Southern Europe's AI future hinges on skills, not technology—Microsoft exec

Charles Calestroupat, Microsoft's Vice President for Southern Europe, recently spoke with Fortune Greece about the region's emerging role in artificial intelligence. His message: the first era of AI—dominated by demonstrations and debates over which organization possessed the most powerful large language model—is over. The global economy is now entering a second phase, where the competitive advantage goes to those who can actually scale AI technology into real productivity gains. For organizations and countries, that means the question is no longer who has the best AI tool, but which has the skills, leadership, and infrastructure to deploy it at scale and become a Frontier AI leader. In Southern Europe—Greece, Portugal, Italy, and neighboring markets—this transition is already underway. Countries in the region are moving beyond simply adopting existing AI tools to building ecosystems that integrate human capital, universities, startups, public institutions, and modern digital infrastructure. Calestroupat sees Greece as emblematic of this shift. The country, he told Fortune Greece, has several key ingredients: an increasingly mature innovation ecosystem, public digital initiatives such as mAigov, growing cloud and data center investments, and crucially, people with the right skills. He is responsible for 17 markets in the region and believes skills form the foundation of this entire transition—meaning the role of large organizations like Microsoft becomes decisive. Through its GR for GRowth initiative, Microsoft has already trained 100,000 people in digital skills: professionals in both public and private sectors, students, and unemployed individuals. The strategy reflects a commitment to inclusive digital transformation—ensuring that as the region harnesses AI, no one is left behind. Notably, Greece ranks 1st in terms of Gen Z AI use in Europe, a fact Calestroupat highlights when discussing the region's readiness. However, the Work Trend Index Report for 2025 reveals a sobering gap. While 46% of organizations worldwide already automate workflows through AI agents and 82% of leaders plan to integrate them within 12–18 months, a hierarchical chasm has opened: 67% of executives claim familiarity with advanced AI tools, but only 40% of employees do. For Southern Europe, this gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Integrating AI agents can accelerate digital transformation and narrow the productivity gap—but only if organizations move beyond experimentation into systematic deployment, particularly for frontline workers. Success will depend on whether large employers invest in structural reskilling, transforming employees into managers of autonomous digital assistants, and on whether they redesign how work is organized to build the trust required for AI to deliver measurable business value.