Accenture Innovation Forum 2019

Kick off the day with an invigorating run, departing from the lobby of the Dominick Hotel

Breakfast available in Studios 1 and 2

David Rowland, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Accenture
Paul Daugherty, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Accenture

Hugh Herr, Athlete, Scientist, Innovator, Futurist

Bionics designer Hugh Herr knows a thing or two about innovation. Hugh co-directs the Center for Extreme Bionics at the MIT Media Lab, where he is pioneering a new class of biohybrid smart prostheses and orthoses to improve the quality of life for thousands of people with physical challenges. Hugh will show us a future in which we have augmented our bodies in a way that will redefine human potential – and, maybe, turn us into superheroes.

James Kissell, Partner, Andreesen Horowitz; Nancy Clark, Senior Vice President, Consumer Group Customer Service, Verizon; in conversation with Dr. Athina Kanioura, Chief Analytics Officer, Accenture

James Kissell, one of Silicon Valley's leading VCs, shares his insights into where the clever money is going in AI/machine learning and how this will disrupt the enterprise, notably by transforming customer experience. Verizon has been innovating with AI on many fronts, and Nancy Clark will describe how they are embracing AI to drive better interaction with customers and improved business outcomes.

Dr. Vivienne Ming, Founder and Executive Chair, Socos

Entrepreneur and theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming will explore her work using machine learning to maximize our human potential – from brains to whole communities – and the personal transformation that is possible once that potential is unleashed. Vivienne will also share her research using AI to transform work, education, and the future of leadership, while also addressing the ethics around AI.

Refreshments available in the Tech Lounge and Studio 5

Mary Lou Jepsen, Founder, Openwater and Inventor

What if a completely safe and affordable method of seeing deep inside our bodies and brains could be devised? Serial inventor Mary Lou Jepsen is developing non-invasive medical imaging technology that uses light to view inside the body and brain, even through bone. This device will eventually fit into something the size of a cellphone and be broadly accessible. What does this kind of disruptive technology mean for human health? Mary Lou will talk about the exciting opportunities ahead, some of which seem more sci-fi than science.

Chad Rigetti, Founder and CEO, Rigetti Computing

Is quantum computing the next major technology disruptor? Eventually, quantum computers will be able to solve previously unsolvable problems and address fundamental challenges in medicine, energy, business and science. Yet, what are the hurdles that need to be overcome, and when do we expect to see commercial viability? We’ll gain new perspectives from Chad Rigetti, whose company is at the forefront of harnessing quantum for the enterprise.

Marc Carrel-Billiard, Global Senior Managing Director—Accenture Labs

CEOs of “hot” startups; introduction by Marc Carrel-Billiard

Forum attendees have the opportunity to meet CEOs from emerging technology companies, many of which co-innovate with Accenture Ventures. This is a fantastic opportunity to tap into new sources of innovation in the start-up community. Participating companies include Akumina, Applied Brain Research, Everledger, Parsable, Rigetti Computing and Upskill.

Sebastian Thrun, Stanford Professor; Founding Director, Stanford AI Lab; CEO, Kitty Hawk; Chairman, Udacity; Introduction by Mike Sutcliff, Group Chief Executive, Accenture Digital

Bob Myers, CEO, Pillar Technologies; in conversation with Mike Sutcliff

Digital has reinvented industry as we know it and only the right combination of advanced technologies can enable digital transformation and enterprise-wide growth. But how do you turn disruption into a solution? Industry X.0 enables a wide range of connected products and rapid changes in product design, production, operations, and supply chains across many industries. In this session, we will talk about capabilities that are being built to enable Industry X.0 solutions, the culture change required to leverage them and what we can expect to see this year.

Lisa Buckingham, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Place and Brand Officer, Lincoln Financial Group; Christy Pambianchi, Executive Vice President, People and Digital, Corning; in conversation with Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer, Accenture

People are an organization’s most important source of competitive advantage in the digital age. By using the best of technology and applied intelligence to elevate people, we can maximize their ability to innovate and drive growth. But positive outcomes aren’t inevitable – responsible leadership is needed to unlock human potential. This panel will discuss how organizations are leveraging intelligent technology + human ingenuity, building trust, and fostering continuous learning to future-proof their workforce.

Refreshments available in the Tech Lounge and Studio 5

A conversation with Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer—North America, Accenture

Innovation is now critical for growth and central to business strategies, yet many organizations still see it as a special project or the responsibility of the R&D organization. At the same time, innovation is creating challenges for both the public and private sectors, especially as the explosion of data and artificial intelligence raise more and more questions about data privacy. Julie Sweet will discuss how CEOs and business leaders are focusing on innovation to drive their business, and the implications for public policy, regulation and relationships in communities.​​

Amy Webb, Quantitative Futurist; Professor of Strategic Foresight, NYU Stern School of Business

If the fastest-growing power to change the future – artificial intelligence – was concentrated in the hands of only nine decision-makers, would you be concerned? Business leaders are being asked to make important decisions about the future of AI, but they don't always understand the longer-term implications. In this session, you will gain a deep understanding of Big Tech's influence on the next era of computing and how to brace your organization for epic disruption.

Gene Reznick, Chief Strategy Officer, Accenture

Please join us for a cocktail reception and light hors d’oeuvres to kick off the evening

Entertainment by Jazzy Amra, Jeremy Torres, and featuring Wyclef Jean, Rapper, Musician, Actor

Kick off the day with an invigorating run, departing from the lobby of the Dominick Hotel

Breakfast available in Studios 1 and 2

Omar Abbosh, Group Chief Executive—Communications, Media & Technology, Accenture

Sir Tim Berners Lee, Professor MIT & Oxford University; CTO & Co-Founder, Inrupt, Inc.; Director, World Wide Web Foundation; in conversation with Paul Daugherty

Thirty years ago, Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, now the foundation of global commerce and the platform of the digital age. In this fireside chat, Paul Daugherty will have a wide-ranging discussion with Sir Tim about the future of the web and issues around balancing openness and privacy, net neutrality and the spread of mis-information. Sir Tim will also talk about the work he is doing at MIT on the “The Solid Project” and the mission of his start-up Inrupt to re-decentralize the Web and empower web users with their own data.

Mikko Hyppönen, Chief Research Officer, F-Secure; Computer Security Expert and Columnist

The business world is facing a new dimension of online risk with ever more sophisticated attacks by cyber-criminals and terrorists. To combat this threat, organizations must understand the evolving aims and capabilities of the attackers, whether criminals, “hacktivists” or hostile nation-states. At the same time, Mikko will explain how security can be used not just to safeguard vital assets, but also to enable greater productivity and creativity. He will provide pragmatic guidance on how to transform your approach to security, going beyond simply defending the borders of the organization to focus on what is happening inside the network itself.

Edna Conway, Chief Security Officer, Global Value Chain, Cisco; Debra King, Senior Vice President and CIO, Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont; in conversation with Kelly Bissell, Senior Managing Director—Accenture Security Global Lead

Organizations are spending billions globally fighting cybercrime, but all too often the attackers still succeed in penetrating their defenses. How do you develop a strategy for cyber-resilient business under advancing threats, complicated by the constant evolution of the enterprise? Hear from two executives who are guiding their respective organizations through change – from digital disruption to an M&A – and their insights from the front.

Refreshments available in the Tech Lounge and Studio 5

John de Keijzer, Head of Development IT, Network & Innovation, Swisscom; Paula Tolliver, CIO, Intel; Bhaskar Ghosh, Group Chief Executive—Technology Services, Accenture; in conversation with Andrew Wilson, CIO, Accenture

CIOs stand at the convergence of business transformation, digital transformation and value realization. They are tasked with harnessing the broadest-ever range of new technology capabilities, while meeting the most stringent demands for pace, agility, security and compliance. What does success look like? The characteristics of a modern technologist have fundamentally changed, along with their role in the C-suite and on the Board. CIOs must be in equal measure change agents, transformers, orchestrators and business strategists. In this panel, we’ll explore how the role of the “post-digital CIO” has changed, the skills that are now required to succeed, and the impact this is having on their IT organization, the C-suite and the broader business. We will also introduce Accenture’s new research on Future Systems and ask: “Does this raise the bar higher?”

Questlove, musician; in conversation with Paul Daugherty

Lunch available in Studios 1 and 2

Fareed Zakaria, Host of Fareed Zakaria GPS for CNN Worldwide; in conversation with Sander van ‘t Noordende Group Chief Executive—Products, Accenture

Fareed Zakaria, one of the leading thinkers and commentators of our time, shares his perspective on the current state of affairs worldwide and the intractable forces that are reshaping economic and political unions, alliances and markets. In this far-reaching discussion, he will also discuss the impact of rising populism, the ongoing turmoil and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, and the struggle for AI dominance and what this means for the winners and losers.

Peter Hiom, Deputy CEO, Australian Stock Exchange; Sandra Ro, CEO, Global Blockchain Business Council; in conversation with David Treat, Managing Director—Global Blockchain Lead, Accenture

Blockchain technology promises to revolutionize the way we live and work, and that promise is starting to become reality. In financial services, we are already seeing how blockchain can be used at scale to provide frictionless, reliable and effective ways to facilitate seamless financial transactions. A vision for the future is starting to unfold, but questions still remain regarding where – and how – blockchain can add real value to enterprises. During this session we will explore real-life examples of how blockchain is being scaled and applied to deliver on its promise and how business leaders can determine and realize its value.

Jonathan Zittrain, Professor, Computer Science, Law and Policy, Harvard University

Over the past decade our lives have been transformed by technology, and the pace of change is set to accelerate further with the growth of AI. We have already allowed our privacy and cybersecurity to be compromised by social media, and society must now find a way to ensure these new technologies are used responsibly in the future. Should we demand that tech companies are held to the same high standard as doctors, lawyers and other professionals who have access to similar personal information about us? In an age of technological disruption, how do we develop new social, economic, regulatory and ethical frameworks and strategies to address challenges that have never been encountered before?

Paul Daugherty​