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Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Geetesh Bajaj, the founder of Indezine and a recognized authority in the presentation space, having been awarded Microsoft PowerPoint MVP status for 25 consecutive years—a distinction given to experts who demonstrate deep technical knowledge and actively contribute to the broader user community.
As a behind-the-scenes strategist in the presentation ecosystem, Geetesh collaborates with a wide range of industry players—including PowerPoint add-in developers, design agencies, and business professionals—to help elevate the clarity, impact, and effectiveness of visual communication.
In this interview, Geetesh shares with us his thoughts on the future of PowerPoint, the impact of AI, must-have PPT add-ins–with insights specifically tailored to management consultants and business executives.
Indezine has chronicled every major PowerPoint milestone since 2000. In your view, which of the new AI-driven features (e.g. Copilot, Designer, Live Translations, etc.) is the most useful to consultants?
You’re right—at Indezine, we’ve tracked PowerPoint’s evolution closely for over two decades. From that vantage point, I’d say Copilot is the most transformative AI-driven feature for consultants.
Why? Because consultants don’t just create slides—they structure ideas, synthesize information, and craft narratives under tight deadlines. Copilot acts almost like a thinking partner in that process. I like to think about Copilot as an intelligent assistant, and Microsoft probably thinks so too because they called it Copilot rather than Pilot.
Copilot can help outline a deck, reframe key messages, and even generate starter slides from meeting notes or briefs. That’s a huge time-saver in the early stages of a presentation, when clarity and speed are most critical. However, this is just the beginning. Many users just save the presentation and are done with the task. That’s not the right approach.
While Designer is great for visual polish and Live Translations are invaluable in global settings, it’s Copilot’s ability to accelerate content creation and structure thinking that makes it the most useful to consultants.
That said, these tools are most powerful when used in tandem. AI is a great collaborator—but it’s still the presenter, the consultant, or the subject matter expert who provides the nuance, judgment, and story that wins the room.
You’ve held Microsoft MVP status for over 2 decades. Can you share any capabilities still on the PowerPoint product roadmap that consultants and executives would find most compelling?
Thank you—it’s been a privilege to serve as a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP for over two decades. While I’m bound by an NDA and can’t speak about unreleased features in detail, what I can say is this: the PowerPoint team is deeply focused on making the tool smarter, faster, and more connected to the way professionals actually work.
The broader direction is clear: PowerPoint is evolving from a slide-making tool into a strategic communication platform—and that shift is very exciting for those of us who live and breathe presentations.
What advice do you have on how consultants and executives can best leverage AI prompts with presentation development?
The key to leveraging AI effectively in presentation development is to treat prompts like strategic briefings—not casual requests.
For consultants and executives, this means:
- Start with clarity: Frame your prompt with intent. Instead of saying, “Make a slide about our product,” try, “Create an executive summary slide highlighting three key differentiators of our product for a B2B audience.”
- Add context: AI performs best when it understands the business environment. Mention the audience type, purpose (e.g., pitch, internal strategy, investor update), and tone (e.g., persuasive, analytical).
- Iterate, don’t settle: The first output is a draft. Use it as a springboard—refine, restructure, or ask follow-up prompts to drill down further.
Also, don’t overlook AI’s ability to help with outline development, data summarization, or even visual suggestions. It’s not just about pretty slides—it’s about shaping the story behind them faster.
Ultimately, the best results come when you combine human judgment and storytelling with AI’s speed and structure. AI should enhance your thinking, not replace it.
You’ve interviewed scores of add-in creators—from Shufflrr to iSlide to Flevy Tools. Which AI-powered add-in do you personally consider a must-have for consultants in 2025?
That’s a great question—and one that keeps evolving rapidly. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing many brilliant minds behind PowerPoint add-ins, and it’s exciting to see how AI is now becoming a core part of these tools.
As of 2025, the must-have AI-powered add-in for consultants isn’t just the flashiest—it’s the one that integrates seamlessly into their workflow. One standout in this regard is Microsoft Copilot itself. While technically not a third-party add-in, it’s baked into the Office ecosystem and gives consultants an enormous edge by helping them:
- Draft and refine messaging,
- Summarize research or meeting notes into slides, and
- Iterate slide narratives quickly.
Among third-party tools, I’d highlight add-ins that combine AI with structure, like ones that help generate slide frameworks, align with brand standards, or build out strategy models. These are especially helpful in high-pressure client environments where speed and clarity are everything.
That said, the real power lies in using multiple tools in concert—for example, combining a framework from Flevy Tools, with AI-driven content suggestions via Copilot.
The best AI add-in is the one that disappears into your workflow and makes you think less about slides—and more about strategy.
Beyond AI, which lesser-known native features are still dramatically underused by power users?
Great question. Even among seasoned PowerPoint users, there are powerful native features that remain surprisingly underused—despite their ability to streamline workflow and elevate presentations.
Here are several that consultants and executives should be paying more attention to:
- Slide Zoom and Summary Zoom
PowerPoint is often treated as linear, but Zoom turns it into a flexible, non-linear canvas. Consultants can use it to create dynamic pitch decks or executive updates where each section is clickable, letting you tailor the flow in real time based on your audience’s interest.
- Outline View
Most people ignore the Outline view, but it’s a gem for structuring your thinking before you touch design. Especially for consultants, it helps organize messaging clearly—like drafting a document before designing a layout. It’s also a perfect companion to AI tools: use AI to generate an outline, then refine it directly in this view. I am so glad that this feature is getting more love from Microsoft, especially as they integrated it as part of the Narrative Builder in Copilot.
- Branded Templates (Themes & Slide Masters)
Far too many professionals ignore the Slide Master and end up manually styling every slide. A well-structured template with customized layouts, brand colors, and pre-set typography doesn’t just save time—it ensures consistency and professionalism across teams and presentations. Consultants working across clients should also maintain a “starter deck” for each brand.
- Design Ideas (Designer)
Design Ideas, recently renamed as Design Suggestions is often dismissed as basic, but it’s a powerful tool—especially for non-designers. It helps quickly turn text-heavy slides into visually compelling layouts. The key is to use it selectively: for visual inspiration, layout variety, or when you’re blocked creatively. It’s great for refreshing stale slides with modern polish.
- Reuse Slides
This is a hidden efficiency booster. With Reuse Slides, you can pull in slides from centralized content libraries or even other presentations, ensuring your materials are up-to-date and on-brand. For consulting teams, it’s invaluable for assembling decks from previous engagements or firmwide templates.
Bonus: Reading View
Reading view gives you a clean, full screen look at your deck while keeping your desktop accessible. It’s perfect for multitaskers or when comparing multiple presentations side by side—something consultants often need during project reviews.
In summary, PowerPoint’s native features are deeper than most users realize. Combine them with thoughtful design and structured storytelling, and you’ve got a tool that’s far more than just slideware—it becomes a consultant’s communication engine.
Is there a recent or upcoming initiative at Indezine that you’re particularly excited about—something you believe will make a meaningful difference for consultants, executives, or professionals looking to improve how they communicate with slides?
At Indezine, we’ve been building and refining content for over 25 years—and in many ways, the platform itself is the initiative. It’s an ongoing, evolving process rather than a single launch or product. What excites me most is that there’s always something for everyone, regardless of where you are in your presentation journey.
For consultants and executives, we’re continually expanding our coverage of high-value topics—like storytelling, visual thinking, and AI-assisted productivity in PowerPoint. Whether it’s a deep dive into frameworks, reviews of tools like think-cell or Flevy, or practical walk-throughs of lesser-documented features about Morph, the goal is the same: to help professionals communicate with more clarity and confidence.
So, while there’s no single “big bang” initiative, the ongoing commitment to relevance, depth, and usability is what makes Indezine meaningful—and what I’m proud to keep evolving for the PowerPoint and presentation community.
Based in Hyderabad, India, Geetesh is also the author of six books. Outside of his professional work, Geetesh enjoys reading, photography, and exploring global cuisines through travel and culinary classes. Beyond Indezine, you can follow him on social media here: LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.
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