For many organisations the last decade has been a turbulent one. The direct and indirect impacts of COVID are but the latest causes of uncertainty – more reliance on technology, workforce challenges, shifting priorities, changing risk landscapes and so on. No wonder businesses are reassessing their strategies and ability to achieve them.

Mohammed Ali was a master of rolling with the punches - moving or rolling away from an oncoming punch so it has less impact.

Rather than taking proverbial punches to the head straight on, join us for a discussion on how businesses are learning to roll with the punches in order to stay focused on the journey ahead.

The evening will be informal with most of the time dedicated to networking. Wine Runners who specialise in rare European wines will have a tasting corner. La Cigale, who don’t really need an introduction, will take care of the catering. There might even be some home brew (or craft beer/cider) available... for those willing to take risks.

Speakers:

Ben Stevens, Founder Flipview, Co-Presenting with Gavin Pearce, Chief Commercial Officer, Flipview

Starting a new business is challenging. Staying in business is equally challenging. Company mortality rates have been on the rise for some time. Longevity is down. In many respects this has been driven largely by technological disruption and an ever increasingly complex and connected business environment. Unless you are selling face masks, or vaccines, we really didn’t need a global pandemic. Understanding your position in the business lifecycle and what some of the common causes of business failure are at various junctures can help you better roll with the punches. We will also briefly hear from Ajay Anand, the CEO of Horizon Energy Group. Ajay has recently implemented Flipview to super charge their strategy implementation.

Jo Fair, Hive by FutureWork Studio

The global pace of change: exponential technologies are reshaping the world around us. From mind reading to robotics, what was yesterday's science fiction is becoming todays reality. At the same time we are seeing generational shifts and changing societal expectations. This can be an exciting time to be in the workplace as technology and more responsive and agile ways of working are leading to an emphasis on flexibility, teams and networks - but it’s not always easy to know where to start. Hear some practical examples of how businesses are responding - including developing shared ecosystems to better collaborate and access talent.

Each of the above presentations will be followed by a short Q&A session and then an opportunity to try some wine, beer and French cuisine – and networking!

More on our speakers:

Gavin has studied and worked in the area of risk management for nearly 30 years. He has a keen interest in the psychology of risk and how risk informs strategy. Gavin believes that if culture eats strategy for breakfast, risk management is the knife and fork. Gavin holds an MBA from Henley Management College and is the New Zealand chapter lead for the Institute of Strategic Risk Management. Gavin is also a qualified actuary (with a personality).

Ben has an extensive background in risk and strategy and has worked in a variety of senior roles across a variety of industries including the recorded music industry in London at the height of disruption, the TV and broadcast industry in Eastern Europe and more recently the payments and Telco industry in NZ. Ben founded Flipview 4 years ago to help organisations get a better understanding of their more strategic risks. Ben’s passion is helping organisations get clarity on their strategy and in particular helping them identify the obstacles to achieving their strategy. He has also been known to brew some very average tasting beer and cider.

Jo is the co-founder of FutureWork Studio, together with Vincent Vuillard, and brings more than 20 years experience in senior executive roles across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Latin America and South East Asia. As Global Head of HR for Fonterra, Jo led the people strategy for more than 22,000 employees across 50+ markets. She has also led significant businesses >$1b revenues in both B2B amnd FMCG. As an experienced leader working at the interface of the future of work and technologies, Jo brings a deep understanding of the challenges leaders face in delivering todays results while preparing for the future.