Webinars

Global organizations have left the recession in the rear-view mirror and are  positioning themselves aggressively for growth. The need for caution has been superseded by the need to take action. Yet as the economic recovery takes hold, businesses realize that the workforce today has changed. Skills are scarce, workers have high expectations, and Millennials are now in charge. Enter the 21^st -century workforce. The 21^st -century workforce is global, highly connected, technology-savvy, and demanding. Its employees are youthful, ambitious and filled with passion and purpose. Critical new skills are scarce and their uneven distribution around the world is forcing companies to develop innovative new ways to find people, develop capabilities, and share expertise.

Relator: Mr. Claudio E. Fiorillo

Mr. Fiorillo has more than 22 years of experience in the Consulting area and financial sector industry. Specialized in banking and capital market, he was Manager of the Audit and Management Counseling Division of Arthur Andersen in Argentina and he is currently the Partner of the Consultancy Division in Deloitte where he was in charge of the Strategy & Operations and Human Capital services lines. Additionally, he is the Leader of Financial Industry Services for Latin American countries (LATCO). He has led several consultancy projects with local and regional clients in Latin American countries (such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, among others). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and an MBA in Business Administration at EDDE (School of Business Management) Argentine Business University (U.A.D.E.). He has also completed a PMD (Program for Management Development) at ESADE Business School Campus Buenos Aires.

“Open Innovation” is a buzz word in these days and with good reasons: customers are increasingly demanding and products are increasingly complex, requiring a wider range of specialized skills that are very difficult to find inside a single company. In order to develop the full potential of the Open Innovation approach, it is necessary that adequately designed innovation services are available. In the webinar we will present the best practices that t²i has developed for innovation services design, with a focus on cluster services.

Relator: Mr. Marco Galanti

Degree in Business Economics at University of Venice (Italy) in 2001, attended post-degree course in e-Project Management and Higher Education course as Specialist of Innovation and Technology Transfer. He is working at Treviso Tecnologia since 2002 as Project Assistant and Project Manager, focusing mainly on innovation projects which have a strong business involvement side and an SME oriented open-innovation approach.

How can an SME be agile enough to navigate through the unknown waters of the future? In an increasingly complex world the next big disruption could appear from the most unlikely of places and organizations need to be both agile in response to these threats and able to take a long term view. Strong winds can make a ship go fast – but also crash against the next iceberg. So speed is good – but for sustainable competitive advantage and long term success, other factors like stability (e.g., control of the ship) are equally important. For the last 10 years McKinsey and Company has been looking at the impact of ‘Organizational Health’ – how an organization aligns, executes with excellence and renews itself – on the long term performance of organizations. The initial work was documented in the 2011 book ‘Beyond Performance’ and is core to the way that the firm thinks about culture. Based on data gathered from over 3 million individuals and 2000 studies, McKinsey was able to demonstrate that health has a strong link to performance: healthy companies achieve 3 times greater total return to shareholders (TRS). Recently the team has taken this further to understand how the concept of ‘agility’, currently in vogue, links to this result and how organizations can best set themselves up to be ‘agile’. The discussion will touch on the components that make up organizational health, how these are translated into reality, and Jannis and Tom will present real world examples of the impact of focusing on health. They will then go a step further – exploring the concept of agility and how it can be mapped to the existing research on organizational health, combining the two to create powerful insight for SMEs and addressing the apparent conflict between the need for speed and stability.

Relator: Dr. Jannis Vitzthum and Mr. Tom Welchman

Jannis Vitzthum is based in Munich and works with various clients in EMEA on improving organizational performance, with a distinct focus on analytics, organizational design and organizational health. Prior to working with McKinsey he has been a Senior Manager with Siemens, serving their businesses in +100 countries with in house advisory in the organizational and HR domain. Before this role he had worked with global consulting firm Deloitte, where he led numerous projects in various sectors and countries, e.g. aerospace and defense as well as health care and life sciences. He started his career at the army where he held several roles in the medical corps and defense research.

Tom Welchman is based in London and is part of the McKinsey OrgSolutions EMEA leadership team - a group that uses data and analytics to support Organizational Design, Transformation Change and Human Capital issues. Tom spends most of his time running transformation programmes for clients across a variety of industries and sectors including automotive, pharmaceuticals, NGOs, advanced industries and financial services. Before joining McKinsey, Tom worked as an Engagement Manager at the strategy consultancy Monitor Group and subsequently Monitor Deloitte where his focus was on corporate strategy, leadership and big data in healthcare and life sciences. Tom has also worked in the UK Government as an Assistant Economist, at Deloitte as a Strategy Analyst and holds an MA and MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University. He holds an MD from Ulm university, a doctoral degree based on a thesis in clinical psychology and an MBA from Augsburg/Pittsburgh.

By the end of the twenty-first century, the process of urbanisation will be by and large completed on this planet. As a result, what happens in cities will increasingly come to dominate economic, environmental, social and political outcomes of countries. The session will discuss the challenges and opportunities connected with urbanisation. In particular, it will look at the drivers of economic productivity in cities, as well as the role of administrative fragmentation and governance structures in metropolitan areas for their prosperity and well-being.

Relator: Dr. Rudiger Ahrend

Dr. Rudiger Ahrend is Head of the Urban Programme in the OECD’s Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development. In this capacity, he has been supervising numerous urban projects, for example on metropolitan development and governance and national urban policies. He has also supervised numerous reviews and case studies of major metropolitan agglomerations, and is the main author of “The Metropolitan Century: Understanding Urbanisation and its Consequences”. As Head of the Urban Programme, Dr. Ahrend is also in charge of the OECD Working Party on Urban Policies, as well as the OECD Roundtable of Mayors and Ministers. Prior to joining OECD, he worked as a researcher and independent consultant. In addition to his OECD work, Dr. Ahrend has published widely, both in academic journals and newspapers. Rudiger Ahrend holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics, as well as degrees in Social Sciences and Mathematics from the University of Göttingen, Paris-IX Dauphine, and the Sorbonne.

Digital innovation is essential for an SME’s sustainable development, competitiveness and growth. However, companies lack the insights as to what degree their digital innovation capabilities are competitive and how they can enhance them. The IMP³rove Digital Innovation Quotient assessment and benchmarking builds on a combination of qualitative and quantitative performance indicators to measure and compare internationally to what degree companies are successful in turning ideas into digital innovation – considering digital innovation in processes to reduce cost and in offerings to generate revenues. The tool has been developed as part of a European Commission project in collaboration with an international expert network. It is available for free in its basic version, and fully digital itself: users can register online, take the assessment online, and receive an individual benchmarking report online. To inspire the SME’s journey towards increased competitiveness driven by higher digital innovation performance, we have initiated the collection of a digital use case library showcasing digital innovation successes in various industries – from construction to IT. As you realize, the assessment tool, the benchmarking database and the use case library have strong network effects – the benefits for anyone involved grow with the number of users. We invite you to join us for this session. We are keen to develop further partnerships in and beyond Europe to support SMEs in becoming more digital, and more successful.

Relator: Dr. Martin Ruppert

Martin Ruppert is Managing Director of IMP³rove – European Innovation Management Academy and core team member of the Innovation and R&D Management practice at A.T. Kearney. Building on various consulting projects, he has comprehensive experience in innovation management, ranging from the review of innovation strategy and innovation portfolio to the development of innovative business models. He worked in Europe, the Middle East, and in Asia-Pacific. Martin is author of numerous publications on innovation management and co-author of the Global Innovation Index reports in 2015 and 2016. He has been seconded to the World Economic Forum to manage the project “Fostering Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship in Europe” and was advisor for the project “Collaborative Innovation – Transforming Business, Driving Growth”

Many reports and academic research bring evidence about the difficulties small companies have to face to access financial and non-financial resources to survive and expand their activity. Two main and recurrent causes emerge from the long list of alleged causes of the rationing of small companies: 1)  their opacity 2)  their low ability in proposing clear and reliable information on their project and business plan. None of them can be neither solved nor alleviated by a proper financial regulation. Instead, a possible solution comes from a specific support designed for entrepreneurs and managers of these companies. The seminar will focus on how researchers, business support structures, and policymakers can contribute to a better endowment of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge thanks to the development of informational systems adapted to small companies business models.
Taking a small business assessment tool developed in a European project named, The Next Society, we show why, this important, but still disadvantaged part of the productive system can benefit from a better knowledge of their positioning on the market, of their strengths and advantages, and, last but not least of the threats by competitors. We will demonstrate how a better knowledge of the firm strategy is mandatory to improve its robustness and its performance. Initially dedicated to small companies located in developing countries, this approach and the resulting assessment tool are also suitable for the smallest companies of developed countries. It provides an effective example of South-North and North-South cooperation in the field of entrepreneurship and small business development.

Relator: Dr. Nadine Levratto

Nadine Levratto is a French economist, Research Professor at the French National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), lecturer at the University Paris Nanterre and Research Fellow of the Centre d’Economie du Travail et de l’Emploi (Noisy-le-Grand, France). Her main fields of interest are focused on firm growth, corporate bankruptcy, SMEs; Industrial Dynamics; Growth, Innovation and Economic Geography. Her research has been published in more than 50 scholarly articles in ranked academic journals. As an expert, she has consulted with the European Commission, OECD, French ministries and local administrations as well as numerous private banks and consultants. She is also the President of the Observatory on Practices of Entrepreneurs and Enterprises (OPEE), a nonprofit organisation, promoting a small business assessment tool.

Financing start-ups is an ongoing challenge for the financial sector. They are considered rightly as a risk population, resulting in a high level of default in banks portfolios. Difficult access to finance for start-ups has been a concern for development strategies; private initiatives have been strongly reinforced by the public support, resulting in a growing use of guarantee funds. Opportunities arise today with the shift from traditional activities to the “new economy”, in an environment offering great potentialities and many facilities for new entrepreneurs. Still, coordination of actors needs improvements in most countries, especially for innovative startups. New forms of financing also emerge, while consequences of the global crisis and tighter risk regulation have set a more severe behaviour in the banking sector.

Relator: Mr. Jean-Louis Leloir

Jean-Louis Leloir, 65, graduated from the French High Business School ESCP. He has filled since 1979 various responsibilities (at Head Office and Branches), mostly in the field of loan guarantee schemes, in the Bpifrance group, French public development institution supporting SME financing. Formerly Credit Department Manager and Auditor, he was for the last 10 years Head of Technical Assistance and Consulting, addressing acquired expertise to foreign guarantee institutions, mostly in MENA Region and Africa, in assignments from Donors and International Institutions (World Bank Group, AFD, OECD, and European Commission). Since 2015 he has been Special Adviser to the Board of Directors of the European Association of Guarantee Institutions (AECM).

Stories are an inherent part of an organization’s narrative. They are powerful tools helping people understand what an organization does and what it stands for. Yet, organizational storytelling is messy. Stories are rarely told in order from beginning, to middle, and then end – especially in this digital era. So how do organizations fit structures, elements, and ideas together to develop their stories? How can organizations use people, tools, and channels to capture waning attention spans? This session will cover the case for organizational storytelling, its foundations & reality, and research-based guidance to help you become a more effective storyteller in the digital era.

Relator: Ms. Tara Hadler

Tara Hadler, Project Manager of Collaborative Processes, oversees digital engagement and communications at the Network for Business Sustainability. She works with researchers, designers, developers, and end users to create user experiences that increase the chances of managers using research products to elevate their company's sustainability performance. Prior to joining NBS, Tara gained technical experience working in product development at Info-Tech Research Group. She has a Master in Sustainable Development from the University of Basel, and Bachelor in Media, Information & Technoculture from Western University.

The circular economy is an umbrella concept associated with business and economic opportunities round resource and waste management. But it may be a signal of a more profound change in our framework for thinking about the economy as a whole. Ken Webster explores the wider contexts associated with ‘circularity’ in an era in which the existing economies are failing to meet the need for improved prosperity.

Relator: Mr. Ken Webster

Ken Webster has worked at the Foundation since the beginning of 2010 and his book (with Craig Johnson) Sense and Sustainability (2009) was instrumental in shaping the direction of the Foundation. He is author of Circular Economy A Wealth of Flows (EMF 2015) and contributor to both A New Dynamic Effective Systems in a Circular Economy (2015) and A New Dynamic Effective Business in a Circular Economy (2014). He has two decades of experience in workshops communicating economic ideas for a variety of audiences and is currently Visiting Fellow at Cranfield University, where he is working on the development of an Executive Education masters on Technology Innovation Management and the Circular Economy (TIMCE) on behalf of the Foundation.

This presentation takes stock of recent developments in trade and looks ahead to what we might expect. World trade growth remains weak, though recently we are seeing some green shoots. Trade liberalisation has helped. But, despite progress, several big trade liberalisation efforts have recently slowed or stalled. This is, in part, due to a change in trade policy orientation in the United States, which is taking a more defensive trade stance. The US President’s 2017 Trade Policy Agenda still supports liberalisation, but emphasises bilateral deals over larger accords. For its part, the United Kingdom has contributed to the uncertainty with its Brexit vote to leave the European Union. In view of all this, the presentation will discuss some potential sources of growth.

Relator: Dr. Douglas Lippoldt

Douglas Lippoldt is Senior Trade Economist in HSBC Global Research, based in London. He joined HSBC in August 2014 coming from the OECD in Paris where he worked for 22 years in various roles as a senior economist. Prior to that, he served seven years as an international economist with the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC. Doug's central focus is on international trade issues. He has published extensively on trade topics as well as related aspects of economic development, labour market adjustment, innovation and intellectual property. Doug holds a PhD in Economics from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), an MA in International Studies from the University of Denver, and a BA in International Studies from Washington College in Maryland, USA. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cologne, Germany. He represents HSBC as the deputy delegate on the B20 Trade and Investment Taskforce.