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BEAUNE, FRANCE - From March 11 to 13, 2026, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Paris Chapter hosted a private leadership retreat at the historic Abbaye de Maizières, bringing together entrepreneurs from across the globe for an immersive exploration of human connection, experiential leadership, and artificial intelligence strategy.

Among the participants was Jason Barnard, who contributed as both facilitator and speaker, while preparing to take on a leadership role as Communications Chair for the chapter.

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Opening the Human Conversation

The retreat opened on Wednesday with an immersive session led by Julie Subotky. Through a series of rotating one-on-one conversations, participants shared formative life experiences that shaped their personal and professional perspectives. The format quickly established a tone of openness and trust, setting the foundation for deeper exchanges throughout the retreat.

Later in the day, a Mashup Forum session brought participants together in intentionally mixed groups outside their usual networks. The group included Ricardo Andrés Borja Beltrán, Jorge Rubio, Julie Subotky, and an international attendee. The session followed EO’s confidential forum format, encouraging honest, high-trust dialogue.

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Learning Through Experience and Discomfort

Session 1 - Unlocking Leadership Through the Art of Opera

Thursday’s first session challenged traditional leadership development approaches.

Participants were challenged to perform excerpts from La Bohème, combining singing, acting, and language skills. What began as hesitation evolved into a confident group performance, highlighting the power of structured guidance and collective trust.

Session 2 - Hacking the Entrepreneurial Brain: Neuroscience for Peak Performance

Facilitator: Charline Goutal

In the afternoon, Charline Goutal delivered a session on “Hacking the Entrepreneurial Brain.” Her practical, science-based approach focused on optimizing performance through sleep discipline, digital detox, intermittent fasting, and sustainable routines - reframing productivity as a biological system rather than a purely mental effort.

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The Turning Point: AI as a System, Not a Tool

Session 3 - Entrepreneurs, Transformation and Performance: Practical Use of AI

Facilitators: Sébastien Bouvier and Jason Barnard
Score: 9.92/10

Friday’s session marked a clear pivot toward the future of business: artificial intelligence.

Sébastien Bouvier grounded the discussion in practical applications, demonstrating how tools such as Microsoft Copilot can be integrated into daily workflows.

Jason Barnard extended this further with a strategic keynote:

“Start with the Asset You Already Have - The 10 Stages of AI Implementation.”

Rather than presenting AI as a collection of tools, Barnard reframed it as a progressive system of maturity - where businesses evolve from isolated interactions to fully integrated, self-improving ecosystems.

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The 10 Stages of AI Implementation (Key Insights)

Barnard outlined a clear path:

Stages 1-3: Learning to Communicate with AI

• Stage 1 - The Search Engine: Most users treat AI like Google, asking one-off questions with no context.
• Stage 2 - The Conversationalist: Real value comes from iteration - refining outputs through dialogue.
• Stage 3 - The Instructor: Businesses begin writing structured, persistent instructions - but still lack a true system.

Core insight: AI output reflects input quality. Without context, you get generic results.

Stages 4-6: The Climb (Where Most Fail)

• Stage 4 - The Specialist: One AI per task. Focus beats versatility.
• Stage 5 - The Team Builder: Separate AI roles (creator vs. critic) for higher-quality output.
• Stage 6 - The Debugger: Understanding AI as a retrieval and probability system, not intelligence.

Core insight: AI errors are not random - they are mechanical and diagnosable.

Stages 7-10: Building True AI Infrastructure

• Stage 7 - Source of Truth: Centralized, structured brand data powering all outputs
• Stage 8 - Corrector: Actively overriding incorrect assumptions in AI training
• Stage 9 - System Builder: Creating modular, hierarchical AI systems
• Stage 10 - Ecosystem: AI that improves itself through feedback loops

Core insight: The future is not prompting - it is system design.

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A Standout Concept: LLM Personalities

One of the most impactful ideas from Jason Barnard’s session was the concept of LLM personalities - how different AI systems behave based on their training and optimization:

• Some act like marketers (optimizing for persuasion)
• Others behave like analysts (focused on logic and structure)
• Others operate as executors (focused on completing tasks)

Understanding these differences allows businesses to assign roles to AI, rather than expecting one system to do everything.

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Exceptional Reception

The session received a near-perfect score of 9.92/10, making it one of the highest-rated of the retreat.

Guillaume Bakouch, President of EO Paris Chapter, remarked:

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A Defining Insight

The EO Paris Chapter Retreat in Beaune revealed a powerful truth:

• Human connection builds trust
• Structured communication builds clarity
• AI systems amplify both

For Jason Barnard, the takeaway is clear:

Businesses that succeed in the AI era will not be those that simply use AI tools - but those that build systems machines can understand, trust, and represent.

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Photo Highlights from Thursday, March 12

Arrival

Participants arrived at the historic Hospices de Beaune, a 15th-century landmark known for its distinctive Gothic architecture, where the morning sessions began with welcome coffee and informal exchanges.

OPERA SESSION (Session 1)

Participants perform excerpts from La Bohème during the “Unlock Leadership Through the Art of Opera” session led by Caroline MacPhie at the EO Paris Chapter Retreat in Beaune, March 2026.

Lunch and Guided Tour at Hospices de Beaune

Participants continued their day at the historic Hospices de Beaune, where a shared lunch at La Chambre du Roi was followed by a guided tour of the 15th-century landmark, offering insights into its legacy of care, community, and long-term impact.

Underground Wine Cellar Experience at Cave des Patriarches

Following the neuroscience session, participants transitioned into an immersive cultural experience at Cave des Patriarches, where they explored the extensive underground wine cellars and took part in a guided tasting.

Gala dinner

The evening concluded with a gala dinner, where participants gathered in a relaxed and celebratory setting following the wine cellar experience, continuing conversations and strengthening connections.