ACG Western Michigan Corporate**- Only Series
"Creating Transformational Growth"
This fall, ACG Western Michigan is partnering with Clareo Partners to deliver an invitation-only program series designed for leaders of Western Michigan companies, focused on the theme of Creating Transformational Growth. The program series is designed to benefit companies and their leaders involved in strategy and planning (CEO, CFO or development executives) by helping them advance their strategic thinking and further develop their capabilities. Networking will be encouraged, though with the goal of building bridges and deepening connections within our community. Below is a brief overview of the program series:
Creating a Transformational Growth Strategy
Recap of First Session on September 28:
Our first session together on September 28 dealt with the subject of "What Makes Great Strategy?" We began with a discussion of where good people go wrong – highlighting mistaken assumptions even well-run companies have made when designing strategy, and the disasters that resulted. We then discussed the essential ingredients of a transformational growth strategy, drawing upon case examples of leading companies across a range of industries. We concluded with an interactive Growth Strategy Leaders panel a team of seasoned senior executives who related their practical experiences in designing strategy, investing in & delivering growth. Attendees had an opportunity to interact with the executives – discussing how these concepts apply to their own context.
Building Resilient Plans for a World of Uncertainty
October 25th - 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
University Club
In this second session, we will explore how great companies, both large and small, build strategic foresight on the future of their markets, extracting powerful insights and implications to inform their growth options. Then, critically, how companies connect this foresight and insight to clear and actionable strategies for growth. Drawing from rich diversity of examples from the Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN) and Clareo’s work with leading global companies, we will bring practical, time-tested methods and tools along with case examples that work whether in a global firm or middle-market context. We’ll also highlight techniques to incorporate outside thinking, ensuing that companies don’t get trapped by legacy thinking or industry paradigms.
Attendees will also hear from a powerful Growth Strategy Leaders panel, and have the opportunity to interact with them – applying the concepts to their business context. Panelists include John Ambrose, Executive with Castrol North America; Jeff Needham – Executive Vice President and General Manager of Perrigo, and John Voeller, Senior Vice President Black & Veatch and ASME White House Fellow.
Linking Strategy with Business Innovation to Unleash Growth from Within
November 17th – 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Davenport MBA Downtown Campus
Exceptional companies build bridges between their corporate strategies and their innovation regimes. This alignment provides the focus necessary to remain ahead of the competition over the long term and drive strong transformational growth. An increasing number of executives understand that innovation is about a lot more than new technologies or products. It’s about all of the ways we do business. Selecting where to focus our innovation resources is one of the most important decisions any company can make, but few executives have a complete view.
In this session, Clareo Partners will reveal a powerful tool developed at the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) by Dr. Rob Wolcott and his colleagues and implemented with dozens of companies over the past eight years by Clareo Partners. We’ll also see how leading companies such as Walmart, Baxter International, and Banco Itau (Brazil) achieve truly strategic innovation that leads to transformational growth from within.
Clareo Partners will also highlight four models for how leading companies organize innovation efforts – research from Dr. Wolcott’s book, Grow from Within. Attendees will receive a signed copy of this new book.
ACG Innovation Reception
November 17 Program – 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Exceptional companies build bridges between their corporate strategies and business innovation efforts. This alignment provides the focus necessary to remain ahead of the competition over the long term and drive transformational growth. And importantly, business innovation is about a lot more than creating new technologies or products. It’s about creating new value in new ways for customers and shareholders, looking at all of the ways we do business. Selecting where to focus our innovation resources is one of the most important decisions any company can make, but few executives have a complete view.
In this session, we will reveal a powerful toolset developed at the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) by Dr. Rob Wolcott and his colleagues and implemented with dozens of companies over the past eight years by Clareo Partners. We’ll also see how leading companies such as Walmart, Baxter International, and Banco Itau (Brazil) achieve truly strategic innovation that leads to transformational growth from within.
We will also highlight four models for how leading companies organize innovation efforts – research from Dr. Wolcott’s book, Grow from Within. Attendees will receive a signed copy of this new book.
Dr. Rob Wolcott:
Dr. Wolcott is a Partner and Co-Founder of Clareo Partners, Chicago-based growth strategy consulting firm, and Clareo Capital, which maintains an investment interest and/or significant advisory role with emerging businesses.
In 2003, Dr. Wolcott also co-founded (with Mohan Sawhney) and currently directs the Kellogg Innovation Network, or KIN (www.kinglobal.org), a network of senior executives dedicated to driving sustainable innovation. Members include Cargill, Cisco, PepsiCo, IBM, DuPont, FedEx, Chamberlain Group, Microsoft, Motorola and SC Johnson, among others.
Professor Wolcott is Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Kellogg School of Management. He teaches corporate innovation and entrepreneurship in Evanston and for Kellogg’s Executive MBA Programs in Hong Kong (with HKUST) and Miami. In 2002 and 2005, he served as Visiting Professor at the Keio Business School (Tokyo).
Professor Wolcott's article, Four Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship, with collaborator Dr. Mike Lippitz, appeared in the Fall 2007, issue of the MIT Sloan Management Review. His article with Mohan Sawhney and Inigo Arroniz, Twelve Different Ways for Companies to Innovate, was the most downloaded article of 2006 from the MIT Sloan Management Review. His new book, with Dr. Michael Lippitz, Grow From Within: Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation (McGraw-Hill) launched in October, 2009. Book site: http://growfromwithinbook.com
Through 2001, Professor Wolcott served as Director of Innovation Process at XL Tech Group (xltg.com), a publicly traded firm (UK) located in Melbourne, Florida, building new technology-based businesses. XLTG owns a $1 billion+ portfolio of firms traded on the public markets in addition to its private holdings.
Registration Fee:
$50 for each seminar
$60 for the Innovation Reception
**ACG Definition of Corporate:
Someone who works for a company (public or private) and whose job description includes growing the company organically, through acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, alliances, strategic planning, product development, licensing, franchising, etc.
Companies that would NOT qualify as CORPORATE:
- A person whose company generates income from providing services to corporate and/or equity group member such as an attorney, accountant, strategy consultants, valuators, recruiters, etc.
- A person who works for a capital provider or equity group.
- A person from within an educational institution or NGO.
- A person who works for an intermediary whose services include bring buyers and sellers together.
CLICK HERE to register for the series.