Mission Possible: Managing Complexity, Simply

Doing 'new' or 'difficult' things well is a challenge for most companies - harnessing the talents and energy of people is often the key to delivering against a strategy and realizing shareholder value.  When you factor in globally distributed teams, time zones and a host of other cultural dimensions the challenges facing 'execution teams' become even greater.  

Value driven change  - be that though mergers, acquisitions, ambitious IT enabled transformation, new product development and launches, major real estate moves or infrastructure development, needs  exceptional management and effective collaboration. In the past 20 years technology has evolved, and more flexible or 'agile' ways of managing work are breaking down historical barriers to unlocking value.  

This event brings together a sharp and insightful set of perspectives from leading Consultants, Technology Vendors and 'Corporations' on the challenge of managing distributed teams,  and more consistently 'doing the impossible' through great collaboration.

Who Should Attend:

• CEO's, CIO's, IT Directors, Product Managers, Program/Project Managers and,
• Leaders looking to more effectively execute a major business transformation or change initiative with cross functional  or geographic stakeholders;
• Individuals who are accountable for planning and overseeing the delivery of work;
• Teams managing projects against commitments and deadlines;
• Those interested in improving their project management methodologies and learning about new technology tools

Panelists:

• Alastair Mitchell, CEO & Co-Founder, Huddle
• Steve White, VP Strategic Operations, TrackIf
• Colin Brown, Vice President West Coast USA, Pcubed, Inc.
•  Other panelists to be confirmed.

Biographies:

Alastair Mitchell, CEO & Co-Founder, Huddle His third internet start-up, Alastair founded Huddle with Andy McLoughlin as he was frustrated by existing enterprise technology’s inability to help people work together. Spending millions of dollars on a SharePoint implementation, only to watch it fail dismally, was the final straw. In contrast, collaboration apps in our social lives just worked. As a result, Huddle was born. Since setting up the company in 2006, Alastair has grown Huddle to around 175 people in London, San Francisco, New York and Washington, raised in excess of $40 million in funding and seen sales double year on year.. Alastair’s 11 year career has followed the trajectory of the internet. After his first start-up, an online media business, Alastair moved into online exchanges and he built the first global soft commodities marketplace. When the business got bought-out by one of its investors, Alastair moved to Dunnhumby. Here he led its web-based marketing intelligence product from zero to $60 million sales within four years. He joined the board in 2005 to head up a 300 person global team, running their shopper loyalty practice. When Dunhumby was purchased by Tesco, Alastair started Huddle. Alastair graduated from Southampton University with an MEng in Naval Architecture. As a passionate supporter of other entrepreneurs and the London start-up scene, Alastair co-founded the popular DrinkTank event and spends his free time investing in and mentoring other start-ups.

Colin Brown, Vice President, West Coast, Pcubed, Inc Colin heads up the West Coast operations of PCubed - Program Planning Professionals, Inc. - one of the largest global consulting firms focused on delivering business transformation through program, portfolio and change management. Colin has lead the charge bringing transformational change to a large number of Fortune 500 companies including Applied Materials, Clorox, Sutter Health, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Safeway, Microsoft, Technicolor and Chevron. Prior to moving to the Bay in 2009, Colin held a number of key leadership positions, most recently at Capgemini, where for 18 months he ran a large part of the Justice and Home Affairs Practice in London. Prior to that he delivered a number of consulting assignments for Cable & Wireless, Deutsche Bank, the Ford Motor Company, and spent 5 years running a GBP 2bn program for a client in London. Colin graduated from the University of Liverpool and started his career as a Civil Engineer working for the US engineering company Bechtel. During his time there he worked on diverse large-scale projects ranging from oil refineries in India, and Abu Dhabi, to the new terminal at London Luton Airport, and opening the Waterloo and Westminster stations on the ‘new’ London Underground Jubilee Line before the year 2000.

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