New interactive forum to showcase global thought leaders

Singapore

THE Straits Times and The Business Times will launch a new public interactive forum next month to showcase prominent thought leaders from around the world in various fields.

Called "Cutting Edge," the series will feature live interviews with audience participation, and will also be videocast to reach global audiences.

The forums, which will take place every quarter and are sponsored by GuocoLand, will be moderated by Straits Times Associate Editor Vikram Khanna.

Howard Yu, a renowned expert on innovation and corporate disruption, will be the first personality to be featured in the Cutting Edge series, which will be launched on Oct 5.

Professor Yu - the LEGO Professor of Management and Innovation at the prestigious IMD Business School in Switzerland, and director of the school's advanced management programme for top executives - will share his insights on the biggest challenges facing today's companies.

He is author of the recent business bestseller, LEAP: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied.

The Thinkers 50 radar list, which scans the world for pioneers in management thinking, ranks him among the thought leaders most likely to shape the future of how companies are managed and led.

In his widely acclaimed book, he draws on industrial history over the last 200 years to explain why companies are able to come from nowhere to displace industry leaders, how they can harness new strategies, technologies and shifts in the marketplace to succeed amid competition and how they can re-invent themselves in a changing world.

Hong Kong-born Prof Yu received his doctoral degree in management from Harvard Business School.

Apart from corporate strategy, he has also worked on hot-button issues such as the risks and opportunities for companies presented by Big Data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

He has created customised training programmes for major global companies including Mars, Maersk, Electrolux, Daimler, Sanofi, Novartis and others.

His research and consulting work has also focused on Asian economies. For example, he has examined the strategies adopted by Western companies, such as GE, IBM and Novartis to make inroads into China and other emerging markets in the region.

He has had research collaborations with several organisations in Asia including Temasek Holdings in Singapore; TravelSky, China Resources, COFCO and Tencent in China; and Nitto and Recruit Holdings in Japan.

Commenting on the Cutting Edge forum series, Singapore Press Holdings Editor-in-Chief (English, Malay and Tamil Media) and Straits Times Editor Warren Fernandez said: "This new series aims to feature leading thinkers and doers who are at the cutting edge of their fields. We hope they will bring interesting ideas and perspectives to engage our audiences. We're happy to partner with Guocoland to make this happen."

Cheng Hsing Yao, group managing director of GuocoLand Singapore said: "Together with SPH, we want to bring in renowned practitioners and thought leaders to inspire us on how best to embrace change and thrive in uncertainty."

The Cutting Edge forum with Howard Yu will be held at the URA Function Hall, 45 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069118, on Friday Oct 5 at 2.20 pm. Registration starts at 1.30 pm.

Limited tickets are available at S$68 for those who register by Sept 26, and S$85 thereafter. The price includes a copy of Prof Yu's book, as well as refreshments.

To register, visit www.gevme.com/thecuttingedge