The School of Information welcomed 21 business leaders and executives from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for a weeklong Leadership Program in Service Innovation, May 17–22, 2009.
The program included a mix of academic classes, industry speakers, and company visits, organized around three themes:
- Strategy & business models related to service innovation
- Industry and IT trends, including e-business and Internet trends
- Organizational and management challenges related to innovation in services
Participants included leaders and executives from IBM, Rabobank, KLM Royal Dutch airlines, and the Amsterdam municipal government, as well as scholars from the University of Amsterdam and Vrije University. The program was organized in partnership with the Amsterdam Centre for Service Innovation (AMSI).
The program featured classes and seminars from a range of scholars and business professionals. Professor Morten Hansen of the School of Information, who organized the program, led classes on "Collaboration" and "Managing the Innovation Value Chain." Henry Chesbrough, an adjunct professor in the Haas School of Business and the executive director of the Center for Open Innovation taught about "Open Innovation and Business Models." Professor Jennifer Chatman of the Haas School of Business spoke on "Cultural Change and Innovation." AnnaLee Saxenian, dean and professor in the School of Information and professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning spoke on "Managing Eco-systems."
Speakers also included Don Proctor, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Software Group at Cisco Systems, and a lecturer in the Haas School of Business; Matthew Faulconer, an senior vice president and e-business manager in the information services team at Wells Fargo; and Michael Schaffer, lecturer at the School of Information.
In addition to the classes and seminars, program participants visited and met with leaders from several innovative local companies, including IDEO, a design and innovation consultancy; IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose; and Google headquarters in Mountain View.
