Conference Details
Innovate 2008:
DESIGNING THE INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Registration and Continental Breakfast, Conference Center Foyer 8:30-9:00am
Opening Plenary Session 9:00-10:15am
Welcome and Opening Remarks Room 8005
Dr. Lisa Gundry, Director, Center for Creativity and Innovation, DePaul University
Laurel Ofstein, Assistant Director, Center for Creativity and Innovation, DePaul University
Embedding Innovation at Whirlpool
Presenters: Nancy Tennant, Ph.D.,
Corporate Vice President for Leadership and Strategic
Competencies, Whirlpool Corporation; and
Warwick Stirling, Global Director of Innovation,
Whirlpool Corporation
Concurrent Breakouts Session 1 10:20-11:30am
SmithBucklin Innovation Center: Room 8014
Breaking New Ground
Moderator: Laurel Ofstein, DePaul University
Presenter: David Schmahl, Senior Director, SmithBucklin Innovation Center
From the Basement to the Office: Creating and Maintaining an Innovative
Office Culture in a High-Growth Business Room 8002
Moderator: Patrick J. Murphy, DePaul University
Presenter: Brian Knudson, Founder & CEO, NogginLabs
Harnessing the Shifting Landscape of Innovation – Software + Services Room 8009
Moderator: Lucas Weingarten, DePaul University
Presenter: Adam Hecktman, Microsoft Technology Center
Break: Luncheon Buffet Service 11:30-11:45am
Please bring your lunch into Room 8005 Foyer Area
Luncheon and Keynote Speaker 11:45-1:00pm
The Seven Factors of Highly Effective Workplaces Room 8005
Moderator: Scott Young, DePaul University
Keynote Speaker: Tom Stat, IDEO
Concurrent Breakouts Session 2 1:00-2:10pm
Workplace 2.0 Room 8005
Moderator: Laurel Ofstein, DePaul University
Presenter: Cathy Calhoun, Co-President, Global
Consumer, and Regional President of Weber Shandwick
The Trustmark Renaissance - Reinventing Room 8002
a 95 Year Old Insurance Company
Moderator: Adam Shames, The Kreativity Network
Presenter: Ron Watt, Trustmark New Growth Ventures
Team, Trustmark Insurance Company
Closing Plenary Session 2:15-3:30pm
Out of the Box and into the Warehouse Room 8005
Moderator: Carol Oman, Kraft Foods R&D
Presenter: Cathy Martin, Vice President Operations
Innovation, McDonald’s
Networking Reception 3:30-4:15pm
Coffee and Dessert Foyer Area
Innovate 2008: Designing the Innovative Workplace
Keynote and Breakout Session Descriptions
Opening Plenary Session:
“Embedding Innovation at Whirlpool”
Presenters: Warwick Stirling and Dr. Nancy Tennant, Whirlpool
This session will cover the innovative ways Whirlpool captures ideas from everyone, everywhere. Dr. Nancy Tennant and Warwick Stirling will discuss why innovation is so important to Whirlpool, the challenges to embedding it as a competency globally and the unique ways employees have found to allow themselves to be more creative. Though there are standard tools for idea collaboration, each group has taken a different approach that has allowed them to be successful.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions 1:
Breakouts are organized into two sessions. In session 1 (morning), participants may choose among 3 sessions to attend.
“SmithBucklin Innovation Center: Breaking New Ground”
Presenter: David Schmahl, SmithBucklin
SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management company, launched the SmithBucklin Innovation Center in early 2007 with the mission of helping associations grow through the development of new products and services. Today, the service offering is exceeding client expectations and creating new value, but the journey of bringing innovation to not-for-profit associations hasn’t been a cake walk. Our session will introduce the necessary prerequisites for innovation to succeed in our industry, and several of the adjustments we’ve made to help our colleagues and clients alike adopt innovation as a cornerstone of their growth strategy.
“Harnessing the Shifting Landscape of Innovation – Software + Services”
Presenter: Adam J. Hecktman, Microsoft Technology Center
We are in the midst of a significant technology shift that is impacting the innovation landscape in ways felt by every market segment. The shifting landscape has prompted debate over whether the future of computing's role in innovation lies entirely with "cloud-based services" on the Internet or with client-based software that sits on PCs, laptops and mobile devices. This session will suggest how to create a work environment with Software + Services - an approach which balances the advantages of the Internet, connection between people, devices and information - with the extraordinary capabilities that are possible for driving and amplifying innovation.
“From the Basement to the Office: Creating and Maintaining an Innovative Office Culture in a High-Growth Business”
Presenter: Brian Knudson, NogginLabs Inc.
How do the decisions you make at the start-up phases of a company both establish and influence future innovation? This discussion will walk the audience through an interactive timeline of a high-growth startup environment, including an exploration of the static and variable inputs that influence office culture.
Lunchtime Keynote Session:
“The Seven Factors of Highly Effective Workplaces”
Presenter: Tom Stat, IDEO
How brand, experience, community, culture, communications, control and chaos can conspire and inspire innovation effectiveness for teams, individuals and the occasional dog.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions 2:
Participants may choose among two breakout sessions in the afternoon.
“The Trustmark Renaissance - Reinventing a 95 Year Old Insurance Company”
Presenter: Ron Watt, Trustmark Insurance
Trustmark has a proud history of providing high quality insurance products & services to a wide array of clients and industries. Given its relative size within the insurance industry (as it moves toward an oligopoly), the company strives to build upon our strengths to expand into related businesses following a strategy of “capabilities based diversification.” In support of this strategy, Trustmark had to address cultural, organizational, and leadership issues to truly impact change. Ron will provide some history of the Renaissance effort to date, and tell the story of what impact it has had on the culture, and new growth opportunities that have resulted within existing businesses and beyond.
“Workplace 2.0”
Presenter: Cathy Calhoun, Weber Shandwick
Learn how applying a Web 2.0 mentality – transparency, feedback, dialog, open experimentation and ratings – to your workplace can help create innovative new approaches, programs and offerings. Weber Shandwick has found this approach particularly valuable in inspiring, energizing and developing a predominantly under-40 work force.
Closing Plenary Session:
“Out of the Box and into the Warehouse”
Presenter: Cathy Martin, McDonalds
McDonald's has been designing and building the future for more than 14 years in various warehouse spaces in the suburbs of Chicago. Foam core designs, simulated and real customers, real crew, and equipment on wheels allows for low cost rapid prototyping. The focus of the space is 3 full working kitchens with Front Counter and Drive Thru Service. Adjacent to the live kitchens are flexible workstation, teaming, and observation spaces that foster collaboration for large and small cross functional groups of local and international McDonald's employees, consultants and suppliers.
Innovate 2008:
DESIGNING THE INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE
ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS
Cathy Calhoun is co-president, Global Consumer, and regional president of Weber Shandwick. In her 16 years with the agency, Cathy has created unforgettable, strategic campaigns for some of the agency’s long-standing and most valued clients. She oversees some of the largest integrated marketing programs in the country with specific expertise in food and nutrition, health and beauty and household products. She has led the strategic and creative execution for new product launches, brand repositioning and consumer education campaigns for blue-chip clients like Unilever, the got milk?/milk mustache campaign, Mars, Inc., Allstate and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
At Weber Shandwick, Cathy has launched more than 250 milk mustache celebrity ads, worked with Harley-Davidson to celebrate three major anniversaries (the 90th, 95th and 100th ) and helped introduce new products ranging from Mega M&Ms to the Electrolux Icon line of high-end kitchen appliances.
Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Cathy was marketing communications director for Wilson Sporting Goods. She also completed a five-year stint with the Chicago office of Hill Knowlton, where she worked on public relations programs for Kellogg’s, Fisher-Price Toys and World Book, Inc. Cathy was chosen as one of Crain’s Business’ “Forty Under Forty”, was named one of the “Forty PR Stars Under Forty” by PR Week magazine and honored as the Chicago Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America. Under her leadership, the Chicago office has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business and Chicago Magazine as a top workplace, the only public relations firm to be featured on both lists. She has also received numerous awards for the public relations programs she has overseen. Her community service includes positions on the boards of Namaste Charter School, Marwen and Ravenswood Community service. Cathy earned a B.F.A. in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She lives with her daughter, Sophie in Chicago.
Adam J. Hecktman is the Director of the Microsoft Technology Center - Chicago. The Microsoft Technology Center is a world-class facility dedicated to helping organizations maximize business value and ensure long-term success when facing their toughest business challenges and opportunities. He has been with Microsoft in Chicago since 1991.
Prior to Microsoft, Adam was a consultant with Accenture for three years. While at Accenture, Adam worked with clients including those in financial services, government, and utilities. Adam received a Bachelor of Science in commerce and business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration. He regularly appears on television, print, and radio, and has authored several articles.
Adam has served his community in various capacities and appointments at non-profit and community organizations including: Board of Directors of the Chicago Children’s Museum, Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors, Chairman of the Advisory Board for Taproot Foundation Chicago, Board of Directors of the Family Institute at Northwestern University, Editorial board of The International Journal of Innovation Science, Board of Directors of the Universal Professional Business Organization. A lifelong Chicago resident, Adam lives in the Old Town neighborhood.
Brian Knudson is co-owner and CEO of NogginLabs, a technology-driven learning services company specializing in interactive education and training software. NogginLabs serves both local and international clients, from small non-profits to global corporations. In 2007, the company was named one of Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest growing companies. NogginLabs’ largest clients include Dell, McDonald’s, Abbott Laboratories, Jet Blue, Capital One, and Northwestern University. After graduating with a degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Brain worked as a learning science consultant for Accenture. In the early days of the e-learning industry, he worked on the company’s largest e-learning projects. Brian earned his Master of Learning Science degree from Northwestern University which inspired him to launch NogginLabs. He has spent the last 11 years focusing NogginLabs on developing effective, engaging learning based on scientific principles.
Brian was recently named as a finalist for the ITA City LIGHTS award, presented by the Illinois Technology Association to recognize a business, education, media or government leader who has relentlessly promoted the growth and stature of the Illinois information technology industry. NogginLabs has also won several Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning awards, and was honored by the West Side Entrepreneurship Center as having the best technological innovation from a woman-owned business in the 2005 Innovative Illinois Awards. Brian is an active triathlete and a long standing member of the Chicago Area runners’ Association and USA Triathlon. He and his wife Traci live in Wilmette with their children.
Cathy Martin is Vice President, Operations Innovation at McDonald’s. Cathy oversees McDonald's Global Innovation Priorities, leading the Operations Development, Operations Research, IT Innovation, and Equipment Engineering teams. Cathy is responsible for bringing to life initiatives that promote a universal approach to our next generation operating platform, with a focus on the guest and employee experience. She leads the Innovation Center team that monitors Innovation Center tests, along with test pilots in various areas of the globe.
Cathy spent over 24 years with the McDonald’s system holding key positions in Field Operations, Vice President of Global Training in Oak Brook, as well as Vice President and General Manager of the Portland Region for five years. Prior to leading Innovation, Cathy served as Chief Transformation Officer for the U.S. Business. Her goals include adding value to today’s business as we innovate for future growth opportunities. She feels her greatest opportunity is to continue to influence thinking about how we can innovate and grow the business.
David Schmahl is a Senior Director, SmithBucklin Innovation Center, and member of the Corporate Management Team of SmithBucklin Corporation, the world’s largest association management firm. He is responsible for all strategy and execution for the SmithBucklin Innovation Center, which he was instrumental in establishing and officially launching in 2007. The goal of the Innovation Center is to help client organizations drive growth and build sustained competitiveness in their industries through new product and service development.
David also served as Executive Director for two of SmithBucklin’s largest client organizations, both within the Technology Business Unit. Prior to joining SmithBucklin in 2003, David was Vice President of National Sales and Business Development for Next Generation Network, Inc. (NGN), a pioneer in the digital display advertising arena that was acquired in 2002 by Regal Entertainment Group. Prior to NGN, David spent seven years with Procter & Gamble, ultimately achieving the position of Senior Project Manager in the Market Strategy & Planning Group. David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Thomas K. Stat is an associate partner at IDEO and part of IDEO’s global relationship design community. As a member of IDEO Chicago’s leadership team, Tom manages a number of IDEO’s key client relationships and helps to direct business development efforts across all IDEO practice areas. His passion is in nurturing and sustaining innovation for IDEO’s clients by matching client aspirations and challenges with the passions and capabilities of IDEO’s professional staff.
Tom has a multidisciplined background that includes aerospace engineering studies at Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology from Boston University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and an executive MBA from Stanford University. Tom has been involved in a wide range of innovation initiatives for IDEO clients including Motorola, DaimlerChrysler, 3M, Tetra Pak, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), Starbucks, Eli Lilly, McDonalds, American Express, American Greetings, AT&T and Bayer, among many others. Tom is a frequent lecturer at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and at a variety of global industry and company-sponsored conferences.
Prior to joining IDEO, Tom provided marketing and communication strategy, business development, design, and management expertise to a wide range of service businesses. He has provided strategic planning, business factors, and communication consulting to a variety of multinational companies, on projects as diverse as new service introductions, new product launches, new identity roll-outs, real estate consulting and commercial building design. He has been involved in the design of a number of corporate headquarters, international airports, hospitals, schools, and cultural facilities in the US, Asia, and the Middle East. As a strategic consultant to a joint venture between an American architectural firm and a Japan-based infrastructure engineering firm, Tom resided in Osaka, Japan for two years and has traveled extensively throughout Asia and has communed with wild monkeys on a remote island in Indonesia. In his spare time, Tom has climbed Mount Fuji, builds furniture, collects antique opium pipes, acts as computer technical support to his friends and family, is master to all eight family room remote controls, and tinkers with a 56 year-old Chevy pick-up truck. Tom resides with his wife, two daughters, and dog in Northbrook, Illinois.
Warwick Stirling joined Whirlpool in January 2007 as the Global Director of Innovation. He is responsible for leading the corporation’s innovation transformation with a particular focus on building capability as well as delivering financial results. This scope includes designing, building and reinforcing the global innovation ‘management system’ as well as collecting and sharing best practices across all regional business units.
Before joining Whirlpool, Warwick was based in Silicon Valley where he co-founded a VC-backed software company that developed and is deploying a unit-level traceability solution that is being used to protect millions of dollars of branded goods including foods, consumer products and pharmaceuticals. Prior to jumping into an entrepreneurial role, Warwick spent 6 years as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in both San Francisco and Atlanta where he worked on complex strategic and marketing issues for leading Fortune 100 companies.
A native of South Africa, Warwick holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC-Chapel Hill) and a bachelor’s degree in business from Bath University in England. Whirlpool Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company manufactures in 13 countries under 9 major brand names and markets products to distributors and retailers in more than 100 countries.
Dr. Nancy A. Tennant is currently the Corporate Vice President for Leadership and Strategic Competencies for Whirlpool Corporation, reporting to the Chairman and CEO. In this capacity, she is responsible for creating and implementing enterprise strategies that facilitate leadership; leveraged learning; competitive knowledge and innovation. She heads the David R. Whitwam Centre for Leadership and Lifelong Learning, Whirlpool’s Corporate University. She is a faculty member of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and previously at the University of Notre Dame Business School in innovation and organization change. She is the one of the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners in transforming large business environments to achieve innovation from everyone and everywhere. In 2006, Business Week named Dr. Tennant one of the 25 Innovation Champions (IN25) in the world.
She is the author of numerous articles and the co-author of the recent Unleashing Innovation: How Whirlpool Transformed an Industry (Jossey-Bass, 2008), and two best selling books: Strategic Innovation: Embedding Innovation as a Core Competency in Your Organization (Jossey-Bass, 2003) and Mastering Virtual Teams (Jossey-Bass, 2006). She is a frequent public speaker on the topic of innovation and organization change to “C” level audiences around the world. She holds a doctorate in organizational behavior from The George Washington University. She is a board member of the First Tee of Benton Harbor, a non-profit organization that offers character development and life skills to youth-at-risk through golf.
Ron Watt works on Trustmark’s New Growth Ventures (NGV) team. The NGV team focuses primarily on 1) Corporate Strategy, 2) Identifying growth opportunities, and 3) Pursing those opportunities via Acquisition, Partnership or Building upon internal capabilities. Prior to joining the Trustmark, Ron spent most of his career in Strategic Sourcing, focused mainly on Information Technology. Key to success in this area was working on cross-functional teams, drawing on the strengths and experience of the team members to achieve company objectives.
Ron’s industry experience outside of Health Insurance includes 7 years in high-tech (Digital Equipment Corp) and 6 years in telecommunications (Ameritech / SBC). Ron’s other professional experience includes technology sales and business plan development.
Ron received his MBA in Entrepreneurship from DePaul University, Chicago, IL, and his
BA, Materials Management, from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Innovate 2008: Designing the Innovative Workplace
THANK YOU!
The Center for Creativity and Innovation at DePaul University extends special appreciation to our Conference Sponsors:
DePaul University Department of Management
Thank you also to our conference volunteers and moderators:
Patrick J. Murphy, PhD
Assistant Professor, DePaul University Carol Oman
Kraft Foods R&D
Adam Shames
Scott Young, Ph.D.
The Kreativity Network Professor and Chairman, Management
Dept., DePaul University
We would also like to acknowledge the ongoing contribution of the Advisory Board for The Center for Creativity and Innovation:
Dr. Surinder Kumar
Chief Innovation Officer
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Chicago, IL
Dallas Ann Tomlin
Manager, International Rights & Distribution
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, IL Carol Oman
Beacon for Ingenuity, Innovative Applications
Kraft Foods R&D
Glenview, IL
The Staff of the Center for Creativity and Innovation:
Lisa Gundry, PhD, Professor of Management, Director
Laurel Ofstein, Adjunct Professor of Management, Assistant Director
Lucas Weingarten, Marketing & Outreach Manager