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One-Day Public Seminar,
Belgrade, Serbia
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Just back from Belgrade, Serbia, where I conducted the second in my series of one-day public seminars in the Balkan region (see my report on Skopje, Macedonia, below). Once again organized by my friends at Triple S Learning, this time together with their Serbian operation Swot Learning & Consulting, it was another well-publicized event, with advertisements on national TV, and billboards all over Belgrade. Hosted at the Continental hotel, the conference drew nearly 200 delegates from a wide spectrum of Serbian companies as well as government organizations. The event, called “Strategies for Growth and Profit in Recession”, followed the same format as before with three 90-minute sessions. It also served to launch the Serbian translation of my book “Innovation to the Core” – another one to add to my bookshelf! I was pleased to have several articles and event reports published in the Serbian business press, along with a video interview on Fox TV’s morning news program. Finally, we ended the day in Skadarlija, the old Bohemian quarter of Belgrade, with local food, wine and folk singers – a unique and unforgettable experience. |
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Accenture Innovation Masterclass,
Beijing, China
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Just back from a double-whammy trip to Beijing. My two reasons for being in China: to conduct a one-day innovation masterclass for Accenture’s senior leaders in the Greater China region (incorporating China Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau), and also to launch the Chinese version of my latest book “Innovation to the Core”. The masterclass was part of a two-day Accenture Leadership Development Symposium which brought together over 60 of the company’s senior executives, including global CEO Bill Green. It gave us a chance to do some really innovative thinking around Accenture’s core business in what is clearly one of the world’s most critical market regions. I was very impressed with the whole leadership group, and in particular with Gong Li, Accenture’s chairman in Greater China, whose insights were extremely valuable in my preparation for this event. My special thanks to Camille Mirshokrai, Accenture’s global director of Leadership Development, for inviting me to come and speak to this extremely talented group. |
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Motorola Channel Partner
Conference, Malta
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I’ve been to over 40 countries in the last couple of years, but this was actually my first trip to beautiful Malta. I was honored to be the opening keynote speaker at this year’s Motorola Channel Partners Conference, hosted at the Hilton hotel in Portomaso – a magnificent yacht marina in the fashionable district of St Julian’s. The event, which was themed “Our Business 2.0”, brought together industry professionals from over 100 countries. My 75-minute opening keynote on strategy innovation, entitled “Achieving Success in a Volatile Market”, was focused on improving business performance in tough economic times. It was also my great pleasure to share the stage again (after 6 years!) with Costas Markides, Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School. I just love the way Costas presents – great humor but with a very hard-hitting core message. My congratulations go to Henrik Asbjorn, Motorola’s VP for the EMEA region, and General Manager for Channel and Growth, for hosting an altogether excellent business event. |
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One-Day Public Seminar,
Skopje, Macedonia
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My series of one-day public seminars in the Balkan region got off to a great start in Skopje, Macedonia. Organized by the excellent team at Triple S Learning, the event was advertized for weeks on TV, in print and online, and attracted an audience of no less than 350 senior and mid-level managers (not bad for a time of crisis!). I arrived in Skopje to find my portrait all over the city in roadside billboards for the conference, as well as on the cover of the leading business magazine, Kapital. My one-day seminar program on “Strategies for Growth and Profit in Recession” featured three 90-minute sessions, including Q&A, followed by an open press conference and several one-on-one interviews with magazine, radio and TV media. The last interview of the day was broadcast live on the Sitel TV evening news show. Another big highlight of the event: the publication of “Innovation to the Core” in Macedonian, which meant plenty of books to sign! After the conference, I thoroughly enjoyed a traditional Macedonian meal at Lira – Skopje’s most famous restaurant – together with the event’s organizers: Dusko Ugrinoski and Teodor Aleksov, founders of Triple S Learning, along with the excellent event manager Marija Solevska, and some of the country’s leading journalists, including TV news presenter Nataša Mersovska. Next stop on the Balkan tour: Belgrade, Serbia. |
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ADP Annual HR Conference,
Atlanta, Georgia
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Three days. Three speeches. Three different audiences and presentation formats. All at one major event. An engagement like this is never an easy challenge but – hey – it goes with the job. After addressing their global clients in France this January, I was invited by ADP – the leading global provider of IT solutions for HR– to become a firm part of the three-day program at their annual “Meeting of the Minds” conference, hosted this year in Atlanta, Georgia. On Day One, the assignment was to speak for one hour “unplugged” (i.e. without my trusted Powerpoints!) to a group of senior HR executives, then facilitate round-table discussions. Day Two was a 90-minute presentation to clients of ADP’s comprehensive outsourcing services. And Day Three was a 45-minute concluding keynote to about 1000 delegates to wrap up the entire conference. All in all, quite an experience, including the trips ADP organized to Atlanta’s local heroes like CNN and Coca-Cola, not to mention the mega party they hosted at the world’s biggest aquarium. What a show of strength at a time like this! ADP rocks! |
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“The View From Here” Strategic Debate,
Royal Mail, London
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“The View from Here” is a series of annual events hosted by Royal Mail, the UK’s national postal service, aimed at exploring the effects of ‘The Velocity Age’ on the advertising and marketing industry. I was honored to be a panelist in this year’s evening event, which was focused on the role of innovation in today’s and tomorrow’s marketing. The lively debate, chaired by well-known TV presenter Dermot Murnaghan, also featured Sir Richard Needham (formally James Dyson’s right-hand man), and Charles Leadbeater, high-level strategic adviser and author. It was hosted at London’s fashionable Soho Hotel, which was the perfect venue for examining the future of products, services and brands in today’s volatile times. Immediately following the debate, I got a chance to sign a few dozen copies of “Innovation to the Core” for the seminar delegates, which was the perfect way to end the evening. |
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Nycomed “Innovation War Room”,
São Paulo, Brazil
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Following my recent leadership team meeting with Nycomed’s global R&D and Commercial Operations people in Berlingen, Switzerland, the company asked me to conduct an “Innovation War Room” masterclass with their regional office in São Paulo, Brazil. This 3-day event, which involved leaders from a wide range of organizational functions, was designed to generate a whole portfolio of new, game-changing ideas and growth opportunities for the Brazilian market, as well as serve as a platform for embedding innovation as deep, sustainable capability in the firm. Like all my in-company seminars, it featured a series of practical breakout sessions for insight discovery and ideation, which all 50 participants embraced with typical Brazilian passion. It was a delight to feel like “one of the family” for these three unforgettable days, and to witness the incredible creative output and ambitious resolve of the organization. |
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ADP Global Meeting of
the Minds, Paris, France
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Another highlight this January was a high level strategic conference in Paris, France, called “Global Meeting of the Minds”. Hosted by ADP – the giant provider of IT and outsourcing solutions for HR and payroll – this prestigious international event took place in the magnificent “Salon Opera” of the Paris Le Grand hotel. It was attended by leaders of large multinational organizations like Apple, Dell, IKEA, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Unilever and Vodafone. I was honored to open the conference with a 60-minute keynote speech on “Innovation to the Core”, followed by a book signing session for the delegates. My thanks to Kirsten Capito, Global Marketing Director of ADP Employer Services International, for inviting me to speak at this event. |
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Leadership Team Innovation Meeting,
Berlingen, Switzerland
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Over the past few months, I have been spending more and more time with the pharmaceutical industry. The recurring question I am hearing is ‘How do we innovate around the drug?’, as opposed to just working hard to fill the pipeline with new blockbusters (considering all the time, money and regulatory constraints involved). This January I was very pleased to be invited by Nycomed – the Zurich-based international pharma company – to conduct a half-day innovation masterclass for 30 leaders from R&D and Commercial Operations. Hosted in the picturesque town of Berlingen, Switzerland, the event gave me a chance to outline what it takes to build a deep, sustainable enterprise capability for innovation (in all its forms), and included a breakout session for team-based insight discovery, as well as a book signing session. |
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Highlights 2008 |
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Location |
Event |
Client |
Date |
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London |
“BusinessWeek” European Leadership Forum |
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Nov 2008 |
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Belarus |
International Top-Management
Conference |
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Nov 2008 |
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Andorra |
“Innovation War Room” Strategy Workshop |
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Nov 2008 |
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Florida, USA |
LIMRA Latin American Conference |
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Oct 2008 |
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New Jersey, USA |
Bayer Healthcare Innovation Meeting |
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Oct 2008 |
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Berlin |
Global Corporate Real Estate Summit |
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Sep 2008 |
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Vienna, Austria |
“CFO Change Champions” Conference |
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Sep 2008 |
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Helsinki, Finland |
NOKIA global management event |
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Aug 2008 |
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Eindhoven, Holland |
Evening Lecture and Book Launch |
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Jun 2008 |
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Dubai |
Innovation Management Conference |
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Jun 2008 |
|
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Bayer USA |
Two-day Innovation Masterclass |
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Jun 2008 |
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Eastern Cape, South Africa |
Three-day Innovation Masterclass |
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Jun 2008 |
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Helsinki |
One-day public seminar |
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Jun 2008 |
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Gaborone |
Three-day innovation masterclass |
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May 2008 |
|
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Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
HR Strategic Development Conference |
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May 2008 |
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Barcelona |
Konecranes Leadership Conference |
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May 2008 |
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Noordwijk, Holland |
European Top Management Summit |
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Apr 2008 |
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Stockholm |
Innovative Banking Forum |
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Apr 2008 |
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Lisbon |
Public Business Seminar |
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Mar 2008 |
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Barcelona |
Bayer Global Conference |
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Mar 2008 |
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Düsseldorf |
Henkel “Innovation Day” |
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Mar 2008 |
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Port Alfred, S. Africa |
Provincial Learning Conference |
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Mar 2008 |
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Botswana |
Two-Day Innovation Masterclass |
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Feb 2008 |
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Johannesburg |
Exclusive Business Breakfast |
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Feb 2008 |
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Johannesburg |
One-Day Innovation Masterclass |
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Feb 2008 |
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Port Elizabeth, S. Africa |
Three-Day Innovation Masterclass |
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Feb 2008 |
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Mumbai, India |
IBM Forum |
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Feb 2008 |
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Helsinki |
Fortum Leadership Summit |
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Jan 2008 |
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| Highlights 2007 |
| |
Location |
Event |
Client |
Date |
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Western Cape,
S. Africa |
Volkswagen “Leadership Challenge” |
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Nov 2007 |
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Moscow |
CFO “Change Champions” event |
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Nov 2007 |
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Johannesburg |
One-day Innovation Masterclass |
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Nov 2007 |
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London |
Philips “Simplicity” event |
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Oct 2007 |
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Istanbul |
Business Forum at CeBIT Eurasia |
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Oct 2007 |
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Athens |
Hay Group
“Thought Leadership Forum” |
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Sep 2007 |
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Lithuania |
Baltic Management Conference |
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Sep 2007 |
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Austria |
OMV Business Forum, Alpbach |
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Sep 2007 |
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Oslo |
Innovation Kick-off Event |
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Aug 2007 |
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Berlin |
Roche HR Knowledge Exchange |
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June 2007 |
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Scotland |
Global Insights Conference,
Gleneagles |
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June 2007 |
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Helsinki |
Three back-to-back speeches |
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May 2007 |
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Estonia |
Business Seminar, Tallinn |
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May 2007 |
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Portugal |
Sonae Innovation Conference |
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May 2007 |
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San Diego |
Healthcare Leadership Forum |
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May 2007 |
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Berlin |
Carlson Wagonlit Customer Event |
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Apr 2007 |
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Austria |
Insurance Industry Forum |
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March 2007 |
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Athens |
Microsoft Networking Summit |
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March 2007 |
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Helsinki |
UPM Executive Session |
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March 2007 |
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Johannesburg |
One-day Innovation Masterclass |
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Feb 2007 |
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Johannesburg |
Executive “Business Breakfast” |
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Feb 2007 |
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Düsseldorf |
Cognis Innovation Awards |
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Jan 2007 |
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| Highlights 2006 |
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Location |
Event |
Client |
Date |
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Düsseldorf |
MGI Metro Group Convention |
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Nov 2006 |
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Munich |
Generali Group “Innovation Lab” |
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Oct 2006 |
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Lake Garda, Italy |
“The Innovation Exchange” |
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Sep 2006 |
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London |
Concours Senior Executive Summit |
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Sep 2006 |
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Eindhoven |
“A Day of Inspiration” |
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Sep 2006 |
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Norway |
Innotown |
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May 2006 |
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Madrid |
Teradata Conference |
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May 2006 |
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Las Vegas |
HRSA Global Summit |
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March 2006 |
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Prague |
Inspiring Ahold |
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March 2006 |
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New York |
Rexam redux |
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Jan 2006 |
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Switzerland |
Technology Forum |
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Nov 2005 |
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To archivepage 2008 |
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To archivepage 2007 |
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To archivepage 2006 |
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To videopage |
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