Ashley Amir is an MBA student who participated in the Ivey MBA Leadership Conference on Feb. 2. She shares insights from Nicole Verkindt, HBA ’07, founder of OMX and a Dragon on Next Gen Den, on adapting leadership to an era of innovation.
Persistence and innovation were the main themes Ivey alumna, Nicole Verkindt, drove home at the Ivey MBA Leadership Conference.
Many of us know Verkindt, HBA ’07, from her spot in the hot seat on Dragons’ Den’s Next Gen Den where she has the opportunity to invest in young, talented, and hopeful entrepreneurs. After successfully exiting her first business and founding OMX in 2011, it is clear that she sees elements of herself in many of the entrepreneurs who walk through those doors. OMX is an online platform that helps companies working on government contracts to track their compliance with agreements.
Verkindt candidly shared her entrepreneurship journey with the audience, offering insights into the highs and lows of starting a business. Her lessons on persistence and tenacity were valuable for MBA students preparing to re-enter the workforce.
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Innovation is critical
Verkindt also stressed the importance of innovation, especially in light of the inevitable technological advances that will change how we do business.
“When it comes to digitization in all sectors, it’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s only a matter of ‘when,’” she said.
With an audience of people from many different backgrounds, Verkindt reminded us that innovation is about using our own experiences, even if it’s in a traditional sector and finding ways to make it better.
In the age of acceleration and as data and connectivity become major drivers across all industries, Verkindt stressed the importance of embracing and adapting to change.
As future leaders, Verkindt encouraged us to rethink, redefine, and widen our own scope of innovation. Ultimately, this will affect how we manage teams, and experience growth both personally and professionally.
As the 2018 MBAs end this chapter at Ivey, Verkindt’s insights and advice will help us navigate through the next phase of our career.
