Building My Business Webinar Series
Designed to help dealers improve the management of their companies, take full advantage of market opportunities and, ultimately, improve the bottom line.
Length: One hour
Cost: Free to BTA members
The following webinar has been scheduled:
August 2025
Guardrails & Ghosts: What Office Technology Dealers Must Know About Generative AI Security
4 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, Aug. 21
Anne Valaitis, principal analyst, Keypoint Intelligence, and West McDonald, founder & AI strategist, GoWest.ai
As office technology dealers expand into managed IT and cybersecurity, new opportunities — and risks — emerge with the explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and others. While these tools promise productivity gains and operational efficiency, they also introduce security, privacy and compliance challenges that are often overlooked by your dealership and your clients.
In this timely webinar, AI strategist McDonald will demystify the security threats of generative AI, walk you through dealer-level mitigation strategies and arm you with tools to help your customers stay safe while still embracing the AI future.
Whether you are offering cybersecurity assessments, deploying IT infrastructure or simply helping customers modernize, this webinar will give you the AI security playbook you didn’t know you needed — but your clients are already expecting you to have.
Valaitis is a principal analyst at Keypoint Intelligence, covering workplace solutions, services and customer communications. She leverages her extensive expertise in document workflow management and customer engagement to help clients optimize operations, enhance communications and drive business growth. With 30 years of industry experience, Valaitis has led numerous research projects that have shaped the document solutions and customer communications landscape. Her background in product management at leading hardcopy vendors, including product life cycle management and go-to-market strategy, provides Valaitis with a deep understanding of technology and market dynamics.
McDonald is the founder of GoWest.ai, a boutique AI consulting firm helping managed services providers (MSPs), office technology dealers and cybersecurity vendors build secure, scalable AI practices. A recognized authority on AI governance and operational integration, he created the "Holy Trifecta of AI" — a framework that balances innovation with risk management across three pillars: private team AI environments, AI assistants with compliance filters and enforceable usage policies. McDonald works directly with leadership teams to turn AI chaos into structure, offering practical, repeatable strategies that blend technical rigor with business insight. He is also a frequent speaker, executive coach and livestream host — beloved for his ability to make complex topics like AI security accessible (and even fun) for non-technical audiences.
Members: Click on the registration link above to register via Zoom. You will need your BTA username and password to access the registration page. After registering with Zoom, you will receive an email containing information about joining the webinar.
Watch this page for additional "Building My Business" webinars, to be announced as they are scheduled.
Interested in sponsoring a Building My Business webinar?
Email Valerie Briseno at valerie@bta.org for more information.