Shanae Paulus

Shanae Paulus serves as the generative AI strategy and solutions lead at Accenture's internal creative agency. With 25 years in the creative industry and 12 years in technology, she brings extensive experience from graphic design and video production to her current role. She began in traditional print graphic design before moving into video production, working at post houses, creative agencies, and media outlets in roles progressing from production assistant to creative director and manager of post-production teams. A friend at Accenture recruited her to build an in-house creative team following the company's acquisition of Droga5, allowing her to combine her creative expertise with technology systems and platforms. In her role, Paulus manages strategy for new AI tools, industry insights, and enablements across people, work processes, and technology. She oversees a team of 400 handling 500 projects at any time, piloting tools with partners like Microsoft and Adobe, handling procurement, and applying AI to solve creative challenges or enable new capabilities. Her professional goals include continuing in creative operations, evolving with AI technology, and supporting team development. Notable achievements include speaking at Adobe MAX twice and receiving positive internal feedback for enabling her team's success and amplifying quieter voices. She advises young women entering tech to stay curious, seek exposure to departmental operations, and speak up with courage and confidence.