GIL 2016 Brazil Summit Explores Innovative Strategies to Capitalize on the Digital Transformation Revolution
Frost & Sullivan's event identifies growth opportunities triggered by disruptive technologies
SAO PAULO, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In its fifth edition, the Growth, Innovation & Leadership Brazil event gathered over 300 regional thought leaders at the Unique Hotel on May 12th, 2016 under the theme Digital Transformation: A New Strategic Imperative. C-Level executives from different industries, academia and institutions discussed the emerging opportunities generated by the digitalization of the Technology, Healthcare, Automotive & Energy sectors during a very dynamic day composed of keynotes, workshops and Think Tanks.
In his opening remarks, Frost & Sullivan Partner and Americas President, Art Robbins, highlighted the rising of a new generation of tech-savvy Brazilians willing to turn Brazil into a hub for innovation, and accentuated the power of the Brazilian business community to contribute to the region's development.
Nina Lualdi, Senior Director of Innovation for Latin America at Cisco, kicked off the event presenting Digital Innovation: The Game Changer Revolutionizing Industries. During her keynote she defined how this fourth industrial revolution is disrupting businesses and leading the way towards convergence. "We are all in the business of digitization. Whether we are in the IT industry or not, we all need to look at the culture of our business in a different way," claimed Lualdi. She also emphasized that companies needed to empower their workforce because they are the ones driving change and innovation. "This revolution is not coming from enterprises, but from people", she concluded, portraying this new era of Culture Powered by IT.
Her point was echoed by Embratel's IT Products Director, Flavio Moraes, who commented "Digital Transformation occurs in all segments, as well as within the culture of organizations", during his presentation focused on how innovation and convergence are key drivers for sustainable growth.
Furthermore, Ricardo Sennes, Managing Partner at Prospectiva & General Coordinator for the Group of International Analysis at University of São Paulo, provided an insightful analysis on the current state of Brazil, which despite its current economic and political crisis has seen steady progress over the last 30 years, having drastically reduced poverty rates and improved socio-economic conditions, as well as strengthened connectivity. "These are not the characteristics of a country in decline, it is a slow, gradual and safe evolution, one that took the English 150 years, but that Brazil has fulfilled in 25 years," he commented. Sennes also praised the independence of Brazil's institutions as a key asset for the country's progress. "We are not going through an institutional crisis, if anything this is a confirmation of the strength of our institutions. Nor is it a socio-economic crisis, but a crisis of political majority," he stated.
Later, Richard Sear, Frost & Sullivan Partner & Senior Vice President of Visionary Innovation, shared his insight on sharing economies and new business models. "It has been proven that if you have a business model first approach, you have a greater chance of success. So why do we still think in terms of product first?," questioned Sear. He defined a business model as a strategy to create and capitalize economic value, with a focus on the ecosystem rather than the product, and also underlined the key role that connectivity plays in enabling new business models.
The evening showcased an exclusive panel moderated by Mr. Sennes and composed by the CEOs of Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, Evonik, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi and SAP who debated what Brazil can learn from other countries' economic models, experiences and best practices, as well as the role of innovation in transforming Brazilian businesses and society.
The audience finally split into four specialized breakout sessions: Digital Transformation, Transformational Health, Urban Mobility and the Digital Grid, to identify new business models shaping the future of each sector. Think Tank speakers included top leaders from AES Eletropaulo, ABRADEE, AES Brazil Generation, BBI Financial, Becton Dickinson, Blablacar, CEMIG, EDP Energias do Brasil, Ericsson, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Fleety, General Electric, Hapvida, IBM, Interactive Intelligence, Itaro, Santa Celina Group, Siemens and Zazcar.
Fabio Sabba, Communications Leader at Uber, closed the event unveiling the innovative tools that the company created to disrupt urban mobility.
GIL 2016: Brazil was supported by Strategic Partner Embratel, Gold Sponsors Impartner, Genesys, Interactive Intelligence, Unify, Silver Plus Sponsor Polycom and Silver Sponsors Progress and Verint.
To know more about this global conference and/or to participate next year, please visit www.frost.com/GILBrazil.
Next GIL Latin American events: Miami (December 8, 2016), Mexico (April, 2017).
About Frost & Sullivan
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Contact:
Francesca Valente,
Marketing & Corporate Communications, LATAM
E: Francesca.Valente@frost.com
P: +54 11 4777 5300
http://ww2.frost.com/
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