space to experiment safely and learn how to work alongside AI rather than fear it.
We’ve now got a shared language for AI. People understand what it means for their role, and what it doesn’t.”
The result: clarity, capability and care
By investing the time to build a thoughtful, tailored strategy, Levande can now move faster with AI-related initiatives. They are identifying priorities and taking action knowing that AI is an essential part of both their short- and long-term plans.
Their first initiatives are already underway, focusing on skill building and automation, while continuing to expand capability and deploy tools quickly.
Levande has never viewed AI adoption as a technology project. It is a cultural and operational evolution, not just for employees but for the thousands of people who call their communities home.
“Levande’s approach is strategic and smart. They’re building the guardrails before building the racetrack. That kind of foresight sets organisations up for sustainable success.”
Moving with purpose
For Levande, AI isn’t about moving fast. It’s about moving deliberately.
From the CEO’s call to be curious to a company-wide framework for responsible innovation, the journey is one of continuous learning and adaptation.
As Jon puts it: “We’re not chasing trends. For us, AI is about finding new ways to live our purpose of enriching lives and communities and doing it with care and confidence.”
Working with Fusion5 to create our AI Strategy has given us the clarity and confidence to move forward with momentum and conviction. Their AI expertise, and their ability to align it to our business, helped us see what’s possible and the path to get there.”
Jon Heung | Head of Architecture, Strategy and AI, Levander
Building a trustworthy AI strategy for retirement living
Fusion5 helps organisations build practical and trustworthy AI strategies that turn ambition into action. From defining governance frameworks to piloting tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot and Dynamics 365 automation, we help businesses use AI with confidence and control. Our team works with leaders to strengthen data foundations, privacy, and literacy so innovation happens safely and at scale. Whether you’re exploring AI in retirement living, healthcare, or service industries, Fusion5 brings strategy, structure, and hands-on expertise to help you unlock value responsibly.
Q&A
What’s the difference between an AI strategy and an AI framework?
Who should own an AI project in a retirement living organisation?
AI success isn’t owned by one team. It needs collaboration between IT, operations, finance, and care leaders, with clear governance and business sponsorship to keep it aligned to resident experience and organisational goals.
What are the safest AI use cases to start with?
Start small and low risk. Productivity tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, data analysis, and simple workflow automation help teams learn safely while showing quick value before scaling to more complex scenarios.
How can we build AI literacy for leaders, managers, and frontline teams?
Practical learning is best. Combine short, role-based sessions with real examples from daily work. This helps people build confidence, use AI responsibly, and understand the boundaries set by your governance framework.
How soon can an organisation expect to see value from AI?
Most teams see measurable value within months when they start with clear goals, clean data, and strong guardrails. The fastest wins come from automating routine tasks and freeing people for higher-value work.
