Episode 4 of Envision: Agility and resilience are crucial for future growth

Emma McGuigan, Global Lead — Intelligent Platform Services, Accenture

Over the past year, organizations have had to become more agile and resilient to weather the disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis. These traits are now fundamental to future business growth. How can companies leverage and build on this agility to continue their digital transformation journey and innovate on behalf of customers and employees?

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Commercial Business at Microsoft, will explore these and other topics on June 15 during Episode 4 of Envision, presented by Accenture, Avanade, and Microsoft.

Hosted by award-winning journalist Mariana Atencio, Envision is a digital series where senior business leaders can get practical insights and diverse perspectives from other leaders around the world and learn how they’re addressing their biggest challenges.

During Episode 4, Microsoft Chief Digital Officer Andrew Wilson will speak with Beth Ford, President and CEO of Land O’Lakes, about the digital transformation of her company, as well as the power of a growth mindset and the effect it’s had on her personal and professional life. We’ll also hear from Microsoft Chief Privacy Officer Julie Brill about the latest data protection and privacy regulations and why businesses of all sizes should view them as an opportunity.

As a follow-up to our Episode 3 discussion on artificial intelligence, Microsoft Chief Responsible AI Officer Natasha Crampton and Chris McClean, Global Lead of Digital Ethics at Avanade, will describe how to implement a responsible AI framework in your organization and why it can be a catalyst for innovation.

Alysa Taylor, Corporate Vice President of Business Applications and Global Industry at Microsoft, will be joined by Florin Rotar, Global Modern Workplace Executive at Avanade, for a conversation on the shift to hybrid work and the new questions that leaders need to be asking. In addition, I’ll talk with a special guest about his organization’s mission to foster community and economic empowerment and the core values that have helped drive his success.

Immediately following the main program, attendees will be able to choose one of four segments offering industry perspectives:

· Michael Abbott, Global Banking Lead at Accenture, and Indivar Khosla, Head of Financial Services US for Microsoft, will describe the changes that financial services firms need to make to compete in the new digital economy.

· Rob Hazelton, Global Health and Life Sciences Lead at Avanade, and Tom McGuinness, Corporate Vice President of Global Healthcare for Microsoft, will discuss the shift to new patient-care delivery models and what it means for the future of healthcare.

· Tracey Countryman, Senior Managing Director of Industry X Global Manufacturing and Operations at Accenture, and Andy Pratt, Vice President of Cross-Industry Solutions for Microsoft, will explain how manufacturers are using digital twins technology to become more efficient and competitive.

· Shelley Bransten, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Retail and Consumer Goods at Microsoft, and Jill Standish, Accenture’s Global Lead for Retail, will share how retailers can use data to personalize the customer experience.

Envision is free to attend, and program segments will be available later on demand for those who are registered. To participate, visit envision.event.microsoft.com.

I hope you’ll join the conversation!