What a day Tuesday was for me and the 40,000 other attendees at the IBM Think conference in Las Vegas.
IBM Chair, President and CEO Ginni Rometty discusses how IBM is building the future and putting smart to work.
Highlighting the event’s second day was a presentation by IBM Chair, President and CEO Ginni Rometty who showed how IBM is building the future and putting smart to work. She was joined on centre stage with several distinguished guests–CEOs and business thinkers from some of the largest organizations in the world.
Among the notable presentations:
- Lowell C. McAdam, CEO of Verizon, spoke about how 5G will become the new norm, and the need for continuous innovation and reinvention as Verizon continues to much more than just an internet and mobile phone provider.
- Dave McKay, CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada, addressed how IBM Watson has helped the RBC’s become Canada’s top financial institution.
- Michael White, CEO of IBM-Maersk joint venture, discussed how Watson and its blockchain technology have enabled the shipping industry to become a data-driven business, saving money and time.
- Chris Johnson, president of Uncubed, addressed how AI with Watson was implemented to improve the candidate experience at BuzzFeed.
- The United Health Group discussed how they reimagined their employee engagement using Watson.
- I even got involved in the act, hosting a breakout panel discuss on how HR is no stranger to transformation. Talent innovation consultant Chris Havrilla, HRExaminer Online Magazine founder John Sumser, and Talent Board President of Global Programs Kevin W. Grossman joined me to discuss how the art and science of talent acquisition and talent management is constantly undergoing substantial change.
Rhonda Taylor (left) hosts a panel discussion on how HR is no stranger to transformation. Panel members included (l to r): John Sumser, Chris Havrilla, Kevin W. Grossman
Havrilla told the audience there is no secret sauce to adopting AI and other technologies—organizations need to establish a commitment and start the process. She also stated that AI now enables software to work for the human, versus the employee following the commands of a system as a traditional user. Sumser emphasized the need to develop a vision—don’t just focus on one jigsaw piece, but consider the whole puzzle. Grossman, meanwhile, noted how HR departments are saving money and creating a significant competitive edge by going in the direction of AI.
It was a great conversation, and it was wonderful to be a part of it.
Other important points included how high-turnover industries are using AI to engage and retain their talent, and how AI is redefining the way you assemble winning teams.
It was a great conversation, and it was wonderful to be a part of it.
It’s amazing how much information there is to take in at this event, and from so many great speakers. And there are still two days remaining!
I’ll be back with a recap of Day 3 tomorrow, plus you can follow my experience via Twitter (with photos) at @Social_Rhonda.
