MTN announces speakers for Di@logue conference
Leading up to the much anticipated Di@logue conference taking place on the 01st September 2011 at The Wanderers Club in Sandton, Johannesburg, MTN Business announces the confirmed speakers for the event.
Says Angela Gahagan, managing executive at MTN Business; “MTN Business is proud to host this conference which, will not only enable us to share knowledge and expertise based on MTN’s growth on the continent, but also allows us to delve into the minds of some of the best strategists today so that we can all engage in the debate on how these interesting times require different business thinking around risk management, technology investment, sustainability and consolidation – all to future proof business viability.”
Confirmed speakers for the MTN Business Di@logue conference include:
- President Jose Maria Figueres – the former President of Costa Rica will be presenting on the important topic of sustainability. Recognised as an international expert in sustainable development and technology, Mr Figueres will be providing insight into corporate sustainability given that Costa Rica is one of the greenest countries in the world, and more importantly, that it has taken this stance and developed a very strong market approach – which has led to greater economic growth.
- Mr. Magnus Lindkvist – a trend spotter extraordinaire who offers insightful and tangible solutions to companies wishing to grow their business in an organic way will be presenting at this conference. Says Lindkvist; “Business is far too now-focused for its own good. It’s embedded in the word busy-ness. Very few companies survive for more than a few decades because of this.”
- Dr. Matthew Fraser – a recognised Web 2.0 strategist and new media expert who speaks insightfully about the impact of Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube on business, politics and society. He has long experience as a business journalist and author, academic and technology policy adviser and will be presenting on the social media revolution. “Social media has pushed power to the periphery the way we interact, work and manage business and politics,” says Fraser. “The emergence of ‘citizen journalism’ and ‘viral marketing’ are just two examples of this power shift towards the edges. The impact of the Web and social media are turning the old models of mass production, mass marketing, and mass media on their head.”
- Dr. Ranier Fechner – a member of the Board of Alcaltel-Lucent Deutschland AG and Head of Bell Labs in Germany, where innovation is his central responsibility. Fechner coordinates the research activities of Bell Labs related to tomorrow’s technologies where he has a strong focus to manage changing innovation processes, especially the trend towards open innovation. With extensive knowledge and expertise around global telecommunication markets, Fechner will be proving valuable insight into innovation within this constantly changing sector.
- Mr. Lebo Gunguluza – an entrepreneur, strategist and motivational speaker who became one of South Africa’s most successful black entrepreneurs at the age of 27, without any funding. Lebo will be discussing the 10 greatest lessons he learnt through his entrepreneurial journey, as well as provide insight into the 10 principles he used to make his first Million as a young entrepreneur. Gunguluza is excited to partake in this event saying; “Creating an environment in Africa that is conducive for entrepreneurs is the only way we’re going to address job creation.” As someone who gets involved where it matters, Lebo is one of the founders of the South African Black Entrepreneurs Forum, founded to address issues facing black entrepreneurs in South Africa.
- Mr. Fred Baumhardt – is the Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft South Africa, where he is responsible for the product sales force for Microsoft across Application Platform, Core Infrastructure, Information Worker and Windows Client business groups. Fred will be addressing the topic of IT transformation, looking at the assumptions (and how industry buzz words influence such perceptions) that IT organisations make when selecting their architectural and IT delivery strategies.
With such an extensive agenda and a line up of international guest speakers, this is certainly a conference not to be missed.
“September also marks our 18th birthday and certainly over the years we have seen the industry change for the better. I am sure you will agree that these are interesting times that require different business thinking around risk management, technology investment, sustainability and consolidation – all to future proof business viability. I for one, am exceptionally excited about our growth and the opportunities that lie within the continent, and I am sure our esteemed guests will mirror my outlook that the possibilities for Africa are endless at the conference,” concludes Gahagan.
