Bled (11 November 2016): More than 120 leaders from 17 countries attended IEDC’s International Annual Presidents’ Forum with Joe Peppard, expert for digitalization, professor at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT). The Presidents Forum was entitled “Digitalization as Investment in Change”.
“Digital transformation is an absolute political priority of the Slovenian government,” stressed Dr. Miro Cerar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, who opened the 2016 Presidents’ Forum, held on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the IEDC.
“It is my great pleasure to address you at the opening of this Annual Presidents’ Forum, particularly in a year when the school is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This anniversary reflects the excellent work and dedication of Professor Purg and her team, who have proved time and again that knowledge, determination and hard work bring great achievements. Therefore, I sincerely congratulate Professor Purg and her team and wish them every success in the future,” added Dr. Cerar, Prime Minister of Slovenia.
Three key messages of the main speaker Joe Peppard, professor at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Germany and adjunct professor at the University of South Australia, were the following:
- the investments in digital should not be seen as investments in technology but investments in change. This includes everything from business model change to changes in employee work practices.
- In the c-suite, conversation about digital should not be about technology. They should, however, be about how digital technologies are enabling new business models, or improving the customer experience or leading to a true onmichannel. These are all changes from what the organization is currently doing.
- ‘Transformation’ or change is an ongoing journey not a destination.
His lecture was followed by the roundtable with Simon Kaluža, CEO, SAP CEE,
Robert Serec, Director, Pomurske mlekarne, Slovenia; Thomas Marschall, Disruption Advisor, Business Angel Investor, Denmark, and Dejan Ljuština, PwC Partner, Croatia. They presented best practices and shared some recent trends in the field of digitalization.