What drives a global company to abandon Microsoft’s integrated ecosystem for two separate platforms? In this revealing interview, a CIO shares the surprising reality behind a major digital transformation.
John Mazolis, CIO at Corsearch, takes us inside their strategic decision to migrate from Microsoft to Google Workspace and Slack. This wasn’t a simple technology swap—it was a complete reimagining of how a global intellectual property services company communicates, collaborates, and operates daily.
In this comprehensive discussion from Salesforce’s Agent Force World Tour, Mazolis opens up about the real challenges that prompted the migration, why “one platform” doesn’t always mean simpler, and how they convinced an entire organization to change their work habits in just three months.
What you’ll discover in this interview
Mazolis doesn’t hold back on the details. He explains exactly why Google Chat lost to Slack despite Google’s push, reveals where most of the migration budget actually went (hint: it wasn’t technology), and shares the one challenge they didn’t anticipate that nearly derailed adoption.
You’ll learn about the specific capabilities that made the combination of Google and Slack superior to Microsoft’s offering, from real-time collaboration features to integration possibilities that are transforming how Corsearch operates. Mazolis describes his vision of Slack as a “digital headquarters” where employees can do everything without switching contexts—and how close they are to achieving it.
The human side of digital transformation
This interview dives deep into change management strategies that actually worked. Mazolis reveals how they addressed “channel fatigue” when employees suddenly faced dozens of Slack channels, what they’d do differently knowing what they know now, and why the migration didn’t end when the technology went live.
Discover how Corsearch is leveraging AI capabilities from both Google Gemini and Slack, including custom AI agents that handle HR questions trained on company policies and local legislation. Mazolis shares measurable outcomes and explains how they track AI adoption as a key performance indicator.
Key insights covered
- The strategic reasoning behind choosing two platforms over one integrated solution
- Detailed migration timeline and what actually takes the longest
- Real collaboration improvements: 20 people editing documents simultaneously
- Using Slack Connect to eliminate email with vendors and customers
- Change management tactics that made the difference between success and failure
- Handling the challenges of channel overload and adoption resistance
- Implementing AI agents for first-line HR support
- Building integrations that make Slack the central operating system
- Managing continuous updates without overwhelming users
Who should watch this
This interview is essential viewing for CIOs, IT leaders, and digital transformation managers considering a similar migration or evaluating collaboration platforms. Mazolis provides the kind of candid, detailed insights that rarely make it into vendor presentations or case studies.
Whether you’re currently using Microsoft and wondering if there’s a better way, already on Google or Slack and looking to maximize value, or simply interested in how large organizations execute successful digital transformations, this conversation offers practical wisdom you can apply immediately.
Watch the full interview to understand why Mazolis believes they’ve gone “from a set level of capabilities to a very, almost infinite level of capabilities” and how your organization might achieve similar results.