Thought Leaders

Introduction Perspective on InnovationInnovation is not limited to creating new products or starting new companies. It is a spirit and a mindset that permeates everything that we do. The most intractable challenges we face are not going to be solved by doing what we’ve always done. It is important to...

The expansion of the world economy in the pre-pandemic period heightened efforts from companies looking to attract the best talent to provide an appealing workspace environment. Design, service, sustainability and experience became core requirements for the most successful and ambitious companies.The real estate industry responded and is evolving from simply...

YOU GO OVER THE EDGE ANYWAY, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO GO, AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GET THERE. Kayakers have a name for the spot that a river disappears from sight, just before it turns into a raging rapid. They call it the horizon line....

DR. AJIT SHETTY FORMER CHAIRMAN, JANSSEN BEERSE My name is Dr. Ajit Shetty and I served as Chairman of Janssen Beerse from 2002 to 2012. I was very fortunate to have been part of Janssen under the leadership of Dr. Paul Janssen. We were the most productive pharmaceutical research lab...

Innovation in technology often conjures images of sprawling metropolises like Silicon Valley—a beacon of transformation where ideas scale into industry-defining movements. But technology thrives where it’s least expected, and I am proud to say Newfoundland and Labrador has earned its place in that conversation. With a population of just 545,000,...

As an economist, telecommunications professional, and business leader, I have witnessed a tremendous amount of innovation in the telecommunications space in a very short period of time. We’re on the verge of having networks so intelligent that they can guide cars through city traffic without drivers, communicate one’s heart rate...

I think the word “innovation” is overused. Not that I don’t appreciate or value interesting ideas, but I think many things touted as innovative today are simply refurbished old ideas or mid-to-late 20th century concepts clothed in the early21st century parlance of so-called influencers. I think we need to be...

Historically, electronic payments solutions have been delivered by most banks as a secondary offering – often living in the bowels of the bank’s basements or tucked away into treasury as a secondary offering. Frankly, the early evolution of the payments landscape caused such posturing. Electronic payments and deposits were miniscule...

From South Carolina’s thriving aerospace and automotive hubs to its vibrant academic institutions, I see the ingredients of South Carolina’s transformative growth. We are establishing ourselves as leaders in composites,robotics, manufacturing, batteries, electric power, and autonomous systems. To realize this potential, we must prepare our workforce for a future as...

STORY & CHALLENGESIn 2016, I was nearing the end of a frontier research project to combine interdisciplinary knowledge to ask if a biological cell could sustain light circulating inside: called ‘whispering gallery modes’. Could we go further, and turn a cell into a laser, with the hope of it being...

I moved from San Francisco to Ottawa to pursue a tech career. Yes, you read that right. I grew up north of Toronto, but my curiosity took me all over North America. I moved to Calgaryat the height of the oil boom in Alberta. I chased the energy of Barack...

Leslie J. Anderson is BMO’s Global Technology Experience and U.S. Chief Technology Resiliency and Experience Operations Officer. She is at the center of BMO’s Digital First strategy where she innovates and finds new ways to strengthen the employee experience. Like it or not, one can’t simply dissociate my experience in...

Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians. Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond...

It requires an effective link between the university and the business sector, which encourages higher education institutions to train professionals and what the labour market demands, in order to encourage companies to invest in research and development as a strategic activity to incorporate knowledge and progress. We understand that the...

In August 2019, I was appointed as the director of The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp. I studied Anthropology and Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge University before specialising in epidemiology of infectious diseases. I have lived and worked in eight different countries and on projects around the world, with...

Jobs are changing and evolving faster than anyone expected and humanity needs to embrace technology to accelerate for the better. People need more tools to upskill themselves out of poverty and away from the jobs robots will take. My vision is to create the tools to upskill humanity faster and...

The uncertainties of the pandemic and decades-old roadblocks in the software development process have driven significant changes in the approaches I see today’s organizations taking when building the applications that fuel their business. These new approaches to development are gaining in popularity because while the pressure on IT to deliver...

Mobility or the ability to move around freely is at the heart of personal liberty. As Director of the City of Tampa’s Mobility department I have the privilege of overseeing many aspects of this essential function of civilization. In the context of mobility the challenges of our times manifest themselves...

Alexander Alegria-Seif stands at the crossroads of passion, purpose, and impact, embodying what it means to dream and act with intention. “I’m an impact investor and passionate about creating impact in the world,” he states, heralding a dialogue transcending the mundane. As friends and Harvard Business School alums, our connection...

Something I’ve found to be increasingly true in the communications profession is that there’s a wealth of untapped potential sitting under the surface. It’s why we’re seeing more and more chief communications officers join the ranks of executives at big tech organizations — and why progressive CEOs are investing more...

CHASE THE ONE PERCENT I’ve noticed something about the way we talk about the future. It’s always enormous. Transform everything. Ten times the output. A revolution by next quarter. The bigger the promise, the louder the room. I spent two decades running real operations, and the truth is quieter than...

In the media landscape, technology has been the ultimate disruptor—creating several inflection points that have changed the scope of reach for content and business models. To put the evolution of our industry and its future roadmap into perspective, we can take a closer look at the three waves of media....

How often have you heard something like this: “Australia makes up only 1.3% of global emissions, and therefore why is it so important for Australia to do anything in relation to renewable energy targets and lowering emissions as we are not going to make any difference?” Make no mistake, sitting...

Both society and technology are changing ever more rapidly. Higher education is historically designed to be steady and slow in changing. The conflict caused between slow-moving institutions and a rapidly changing world has become ever more obvious – to the point, for many, that it has reached a definitive inflection...