IPADE Hosts 5th Annual Harvard Business Review Summit

Access to concrete data, listening to the client, and taking risks are some of the strategies that companies can use to help overcome the uncertainty of today’s modern era. These were just a few of the take-aways from the 5th edition of the Harvard Business Review Summit Mexico, hosted by the Harvard Business Review (HBR), global innovation consultancy Opinno, and IPADE Business School.

More than 400 business leaders and innovation and management experts came together to discuss the ideas, practices, and solutions that will help guide businesses into the future in Mexico, Latin America, and the rest of the world.

Rafael Gómez Nava, Dean of IPADE; Beatriz Ferreira, Director of Opinno Latin America; and Amy Bernstein, Editor of HBR, opened the event, jumpstarting the conversation regarding the role of innovation as a fundamental aspect of leadership in times of change and uncertainty.

“We believe that the true driver of change isn’t technology or the political and social situation, but rather the people that drive economic value and create entrepreneurial communities,” said Dean Gómez Nava during his welcome remarks.

Over the course of almost 10 hours, experts shared their thoughts and perspectives on the internal and external elements that influence organizations. Through discussion groups, keynote speakers, and workshops, attendees analyzed and engaged with the concept of innovation, change, and uncertainty, sharing their personal experiences and learning from those of their peers.

Speakers at the event included the following business leaders and thought leaders: David Arconada, Senior VP of Client Experience at Aeroméxico; Emilio González, Country Manager of Nu México; Alejandra Paczka, Director of Human Resources at Walmart México and Centroamérica; Bernardo Novick, Director of ZX Ventures; Antonio Núñez, Senior Partner of Parangon Partners; and Yvette Mucharraz y Cano and Sergio Fonseca, Professors at IPADE Business School.

The third decade of the 21st century will bring change to existing paradigms of corporate leadership. The arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, combined with political, social, economic, and human factors, will force organizations to adapt in order to continue to offer the best possible experiences to both employees and clients.

Although every company’s transformation will be different, the presence of uncertainty and the need for innovation will be universal. In order to successfully adapt to their new reality, business leaders must assess and understand their context to establish a path forward for their companies. Events like the Harvard Business Review Summit Mexico offer Mexican business leaders an opportunity to engage with the concepts they will need to survive.