The countdown is on!
Artificial intelligence, the nature of work, socio-political whiplashes, and climate change — business leaders today are facing unprecedented disruptions. To provide fresh perspectives and actionable solutions for navigating these complex challenges, Innovation North is proud to present Innovating Systems – An Idea Exchange on October 29 at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
What to Expect
Designed for leaders seeking tangible solutions for system-wide disruptions, Innovating Systems will immerse attendees in today’s most pressing business disruptions through engaging keynotes and space to exchange ideas with fellow attendees.
To guide the discussion, the event will feature a series of “Disruption Duos,” where leading academic experts join forces with seasoned business leaders to share real-world examples and actionable strategies for navigating today’s disruptive challenges, such as technology and AI, the future of work, and climate change.
Building on these insights, attendees will engage with like-minded peers to explore actionable solutions they can implement within their own organizations, creating a unique opportunity to both learn from the stage and collaborate with others in the room.
At the heart of the event is a recognition of the systemic nature of today’s disruptions — small issues that can quickly escalate and spread within organizations. With business leaders facing constant crises and employees battling fatigue, a new approach is essential. Innovation North’s systems perspective offers a holistic way to address and manage these challenges today and for an uncertain future.
Agenda
Registration will open at 10:30 a.m., and the event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a networking reception to follow.
- Introductory remarks and opening keynotes
- Lunch and networking with fellow attendees
- Lightning talks about disruptions facing business
- Exchange ideas around systems solutions to disruptions
- Reflections and closing remarks
- Networking reception
Keynotes
Christopher Marquis
Christopher Marquis is the Sinyi Professor of Management at the University of Cambridge and author of The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs. His research examines business sustainability and social entrepreneurship, and he has previously held positions at Harvard, Cornell, and Cambridge. Marquis is passionate about how academic research can help people around the world address some of the biggest crises of our day — including climate change, inequality, and discrimination.
Rob Wesseling
Rob Wesseling is President and Chief Executive Officer of Co-operators, a leading all-Canadian financial services co-operative committed to building a sustainable, resilient and financially secure society for Canadians and their communities. Delivering on the organization’s strategy, he directs its ongoing evolution from an insurance-focused company to a holistic financial-services provider – one that offers multi-line insurance and investment products, and personalized advice.
Peter Senge
Peter Senge is the founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning, a Senior Lecturer at Sloan School of Management MIT, and cofounder of the Academy for Systemic Change. He has been at the forefront of organizational learning since publishing his classic text, The Fifth Discipline, in 1990. His work centers on promoting shared understanding of complex issues and shared leadership for healthier human systems, including cross-sector projects focused on global food systems, climate change, regenerative economies, and the future of education.
Tima Bansal
Tima Bansal is a Professor of Sustainability and Strategy at the Ivey Business School and the founder of Innovation North, the Network for Business Sustainability, and Ivey’s Centre for Building Sustainable Value. She has received significant accolades for her research, which investigates the interplay between business strategy and sustainability. Tima engages closely with practitioners to apply a systems approach to complex challenges and disruptions facing business.
Julian Birkinshaw
Dean,
Ivey Business School
Speaker
Nadine de Gannes
Assistant Professor,
Ivey Business School
Event Host
Disruption Duos
Artificial Intelligence
Socio-Political Whiplashes
Romel Mostafa
Assistant Professor & Director, Lawrence National Centre for Policy & Management, Ivey Business School
Rachel Guthrie
Vice President, Corporate Sustainability Group, Export Development Canada
Nature of Work
Climate Change
Oana Branzei
Professor & Paul MacPherson Chair in Strategic Leadership, Ivey Business School
Melissa Lecznar
Senior Director, Climate Impact, JLL Canada
Artists
About Innovation North
Innovation North is a community of researchers at Ivey Business School that works with practitioners to tackle complex systems challenges. We are fuelled by the belief that we can create a future where businesses and society thrive together. Learn more about our systems approach at: innovationnorth.ca.
Businesses are experiencing more frequent, more disruptive, and more interconnected crises than ever before. Most innovators are told to move fast, even if they break things. But when everything is changing so quickly, this can be costly to the business, for society, and for the planet.
Over the past five years, Innovation North has embarked on a journey to innovate the innovation process. Our Lab brought together the most experienced corporate innovators in Canada with several motivated management researchers to co-create a tool, which we call the Compass. It helps businesses generate novel, actionable ideas to complex problems.
Location
Art Gallery of Ontario
Baillie Court – 327 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON
Contact
For questions or inquiries about the event, please reach out to innovatingsystems@ivey.ca