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Good morning. Salesforce has reached a milestone with Agentforce.
The Fortune 500 company’s autonomous AI agent platform recently surpassed 1 million AI agent-customer conversations, with agents now autonomously resolving 85% of all customer queries, according to Robin Washington, president and chief operating and financial officer (COFO) at Salesforce. The company officially launched Agentforce in October.
During a virtual interview on Tuesday with Edith Cooper, cofounder of Medley—a membership-based community for personal and professional growth—Washington discussed the future of AI agents in the workplace.
“Our support teams are able to focus on more complex customer questions,” she said. “These are engagements that really require human judgment, creativity, empathy—all things that AI can’t do.”
She described this as one of the most transformative moments in the history of technology, which inspired her to take on an operating role at Salesforce.
Washington shared that she uses Agentforce herself. Her AI agent supports her by handling routine tasks, allowing her to focus on deeper, more meaningful work. “It’s my support function that I use a lot,” she said. She also sees how these tools can help her become a better leader.
“I think as leaders, we have to appreciate that there’s this unprecedented opportunity for growth and value creation with AI,” Washington said. She emphasized the importance of cross-functional buy in and setting the right tone at the top of the company.
However, she also stressed the need to keep humans at the center of AI implementation. According to MIT research, the most effective use of AI in the workplace is not to fully replace humans, but to combine the strengths of both AI and human workers—especially for tasks where humans still outperform AI.
Career Advice: Step outside of your comfort zone
Washington began her tenure as president and COFO of Salesforce in March, a newly created position. A longtime Salesforce board member with expertise in technology, including agentic AI, she leads the company’s operational and financial strategy.
“I’m approaching about 40 years of being on this journey of operating and financial roles in different industries,” she told Cooper.
Before joining Salesforce, Washington held roles, including EVP and CFO of Gilead Sciences, CFO of Hyperion Solutions, and chief accounting officer of PeopleSoft.
Washington described herself as a continuous learner who thrives in fast-paced environments that require constant reinvention. She values sponsorship, hiring people she can learn from, and fostering an environment for diverse thinkers.
“I think the outcomes are broader and better when you’ve got diverse thinking at the table,” she said.
Another key aspect of her career journey is her willingness to step outside her comfort zone. “I don’t think it always came naturally to me, but I’ve commonly used the phrase ‘get comfortable being uncomfortable,’ because I know when I am uncomfortable and not quite sure how things are going to turn out, it’s really a learning opportunity.” She added that failures are opportunities as well.
Washington reflected on her career, including moving to Silicon Valley in her 20s, working abroad to gain global experience, switching from tech to biotech, and taking on a CFO role early in her career.
“I remember, a lot of people told me, ‘You’re crazy,’” Washington said. “I just always raised my hand for that tough assignment.”
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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