disruptive tech summit
SPEAKERS
Dan Bigman
Chief Content Officer, Chief Executive Group
Dan is editor of Chief Executive and Corporate Board Member magazines and oversees content development across all CEG platforms. Prior to joining CEG in 2017, he was managing editor of Forbes and the first Business Editor of NYTimes.com, where he co-founded the popular NYT Dealbook franchise in 2001. He has a BFA from Emerson College, Boston.
Steve Brown
Former Chief Evangelist, Intel; Author, The Innovation Ultimatum – How six strategic technologies will reshape every business in the 2020s
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 10:40 – 11:20 am (ET)
Disruption Post-Covid – How Six Technologies Will Reshape Every Business
In the wake of the pandemic, automation and digital transformation efforts are accelerating dramatically. Robots don’t get sick, autonomous delivery vehicles don’t carry disease, digital channels scale better than physical ones, and digital businesses are more resilient to change. The dramatic increase in the use of tele-health, remote education, online collaboration, and e-commerce illustrate this digital acceleration. Every company will become a technology company, and every company will become a data company. But how? Futurist Steve Brown will help you understand the major technologies changing the way every company operates so you can embrace innovation, build resilience and navigate inevitable changes.
Steve Brown is a futurist, author, entrepreneur, and executive consultant with over 30 years of experience in high tech. Prior to building his own consulting practice, he was Intel’s Chief Evangelist and worked in Intel Labs as a futurist. Steve helps companies to be more prepared for the future: to be more resilient, more innovative, and more profitable. He helps leaders to improve their technology acumen, create thoughtful digital strategies, and to understand the profound impact technology will have on their business five, ten, and fifteen years from now. He is the author of The Innovation Ultimatum: How Six Strategic Technologies will Reshape Every Business in the 2020s, a how-to guide on innovation and digital transformation. Steve is also the co-founder of The Provenance Chain Network, a business designed to bring transparency to global commerce. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Micro-Electronic Systems Engineering from Manchester University. He was born in the U.K. and lives with his wife in Portland, OR.
Shohini Ghose
Professor of Physics and Computer Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 1:10 – 1:50 pm ET
Proving Quantum Advantage, and Why It Matters
There is a lot of hype around the future capabilities of quantum computers. We’ll explore the emerging quantum computing ecosystem, where the technology itself currently stands, what can be expected in the next five to ten years, and what companies should be doing–or getting ready for–in response.
Shohini Ghose is an award-winning Professor of Physics and Computer Science at Wilfrid Laurier University and holds the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering. She is a theoretical physicist who examines how the laws of quantum physics can be harnessed to transform computation and communication. She and her colleagues first demonstrated a connection between chaos theory and quantum entanglement. Dr. Ghose is a tireless advocate for women scientists as the founding Director of the Laurier Centre for Women in Science and as the President (2019-20) of the Canadian Association of Physicists. She is the recipient of several awards including a TED Senior Fellowship in 2018. In 2017, she was named to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and she was among 25 women scientists from around the world featured in a 2019 UNESCO exhibit in Paris.
Sarah Hofstetter
Board Member, Campbell Soup Company; President of Profitero, Ltd.
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:00 – 11:45 am (ET)
Transforming the Customer Experience
In a world of constant change, the way customers interact with companies is evolving dramatically—and those customer changes are what’s driving digital transformation. As the line between real-world and digital realms all but disappears, do you have a real understanding of how people interact with your brand online and on their mobile devices? How can you improve—and scale—the omnichannel experience to seamlessly serve your customers regardless of how they are interacting with your company in-person or online? We’ll help you rethink the customer experience, regardless of what industry you are in.
Sarah Hofstetter is a visionary leader with a proven track record of driving tremendous growth in multiple disruptive environments over the past 20+ years. Sarah currently serves as President of Profitero, a global ecommerce analytics software company, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Campbell Soup Company, and co-hosts the BRAVE COMMERCE podcast.
Sarah spent 13 years at award-winning advertising agency 360i, most recently as Chairwoman and CEO, growing the agency from 30 people to 1,000 by continuously pivoting company offerings to be aligned with changes in consumer behavior across search, social and commerce. Consequently, 360i was recognized by Ad Age as among the top 10 national advertising agencies every single year that she was CEO and President, and in her final year as CEO, was on the cover of Adweek as Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year. At 360i, Sarah has equipped brands such as OREO, HBO, Absolut, Nestlé and others with the tools and knowledge to tackle their most pressing business challenges to increase revenue and share, while cultivating a culture of curiosity, and celebrated diversity and inclusion, leading to 360i’s reputation as one of the most inclusive agencies. Sarah has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association Hall of Fame, and has been recognized by the Adweek 50, Adweek Power 100 and was name to Ad Age’s 40 under 40 (well, that was before she was 40).
Bill Kracunas
Principal, Management Consulting, RSM US LLP
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 10:40 – 11:00 am (ET)
Achieving Digital ROI – Perceptions from America’s Boardrooms
How has the pandemic impacted companies’ business model and digital transformation roadmaps? What objectives are boards trying to address with digital technologies? What are the main barriers to operationalizing digital transformation? What are the perceived risks associated with digital transformation? These are a few questions Corporate Board Member and RSM asked in our recent survey of public company directors. We’ll share the key takeaways from the study and action items boards should take in 2021.
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:00 – 11:45 am (ET)
Transforming the Customer Experience
In a world of constant change, the way customers interact with companies is evolving dramatically—and those customer changes are what’s driving digital transformation. As the line between real-world and digital realms all but disappears, do you have a real understanding of how people interact with your brand online and on their mobile devices? How can you improve—and scale—the omnichannel experience to seamlessly serve your customers regardless of how they are interacting with your company in-person or online? We’ll help you rethink the customer experience, regardless of what industry you are in, and develop the digital transformation strategy to match.
Bill Kracunas serves as RSM’s national management consulting leader, a role he has held since 2015. He is responsible for setting management consulting’s strategic direction and ensuring the practice employs the latest technologies, methodologies and approaches to assist RSM’s middle market clients in improving performance. Bill is also RSM’s northeast region technology and management consulting leader.
Under Bill’s leadership, RSM’s national management consulting practice was named one of “America’s Best Management Consulting Firms” by Forbes in 2016. In addition, Bill has earned numerous personal accolades, including being named one of the nation’s “Top 25 Consultants” by Consulting Magazine in 2011 for Excellence in Technology and being named to the Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list in 2008, recognizing individuals under the age of 40 who have established themselves as leaders to be watched in their fields.
Bill joined RSM in 2010, with the firm’s acquisition of a Boston-based firm. He speaks frequently to professional and industry groups on topics that include digital transformation, strategy, technology trends, outsourcing and risk management. Currently serving as a board member of Junior Achievement of Northern New England, he is also a member of the Bentley Executive Club and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Future Leaders Program.
Christine Leitz
Portfolio Project Manager, Technology Partnerships, Boston Scientific
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 12:20 – 1:00 pm (ET)
Three Principles of AI Innovation: Scientific Rigor, Rapid Prototyping and Organizational Learning
While most companies realize that artificial intelligence can unlock new business potential by augmenting and extending human capabilities, many struggle to realize the full value of their A.I. projects. And A.I. is only as smart as the data that fuels it. What do companies that successfully leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning have in common? This case study will help you develop a clearer roadmap to effectively implement an A.I. strategy that will lead to more informed, data-driven decisions to address challenges and create lasting impact.
Christine Leitz is a Portfolio Project Manager in Technology Partnerships at Boston Scientific where she leads program management for Boston Scientific’s MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab collaboration and provides mentorship to employees on innovation and business case development. She guides teams as they navigate the path from research to real-world implementation and viability. Prior to her current role, she managed global projects for Boston Scientific’s Digital Health and Acquisition Integration teams. She is a connector, connecting people to people, people to knowledge, and people to data and technology.
Christine holds a Health Care MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurial Management from the Carlson School of Management. Outside of work she is a mentor for Technovation Girls, mentoring high school girls interested in technology. She resides in Minneapolis, MN and enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, figure skating, skiing, cycling, reading, and traveling.
Scott Letier
Board Member, Conduent, Xerox and Grow 52
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:00 – 11:45 am (ET)
Transforming the Customer Experience
In a world of constant change, the way customers interact with companies is evolving dramatically—and those customer changes are what’s driving digital transformation. As the line between real-world and digital realms all but disappears, do you have a real understanding of how people interact with your brand online and on their mobile devices? How can you improve—and scale—the omnichannel experience to seamlessly serve your customers regardless of how they are interacting with your company in-person or online? We’ll help you rethink the customer experience, regardless of what industry you are in.
Scott is the Managing Director of Deason Capital Services (DCS), the family office of Darwin Deason; a firm with in excess of $1.5B of AUM. Scott is responsible for investment, operating and administrative activities at DCS, and works with the family in sourcing, transacting and managing their diversified investment holdings, including public and private equity, debt and alternatives. DCS’s private equity holdings include BPO, financial services, oil and gas, biotech/healthcare, technology, entertainment, and real estate among others. He has held active management roles within portfolio companies in addition to holding board and advisory roles; actively working within portfolio M&A and business development activities. Scott currently serves on the boards of Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX – Compensation and Governance Committees), Conduent Incorporated (NYSE: CNDT – Finance Committee (chair) and member of the Audit Committee), MV Transportation (the leading provider of para-transit services and the largest privately owned passenger transportation contracting firm in the United States), Gardenuity (a garden focused tech enabled retailer), Griffis Residential (a Denver based multifamily investment and management firm), Colvin Resources Group, (a Dallas based staffing firm), and National Motor Club Holdings (a Dallas based membership/direct selling firm). In addition, Scott serves as Treasurer, a member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committees, and a member of the Board of the Dallas College Foundation (formerly the Dallas County Community College District Foundation).
Scott has extensive corporate finance experience having served as a private equity professional, CFO and COO and board member for many of the companies he was involved in during his career. Prior to joining DCS, he was the Managing Director of JFO Group, a family office and private equity firm; Partner and CFO of Red River Ventures, a private equity firm; and Partner and CFO of 2M Companies, Inc., a family office and private equity firm. Prior to 2M, he served in management, financial and operating roles; having worked for 12 years in CFO and COO roles. During this time, he helped complete over 40 M&A and capital transactions, raising over $1 Billion in debt and equity in public and private markets. Scott began his career at Ernst & Young; he is a Certified Public Accountant, and earned a BBA with honors from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
Sam Murley
Digital Transformation Director, WW Augmented Reality, PTC
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:55 am – 1:00 pm (ET)
Concurrent Topic Breakout: AR for Enterprises: Improving the Employee Experience
As the world’s shift to digitization has been forced into hyperdrive, organizations have found tremendous value in adopting augmented reality (AR) as a tool to drive better workforce resiliency and productivity. AR has been integral in helping businesses create new operating models and accelerate digital transformation, but perhaps equally important is the positive impact it can have on an enterprise’s workforce. Augmented reality connects frontline employees with the right information, in the right place, at the right time
Join us for a discussion on AR’s impact on employee experience, engagement and culture through the following applications of the technology:
- Remote collaboration and support
- Workforce training and instruction
- Capturing and optimizing critical workflows
Sam Murley, Digital Transformation Director at PTC, leverages industry experience, business acumen, and innovation management to accelerate the pace at which enterprise organizations can realize value through digital transformation solutions. Prior to joining PTC, Sam held various leadership roles in industry focused on capitalizing on the benefits of new digital capabilities to improve safety, streamline operations, and simplify distributed work. Sam’s work has been featured at events and conferences around the world, and he contributes to several industry standards groups and committees. He is working every day to cohesively connect our physical and digital worlds together to change the way people interact with machines, information, and each other to unlock new business opportunities.
Melanie Nolen
Director of Research, Chief Executive Group
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:00 – 11:45 am (ET)
Transforming the Customer Experience
In a world of constant change, the way customers interact with companies is evolving dramatically—and those customer changes are what’s driving digital transformation. As the line between real-world and digital realms all but disappears, do you have a real understanding of how people interact with your brand online and on their mobile devices? How can you improve—and scale—the omnichannel experience to seamlessly serve your customers regardless of how they are interacting with your company in-person or online? We’ll help you rethink the customer experience, regardless of what industry you are in.
Melanie is director of research for Chief Executive Group. She oversees custom and proprietary research initiatives across the firm and acts as research editor for Chief Executive magazine and Corporate Board Member magazine. She has a background in finance and investing and is currently based in Franklin, Tennessee.
Dan Springer
Chief Executive Officer, DocuSign
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 11:30 am – 12:10 pm (ET)
How to Lead Disruption – and Not Be Disrupted
How do the best companies take a consistent approach to innovation and create a culture that supports self-disruption? How can companies spark new growth with production innovation in today’s dynamic market landscape? How can you rethink how you run your business? We’ll sit down with the CEO and Chairman of a leading technology company and seasoned, cross-industry board member to share their hard lessons learned.
Daniel Springer serves as CEO of DocuSign where he leads more than 5,000 employees worldwide to empower organizations of every size and industry to modernize their systems of agreement with the DocuSign Agreement Cloud. Springer has 30 years of executive leadership and experience in driving innovation and hyper growth across technology and, specifically, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) industry.
Prior to DocuSign, Dan served as Chairman and CEO of Responsys (MKTG), where he transformed and scaled the business from private start up to a publicly traded company, and then led the sale of the company to Oracle in 2013 for $1.6 billion. Previously, he was Managing Director of Modem Media and also served as CEO at Telleo, CMO at NextCard, and as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. Dan holds an MBA from Harvard University and an AB in Mathematics and Economics from Occidental College.
Alex Vetter
President and CEO, CARS Inc. (Cars.com, Dealer Inspire, DealerRater and FUEL)
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 1:00 – 1:45 pm (ET)
Futureproofing Your Workforce
As technologies upend how traditional companies do business, companies must also transform the way they think about their most critical resource—people. What skills will be required—and how do you reskill your current employees? How do you manage teams through disruption? How do you create a culture that encourages disruption? We’ll help you tackle the human capital side of digital transformation.
Alex co-founded Cars.com and has served as President and CEO since November 2014. Since becoming CEO, Alex has taken Cars.com public and transformed the company’s business model from an online listings and content provider to a full-service marketplace solutions platform, uniting media, digital solutions and data to drive growth and efficiencies for the auto industry. Alex has also diversified the company’s revenue streams with the strategic acquisition of Dealer Inspire and the productization of Cars.com‘s more than 20-years of data, accelerating the company’s digital solutions and data strategies.
Alex is passionate about empowering users and leveraging technology to enable businesses to keep local at the center of digital community and commerce. Prior to his role as CEO, Alex developed the go-to-market systems to expand Cars.com nationally and served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer bringing an intimate knowledge of the company’s business as well as close working relationships with all major Cars.com customers, partners and senior executives.
Prior to Cars.com, Alex served as Manager of Business Development of Classified Ventures from 1997 to 1998, and as Business Development Manager of Tribune Interactive/Tribune Media Services from 1996 to 1997.
Alex holds a B.A. in History and Psychology from Providence College.
Mark Weber
Strategy & Operations Lead, MIT-IBM Watson A.I. Lab
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 12:20 – 1:00 pm (ET)
Three Principles of AI Innovation: Scientific Rigor, Rapid Prototyping and Organizational Learning
While most companies realize that artificial intelligence can unlock new business potential by augmenting and extending human capabilities, many struggle to realize the full value of their A.I. projects. And A.I. is only as smart as the data that fuels it. What do companies that successfully leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning have in common? This case study will help you develop a clearer roadmap to effectively implement an A.I. strategy that will lead to more informed, data-driven decisions to address challenges and create lasting impact.
Mark Weber is an applied researcher and Strategy & Operations Lead at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a $250 million partnership funding over 200 scientists making fundamental breakthroughs in AI. Through the lab’s corporate membership program, which he runs, Mark works closely with global leaders across multiple sectors on the creative challenge of bridging fundamental science to real-world impact. Mark’s current applied research includes neuro-symbolic generative modeling for construction monitoring, graph deep learning for anti-money laundering, and supply chain demand forecasting. Mark also oversees strategic engagements with IDEO, the International Monetary Fund, and the Internal Revenue Service. Prior to IBM Research, Mark was a graduate researcher at the MIT Media Lab and a fellow at the MIT Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship while he earned his M.B.A in finance from MIT Sloan. There he led the development of an open-source protocol called b_verify for verifiable records in supply chain finance. Before his foray into technology, Mark spent the first chapters of his career focused on political economy and development. He produced three documentary films on these subjects, most notably the critically acclaimed film Poverty, Inc. In his personal time, he is an avid reader and an ultramarathon trail runner. Learn more at www.markrweber.com and follow Mark at @markrweber.
David White
Co-leader, Global Cybersecurity, Privacy & Digital Investigation Practice, AlixPartners
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:55 am – 1:00 pm (ET)
Concurrent Topic Breakout: The Intersection of Ethics, Privacy and A.I.
With the recent increased scrutiny on Big Tech, companies in all industries should prepare for regulatory changes and additional attention on how they’re using data and AI. Convene with executive peers and AlixPartners experts in this interactive workshop discussion on digital ethics and data privacy. Key discussion points will include:
- A framework for what you should be doing to prepare your company for regulatory changes
- Which questions you should be asking to identify privacy risks
- How you can ensure that AI is used ethically and is designed to eliminate bias
David co-lead’s AlixPartners’ global cybersecurity, privacy, and digital investigation practice group and focuses on assisting clients in responding to technically complex regulatory and legal issues and coordinating internal investigations and fact-finding missions. As a former Am Law 100 commercial litigator, David leverages more than 25 years of professional legal, consulting, and technological acumen to help clients manage such crises as data breaches, complex legal disputes, and regulatory inquiries. He has overseen hundreds of digital investigations and provided expert-witness testimony on privacy, data security, and computer forensic topics. He has also lead data compliance assessments, security audits, and privacy program development and improvement projects at some of the world’s largest companies He is a Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator and a Certified Information Privacy Professional in both Europe and the United States, and a registered Patent Attorney with the USPTO with deep knowledge in the technical arts of computer information systems, database technology, computer forensics, AI and machine learning. He also serves on the Academic Advisory Committee for the Big Data Analytics program at Rutgers University.
Maggie Wilderotter
Chairman of the Board, DocuSign; Board Member, Lyft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Juno Therapeutics and Costco Wholesale Corporation
Tuesday, Feb. 2 | 11:30 am – 12:10 pm (ET)
How to Lead Disruption – and Not Be Disrupted
How do the best companies take a consistent approach to innovation and create a culture that supports self-disruption? How can companies spark new growth with production innovation in today’s dynamic market landscape? How can you rethink how you run your business? We’ll sit down with the CEO and Chairman of a leading technology company and seasoned, cross-industry board member to share their hard lessons learned.
Maggie Wilderotter is a seasoned executive who, as CEO, has led both Fortune 500 companies and start-ups in her career. In addition, she has extensive Board leadership serving on over 35 public company and 14 private company Boards of Directors.
Today, Mrs. Wilderotter serves on the public boards of Costco Wholesale Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lyft and is Board Chair at DocuSign. She serves on the private board of Tanium as well as a number of non-profit organizations. Mrs. Wilderotter is also a Senior Advisor to the Blackstone Group, Okta, Atairos Private Equity and TSSP.
Mrs. Wilderotter was Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Communications from November, 2004 to April, 2015, and then Executive Chairman of the company until April, 2016. During her tenure with Frontier, the company grew from a regional telephone company with customer revenues of less than $1 billion to a national broadband, voice and video provider with operations in 29 states and annualized revenues in excess of $10 billion.
Previously, Mrs. Wilderotter was Senior Vice President of Global Business Strategy and ran the Worldwide Public Sector at Microsoft. Before this, she was President and CEO of Wink Communications Inc., Executive Vice President of National Operations for AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Chief Executive Officer of AT&T’s Aviation Communications Division, and a Senior Vice President of McCaw Cellular Communications Inc.
Mrs. Wilderotter previously served on the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) as both Vice Chairman and Chairman during her 4-year tenure ending in 2014. Mrs. Wilderotter also served until January, 2017 on the President’s special Commission responsible for a recommendation report to the new President of the United States on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.
Mrs. Wilderotter holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of the Holy Cross. She has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Rochester.
Angela Zutavern
Managing Director, Co-lead of America’s Digital Practice, AlixPartners
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 11:55 – 1:00 pm (ET)
Concurrent Topic Breakout: The Intersection of Ethics, Privacy and A.I.
With the recent increased scrutiny on Big Tech, companies in all industries should prepare for regulatory changes and additional attention on how they’re using data and AI. Convene with executive peers and AlixPartners experts in this interactive workshop discussion on digital ethics and data privacy. Key discussion points will include:
- A framework for what you should be doing to prepare your company for regulatory changes
- Which questions you should be asking to identify privacy risks
- How you can ensure that AI is used ethically and is designed to eliminate bias
Angela pioneered the application of machine intelligence to business leadership and strategy. She is a highly regarded leader with more than 25 years of experience in artificial intelligence (AI) and other areas of digital consulting, including machine learning, data solutions, and related tools. Angela works with clients to help them implement robust and sophisticated digital solutions that drive effective, data-led decision making. She specializes in technology-based transformations, including cost reduction and efficiency efforts as well as capability-building and innovation-based growth plays. Angela is a frequent speaker on the power of AI and coauthor of “The Mathematical Corporation: Where Machine Intelligence and Human Ingenuity Achieve the Impossible,” an 800-CEO-Read Business Book Awards recommendation.
