Innovation is the lifeblood of the global economy. It is the wellspring of all future profits, the basis of tomorrow’s shareholder returns and the best guarantor of employment for subsequent generations. In short, it matters to everybody.
In the business world, we all like to think that innovation is important to us, to our organisation, to our sector. There are times, of course, when we are just paying lip service. We say in public that we are committed to new ideas, while we prefer behind closed doors to rely on what has been successful for us in the past.
It has, for example, been said, and only half in jest, that the last useful technology innovation to come out of the traditional retail banking sector was the ATM. The point of the joke is that if you don’t make innovation a priority at the top level, and pursue it with strategic intent on a daily basis, then you’ll find yourself, sooner or later, way out of touch and fighting for your life. While some banks have worked hard to modernise, we all know that many still depend on outmoded IT systems and cumbersome, labour-intensive processes. They are not alone. In sectors from insurance to logistics to healthcare, digitally-native challengers are setting the pace while incumbents flounder, unable to match the agility of newer rivals and always one step behind the curve.
It is in recognition of the importance of new ideas that we have established the Business Innovation Leaders Forum. It’s all about bringing together a global community of pace setters who have one thing in common – a hunger to implement innovative technologies and business models in order to propel their organisations to the forefront of their industry sector. Members will come from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines. They will have different viewpoints and priorities. But they will be united by their progressive attitude, their commitment to thought leadership, their rejection of safe old ideas and their desire for better ways to manage and adapt to new challenges in a world where change is the only meaningful constant.
But don’t senior managers already have a hundred channels to help them connect and communicate? We don’t think they have anything at their disposal like the Business Innovation Leaders Forum. It’s a place where new ideas can be aired among truly like-minded souls. But it’s about more than just talk.
There may be many existing ways for us to share our thoughts, but we believe the time has come for a new type of collaborative experience – one that is rich in content, communications, and networking across the globe. Our Forum is a fresh way to share ideas, experiences, challenges, and solutions in an efficient manner with industry peers. It’s a place to forge new connections and create new partnerships. We want to tear down boundaries between sectors, and bring an end to group-think and closely guarded siloes of information. We don’t see geographic borders as a barrier, and we believe in diversity as a positive force for good.
But this is not a place where anybody can turn up and join in. It’s for the exclusive use of leaders, movers, shakers. Membership is by invitation only, and will be made up of executives from enterprises across various industries around the world.
We want the Forum to be a place where you can anticipate significant trends, speak frankly and openly, and join round-table discussions on key issues. There will be vertical industry deep dives, and focus groups looking at issues from well-being in the workplace to digitization. Sometimes the insights and ideas expressed will be shared with the press and analyst community, allowing members to be seen for what they are – thought leaders and innovators.
If you are a business leader with new ideas, or you want to tune in to hear the innovative thinking of others, then click here to find out how to participate.
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