Monday, November 08, 2010

Bratislava: In Form Conference

I will be speaking at the In Form Slowakia Web Conference 10 November 2010.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

INVITATION Unique CEO Seminar with Vineet Nayar, CEO HCL Technologies

I am privileged again to have the opportunity to reach out to you on behalf of The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute and HCL Technologies. HCL is a $5bn corporation comprising 64,000 professionals operating in 26 countries and is a global market leader in the field of Information Technology. The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute is a platform designed to bridge the gap between universities and industry. The institute reaches out to potentially 40,000 students in 165 universities and business schools across Europe.

Mr. Vineet Nayar, CEO – HCL Technologies, has a revolutionary management philosophy “Employees First, Customers Second” which has been widely acclaimed by savants like Professor Gary Hamel and Mr. Tom Peters, also believes that “One small idea can ignite a revolution just as a single matchstick can start a fire. One such idea of putting employees first and customers second, sparked a revolution at HCL Technologies.” We believe that eminent luminaries of the world, like you, would have unique experiences, ideas and points of view to share on this global and contemporary management philosophy.

I would like to invite you as a guest to attend the CEO Debate with Mr. Nayar on 30-Sep-10 (1700 hours) at Grosvenor House Hotel, London. As with all our seminars, the seminar is by invitation only, there is no entrance fee involved. You may confirm your participation by replying to this email, but it would help us if you register through the following event page.

I would be truly delighted to meet you at the session, and have the opportunity to hear your thoughts on the same. If there is any additional information that I can furnish to help you clarify your interest in this initiative, please do let me know and I will respond at the earliest.Look forward to receiving an encouraging response from you.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

BREE/SCHILDE SUMMIT

I will be organizing the first ever Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Summit or BREE/SCHILDE SUMMIT beginning November 2010.

Core of the Summit is the inauguration and first procedures of the WSJE International Student Senate. The International Student Senate is a collection of elected student leaders from top universities and business schools in Europe. We will bring these student leaders together at the BREE/SCHILDE SUMMIT to be confronted with a group of international thought leaders, such as CEO's, academics and high level politicians.

Goal is to create a platform where student leaders can come together to exchange views and ideas and learn from the best and the brightest in the world of economy, science and politics.

I started with the Student Senate when I was at University myself in Leuven, Belgium more than 25 years ago now. I brought together most of the student leaders back then, during a wine and cheese evening in our student cafe, situated in the WINK, at the Damiaan plein, literally 50 meters from the grave of Father Damian. Most of these student leaders have now become key players in their respective fields.

While working for The Wall Street Journal Europe I always tried to build programs reaching out to Future Readers as they will be Future Leaders, and vice versa, Future Leaders will be Future Readers (if they read The Wall Street Journal Europe that is :-)

Why did I choose BREE and SCHILDE, two small Belgian towns ?
1. I copied the success formula of a two-town music festival called Torhout/Werchter
2. Both mayors have given me all their support to organize this event
3. It is easier to start something in 2 small, but key municipalities, where you get all the local support you can find, compared to start something new in Brussels or London.

Why BREE ?
Because of:
1. its mayor Jaak Gabriels, Minister of State and his interest in supporting a group of international student leaders
2. the geographical significance: BREE is situated near the border of 3 countries: Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany. When dealing with Europe out of Brussels you don't often see how Europe 'works'. In a border town as BREE you can actually see how Europe works.
3. the historical significance: BREE became a 'city' in 1386
d. BREE is nowadays the center of a technological triangle in the Eastern part of Belgium
4. Pieter Breughel the Elder and Kim Clijsters were born in Bree

Why SCHILDE ?
Because of:
1. its mayor Yolande Avontroodt, also member of Belgian Parliament, and her interest in supporting a group of international student leaders
2. SCHILDE was officially elected to be the best town to live in Belgium (SCHILDE has one of the highest per capita income levels in Flanders, Belgium)
3. I grew up in Schilde/'s Gravenwezel (part of Schilde)

Program BREE/SCHILDE SUMMIT
3-11: Start with evening diner in BREE
4-11: City hall BREE
5-11: SCHILDE


More information: http://www.wsje-flp.com/events.php/295/bree-schilde-summit

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

In Memoriam Marie-Rose Vrijens

The creation of The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute has given me the opportunity to meet some remarkable people over the past 3 years. It was with shock and disbelief I received an email today about the death of Marie-Rose Vrijens, the Director Corporate Communication & PR of UAMS, University Antwerp Management School. I have seldom met a more joyous and vibrant woman, promoting 'her' business school, in the European education field. We met for the first time in 2007 over an ... invoice problem. When I told her about the idea of creating the WSJE Future Leadership Institute she immediately embraced the concept and proposed to collaborate with the Institute as soon as it was operational. As of 2008 the Institute organized a yearly leadership seminar at UAMS. This is a sad day for UAMS, for Antwerp and for Education in general.

For those who knew her: there is a church service at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Lochtenberg, Eikenlei, Sint-job-in’ t Goor, Belgium: Thursday 17 June 2010 at 10.30 am.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

UK Book Launch and WSJE Leadership Seminar: The India Way

Two years ago I met a student at Cambridge, Pratik Dalmia. He was the President of the Cambridge University Investment Club. The student turned out to be a master organizer of all sorts of events. We started to collaborate at Cambridge. I supported several of his student events through The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leardership Institute. Today the student is an analyst at a prestigious London Bank. Not too long ago he suggested me to connect to the authors of a new leadership book researching Indian vs Amercian leadership styles. This resulted in the WSJE Future Leadership Institute actually hosting the launch of the book in London, 25 June 2010.
If you are interested in leadership research or Indian Leadership, feel free to join us the 25th in London.

Date
25 June 2010

Topic
How Indian Business Leaders are Revolutionizing Management

Organizing committee

  • The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute: Gert Van Mol
  • Sok Be - The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Gutenberg Communications
  • Pratik A Dalmia


Venue
May Fair Hotel (The Danziger Suite)Stratton Street W1J 8LT LondonUnited Kingdom

Timing
25 June, 2010 from 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM (GMT)

How to attend ?
The seminar is free, but by invitation only. Seating is limited to approximately 60 people. If interested to attend send us your full details via the "Book Now' button below + explain why you want to attend or why we should invite you. The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute will then select the audience for this unique seminar.

Description
An evening with Wharton Professors of Management Michael Useem and Harbir Singh and Vindi Banga – former President Unilever, Global Foods, Home and Personal Care

Details
The Wall Street Journal Europe's Future Leadership Institute will host the UK launch of ‘The India Way: How Indian Business Leaders are Revolutionizing Management’, a book authored by Peter Cappelli, Harbir Singh, Jitendra Singh and Michael Useem, professors from The Wharton School.
Please join us for the book launch, panel discussion and networking session. Canapés and drinks will follow. All participants will have the opportunity of getting a complimentary copy of the book courtesy the Future Leadership Institute. Since the liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991, Indian firms have shown substantial growth and innovation. After the initial success of the information services firms was noted the world over, innovation in other industries began to receive attention as well. Harbir Singh and Michael Useem will discuss how they, through interviews with more than 100 of India's most visible business leaders, have identified a unique combination of features of modern Indian management that they call "The India Way." Mr. Vindi Banga, former President Unilever, Global Foods, Home and Personal Care, will join Dr. Harbir Singh to provide his perspective on the book’s themes.
Learn what insights the authors gathered from the leaders of companies such as Wipro Limited, Tata Consultancy, Hindustan-Unilever and Infosys. Come. Be part of the conversation.

Agenda
17.00: Registration and Welcome Address
17.15: Introduction to the Book: Professor Harbir Singh and Professor Michael Useem
17.30: Panel Discussion
18.00: Q&A
18.20: Networking over canapés & drinks

About the speakers
Harbir Singh is the William and Phyllis Mack Professor of Management and co-director of the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School. Dr. Singh is also Vice-Dean for Global Initiatives at the Wharton School. He has been Chair of the Business Policy and Strategy Division of the Academy of Management, and was Chair of Wharton’s Management Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a PhD from the University of Michigan. He is widely published in the areas of strategy, governance, acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructuring and is the coeditor of Innovations in International and Cross-Cultural Management. In 2010 he was named one of top ten thought leaders in India.

Michael Useem is the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management and Director fo the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School. He holds a PhD from Harvard University, and his research had focused on leadership, decision making, governance, and corporate change. He has presented leadership development programs in India, China and elsewhere and with Harbir Singh and Jitendra Singh has offered an annual program on corporate governance in Mumbai. He is the author of several books on leadership, including The Inner Circle, Investor Capitalism and The Leadership Moment.

Vindi Banga joined Unilever in India and has since worked in a number of roles around the world. In 2000 he was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) which is Unilever’s operating company in India. HUL is India’s largest consumer products company; one of the country’s most respected companies and one of the most valuable companies on the Indian stock exchange. He led the creation of a One Unilever Global Foods, Home & Personal Care Global Category Organisation which is now responsible for innovation and marketing mix development for all brands. Unilever has 270 brands in 13 categories of which 11 are above €1bn each; these brands are marketed in 200 countries. He was also responsible for the sustainability agenda for Unilever. In 2004 he was appointed to serve on the Prime Minister of India’s Council of Trade & Industry. In December 2009, Vindi was named India’s Global Achiever at a CNBC-sponsored awards ceremony in New Delhi. In 2010 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards.

Book via the "Book Now" button at following site:
http://www.wsje-flp.com/events.php/286/uk-book-launch-and-wsje-leadership-seminar-the-india-way

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Students La Salle Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, visit WSJE Brussels

Last year undergraduate students from the La Salle Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, visit the offices of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels as a result of a collaboration between La Salle Professor Brian McGarry and The WSJE Future Leadership Institute.

John Miller, a Wall Street Journal journalist, spoke to the group explaining about the WSJE policy towards journalism, Europe, politics and the consequences of a Belgian train crash.

I am in contac with students every day now, and I strongly believe in a complete review of the product lifecycle of a business newspaper such as ours. Instead of marketing from the past to the present (heavily bombarding the 50 year old CEO/CFO/COO, lightly or not at all touching the 22 year old student), it would be interesting to do the complete reverse and start from the young to the old. From the digital natives, the twenty somethings, to the digital immigrants, the forty somethings.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute is seeking Innovation Board Members

Goal of The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute is to create programs bringing the world of university and industry together, supporting and driving knowledge exchange between both worlds. Today the Institute features 3 kind of programs:
1. Seminars
2. Joint-Seminars
3. Networking Tables
The programs are both physical and on-line (not all aspects are digital yet).

To support the above The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute will create an "Innovation Board". The Innovation Board will be an advisory board. Goal of the board is to support, re-think, organize, re-organize the Institute in such a way that it becomes a world renowned knowledge exchange agent. Selected members will not be paid, but will have the opportunity to enter the highly profiled WSJE Future Leadership Institute environment both in print as well as online.

For more info on The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute, go to www.wsje-flp.com

If you are interested to become member of the "Innovation Board" send your cv as well as your initial thoughts about the above to gert.vanmol@dowjones.com

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Topsport Lunch Belgian Rowing Championship

The Royal Antwerp Rowing Club (RARC) organised the Belgian Rowing Championship for single sculls, double sculls and coxless pairs this year.

RARC was granted the right to organise the Championship by The Belgian Rowing Association because RARC will celebrate their centenial this year.

In the picture: President of the Royal Antwerp Rowing Club Ronald Janssens welcomes the VIP guests at a topsportlunch during the Championship.

For those who want to create companies these days, one advise: hire former toprowers. They have the endurance to help you succeed.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

AIESEC Global Leaders Summit Tunis 2010

A break between two panel sessions at Aiesec Global Leaders Summit Tunis 2010, is not your typical conference break...

What I learned about AIESEC today is that this is a truly qualitative student association. About 200 presidents and presidents-elect came together in Tunis for a 10 day long conference starting last week. These young people are intensely busy shaping their organisation, and hence the world, as they have a 50,000 worldwide membership. The leadership issues I discussed with them were refreshing. I hope to see a lot of them in senior management positions, governments, politics and ngo's the next 15 years.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Invited to Speak at Aiesec Global Leaders Summit Tunis 2010

The 52nd World Congress of the International Association of Students in Economics and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) will be held February 17-26 in Hammamet, Tunesia.

The event, which will bring together over 300 young leaders from more than 100 countries, will gather companies (such as: Alcatel-Lucent, DHL, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the World Bank and many others), leaders and different bodies concerned.

The event aims to develop AIESEC in order to help it remain competitive and impact positively on societies of the world.

I will be speaking about The Wall Street Journal Europe Future Leadership Institute and engage in-depth with the students to find answers to questions such as:
- the future of media
- the future of education
- the future of leadership

Monday, February 15, 2010

Newly Developed Education Website Of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Test Phase

The newly developed education website of The Wall Street Journal Europe is ready for some outside-in testing. The site can be found at www.wsje-flp.com. WSJE stands for The Wall Street Journal Europe. FLP stands for Future Leadership Program.
The site features the The Future Leadership Program and focuses particularly on the past and future seminars of the The Future Leadership Institute which is an integral part of the WSJE Future Leadership Program. Besides the seminars the site also collects articles written for the website by distinguished partners in business and academia.