The recently concluded 6th HCL Global Meet (www.unstructure.org) in Orlando, Florida was themed around “I have an idea”, and what a fantastic meet it turned out to be. Over a thousand CXOs, business, IT, engineering and industry leaders attended the event with keynote addresses from the 42nd US President, Bill Clinton, and leading author, Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink, Outlier, etc.) The Meet provided a platform to think, collaborate, share and learn about the immense possibilities we have around us, and was as much grand as it was elegant.
HCL’s Vice Chairman and CEO, Vineet Nayar, opened the Meet with his welcome address on the changing world and the emergence of a perfect storm with 4 key attributes as Gen Y moves into the workforce: Changing global economy and the new normal, Emergence of the emerging economies, Changing Consumers and their buying patterns, and Changing Employees. His powerful and thought-provoking speech started the 2-day meet with a phenomenal articulation on innovation and employee centricity as the central theme of any sustainable solution to address these challenges and convert them into opportunities for all business leaders.
Malcolm Gladwell, in his keynote speech, spoke about how outsiders take more risk in driving change and bringing innovation, including taking huge social risks. They have high motivation and also the sheer desperation to succeed. To be at the edge and an outsider, even when successful or an insider, is to take bold chances and drive innovation. He centered his speech around Dr. Emil Freireich, who played a vital role in the advancement for cancer therapy, particularly related to child leukemia; and how his bold experiment of creating the drug cocktail more than 50 years ago, while working at the National Cancer Institute, was central to the therapy. Gladwell also articulated with very relevant examples how the more successful we become, the narrower we start to think. A refreshing session that provided many self-analysis tips for all…
President Clinton started his speech with a reinforcement of the fascinating times in which we live, with new findings and discoveries. e.g. Neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light and its implications; newly discovered planet Gliese 581g with its earth-like properties which may indicate interesting possibilities for mankind; decoding the Neanderthal genome sequence and its implication for humanity; and more. He shifted the focus to key US and global issues, offering ideas on how to work towards finding solutions. His view that the country’s borders today are more like nets than walls is exemplified by the actions and policies of one country impacting many other countries in this global economy. He detailed examples of challenges and opportunities for every BRIC country, which must continue to grow economically while, at the same time, having the responsibility to fix social, environmental and political issues. He spoke about being more optimistic than many others in the future of the US. His message that a balanced budget along with driving growth to expand the job creation hit home with the audience. He enthralled the audience, not only with his elegance and charm, but also with his phenomenal knowledge and command over wide-ranging issues, and ability to connect them all into a seamless message. Truly inspiring…
Shiv Nadar, Founder & Chairman, HCL Enterprise and Shiv Nadar Foundation, in his keynote speech, spoke about social uplift and his efforts in giving back to the community. He spoke of the Foundation’s intense focus in creating concentric circles of aspirations among the most needy in the society, to allow them to become leaders and role models in their community, inspiring others to follow, and thereby, impacting society at large. Raising aspirations from the grass roots through primary school systems in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India (where HCL was born in 1976) has been a fascinating journey for the Foundation; a journey which has already changed the lives of thousands and nurturing the potential of tomorrow’s leaders. His thoughts on helping and enabling people we don’t know are extremely powerful and life changing. A very touching and inspirational speech which touched the hearts and minds of all…
The Meet had over 80 global industry leaders and experts share their ideas across multiple tracks on business, technology and humanity; and expand our way of thinking of how to solve key issues in our businesses and lives. The sessions on technology included focus on: Mobility and Multi-Device Experience; Cloud Computing – The Next Frontier; and Beyond Products: Building Ecosystem. The business track had discussions related to: Business Gets Social; Innovative Responses to Regulations; The New Agile Enterprise; and Business Model Reinvention. The humanity track covered topics such as: Lessons in 21st Century Leadership; Taking a World View; and Topics of our Times. The collaboration, sharing, learning and listening to new ideas, re-connecting with old friends and forging new relationships are the cornerstone of HCL Global Meet. The fun and entertainment element is also an integral part of the overall experience – Bollywood Night always add to the charm: work hard and play + enjoy harder…
As the Meet drew to a close on Nov. 15th afternoon, a customer summed it up nicely, “I look forward to coming to HCL Meet, as it’s the only industry meet in IT and Tech. where I learn and enjoy without inhibition, where the content helps me broaden my thinking. It’s not only about technology, it’s also about the passionate culture of HCL that has made be a big fan for last 6 years and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Till next time…
Beautiful illustration of what conspired at the HCL Global Meet 2011. Its been almost 10 months since the event happened but your blog instilled in me a sense of deja-vu (6 months of concerted effort is what it took to put together the line-up of speakers & the session agenda). But surely, in my opinion, there is nothing more gratifying than someone (of your stature) write a blog about the event speakers, content & experiences. Thanks Anirban