Thriving business in a digitally fragmented world

Digital globalisation has increased rapidly. Free flows of data and smart global IT architectures have changed the way business is executed and has increased both efficiency and innovation skills of multinational corporates.

However, as physical trade sees increasing protectionism so do digital data flows. Business leaders are facing a fragmented and complex reality; a trend coined ‘digital fragmentation’. As a consequence, multinational businesses are questioning fundamental assumptions about their global IT architectures and the impact on their plans for growth and innovation.

The trend of digital fragmentation is only set to increase. Uncertainties are on the rise, such as the implications of China’s new cyber security law and the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

As business leaders grapple with this fast-evolving environment, there is an urgent need for constructive dialogue with policymakers. Dialogue is essential to craft a policy framework that manages new risks in the digital era whilst allowing innovation to thrive.

Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Thailand, and Matt Hancock, UK Minister of State for Digital, will give keynote speeches.

The aim of this conference is for key constituents to articulate the fundamental issues at play in digital globalisation and to stimulate cooperation towards a pragmatic way forward.

Agenda

This conference is by invitation only. To register your interest, please contact Tiara Azarine, tiara.azarine@asiahouse.co.uk. 

Confirmed speakers:

Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Thailand

Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj has assumed his position as Minister of Digital Economy and Society in 2016. Prior to that he held the Minister of Science and Technology portfolio for over two years. An outstanding career in the field of public policy, he has contributed to the design, formulation, and implementation of major national policies including science & technology, innovation, ICT, e-commerce, and education. His contributions have also been extended to international collaboration notably to ASEAN, APEC, UNCTAD, OECD, as well as establishing effective scientific diplomacy to bilateral, multilateral relations, and interagency collaborations. 

The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, UK Minister of State for Digital, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Matt Hancock is the MP for West Suffolk, having been elected in the 2010 general election and also the Minister of State for Digital. Matt entered Government in September 2012 and has served in a number of Ministerial Roles, including for skills and business, and as Paymaster General. He oversaw the expansion of Apprenticeships, and championed the digital transformation of Government. Since July 2016 he has served at DCMS as Minister of State for Digital and is responsible for broadband, broadcasting, creative industries, cyber and the tech industry.

Omar Abbosh, Chief Strategy Officer, Accenture

Omar is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s strategy, innovation programs and investments. In this role, he also has management responsibility for Accenture Security, Accenture’s Dublin Centre for Innovation, Accenture’s Ventures & Acquisitions, Industry programs, Research and Corporate Citizenship. He is a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. Before being appointed to his current position in 2015, Omar held several management roles including senior managing director–Growth & Strategy for the Resources operating group, managing director of the Resources business in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Global Utilities managing director and managing director of Accenture Smart Grid Services & Accenture Energy Consumer Services. 

Richard Cumbley, Global Practice Head, Technology, Media and Telecommunications & Intellectual Property practice, Linklaters

Richard is global head of the firm’s technology practice, advising multinationals and nationals on complex information management and data privacy issues. He has worked on data related projects across the globe, including major data security incidents, large-scale privacy litigation, appearances before regulators, contentious and large-scale subject access issues, online monitoring techniques, government access programs, data localisation and “big data”. 

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director of European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)

Hosuk is Director of ECIPE, a Brussels based think tank, a fellow of LSE and Open Political Economy Network. He is regularly consulted by the G7 governments and all the principal international organisations on trade (incl. WTO, World Bank and OECD). Hosuk is a regular commentator on EU trade policy, has successfully advocated the opening of several “impossible” trade negotiations for the EU, including Japan and Australia/New Zealand. He has been working on digitalisation and trade since 2008 on data privacy, online platforms and internet taxes, long years before they became public topics, and was named “one of the 20 most influential people for an open internet” by readers of the Guardian in 2012 for challenging the Chinese internet censorship under international trade law. 

John Maton, Chief Data Officer, HSBC

John was appointed Chief Data Officer for the UK and Europe December 2016. Previous to this role he was the programme director for the Global Standards Data Readiness programme. John originally joined HSBC UAE in 2014 working on the disposal of parts of the bank in the Middle East. Prior to HSBC, John has worked at ABN AMRO for 12 years as Chief Operating Officer for Western Europe and as member of the board of ABN AMRO subsidiaries in Germany and Sweden. John has also previously worked at Nomura International, Bankers Trust and ING.

Armen Ovanessoff, Principal Director, Accenture Research

Armen is Principal Director of Accenture Research, where his focus is on a wide range of economic and business issues shaping the CEO agenda. Armen has published widely on topics such as economic competitiveness, digital disruption and globalisation. His consulting has supported the development of international business strategies and operating models for Accenture and its multinational clients. Armen’s opinions and research insights are regularly featured in economics and business publications and journals and he is a frequent speaker and moderator at events, with a regular presence in the media. Armen also oversees Accenture’s research activities across the Latin America region. 

This conference is organised in partnership with