Digital Symposium
Digital Transformation has taken the industry by storm. Organizations are involved in a race to develop corporate and competitive strategies in order to beat the competition and stay relevant on the digital front. This has opened doorways to new education and career opportunities as well for those already in the workforce and for those yet to get on board.
Join CXOs and Thought Leaders across the country as they talk about Success Mantras of Modern Digital Giants and how future business leaders can embrace this digital transformation to grasp business reformation strategies.
Watch as the students of Great Lakes Institute of Management, the pioneer to introduce AI, Machine Learning, Analytics and Blockchain as a specialization suite, present innovative solutions to Live Business Cases in the Board Room Contest, and participate in the Digithon, DigiPitch and DigitalSelfie competitions. Unwind with an evening of live cultural performances involving music, dance, comedy, and a Digi DJ night.
Great Lakes, a 27 acre green campus in Chennai was the first campus in South Asia to be given the LEED Platinum rating. It is also recognized as one of the most beautiful educational campuses in the country. Set on the scenic ECR road which runs from Chennai to Pondicherry and just 9 kms from UNESCO heritage site Mahabalipuram, the LEED Platinum rated – green campus provides a serene and tranquil environment with an ideal setting for pursuing extremely rigorous and intellectually challenging programs.
Be it the middle of day or night, the Great Lakes campus is always lively and bustling with activity 24 x 7. The facilities on campus include a state of the art gym, a library that caters to the needs of every reader, a sprawling football field, a basketball court and an auditorium that provides the perfect backdrop for every occasion or performance.
A couple of months ago, I was complaining to my wife that the new Brooks Brothers shirt that I had purchased was of poor quality. I grumbled that a loyal customer as myself was bound to be disappointed if this continued and I would have to move my business elsewhere. Imagine my complete surprise when, a couple of hours later, I receive a gift voucher from Brooks Brothers in my email that could be redeemed at any store across the country! I am fairly certain that my wife wasn’t listening to my rant. However, the brand new Alexa that my son had recently installed in my home had not only faithfully listened to me, but had also gone one step further and set in motion an algorithm that resulted in the BB voucher landing in my mail.
I book a flight ticket on my android phone and the ‘phone’ tells me on the date of my travel at what time I should leave my home, what route has the least traffic and asks me whether I want to ride an Uber! I’m not sure I should refer to the phone as a non-living entity anymore! I am simply overwhelmed at the idea that doors and windows can shut themselves on cue, ‘Amazon’ is able to prompt me to refill my groceries and staples and when recently my ‘Lexus’ ordered me to take it to the auto shop for a routine service call, I was rendered speechless! I have witnessed the revolutionary progress in science and technology from before the advent of electricity to the age of the talking car. IT is no longer an ‘enabler’ for a business. It is in fact, the most critical strategic variable the advancement of which is well and truly intertwined with that of the business. Business, cannot exist without the ‘bits’ of ones and zeros.
Given this paradigm shift in the way businesses, economies and even nations are being administered, it is incumbent upon schools and colleges to overhaul their course offerings to provide the latest, cutting-edge skills to their students and educate them on the next/best practices. By offering majors and electives in the areas of AIMLA, specialized courses in Data Sciences, degree qualifications from world class Universities etc. Great Lakes has left no stone unturned to ensure that professionals who graduate from the school are ‘Masters of Business Readiness’. Much of this technology is experimental and ‘build as you go’, which means that the best way to learn is with the help of subject-experts who are defining the ‘next big thing’ and driving the change. So also, the Great Lakes Digital Symposium is the perfect platform to showcase success stories about companies and products that have made history and people who have converted their ‘silly’ ideas into a multi-million dollar business plans and turned around struggling and dying businesses into sustainable and highly profitable ventures. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience the thrill of success, change, innovation and enterprise. I am confident that the Digital Symposium 2019 will be a smashing success and invite you to attend it and prepare to be astounded since the world is full of possibilities.
Bala V Balachandran
J L Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Accounting & Information Management, Northwestern University, USA
Founder, Chairman & Dean (Emeritus), Great Lakes Institute of Management, India
I love(d) my Model 3 Tesla. Apart from the insane acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph in 3.5 seconds and the range of almost 500 km on a single charge, it offers a phenomenal digital experience. Software updates happen wirelessly, and every update brings something new to enhance the user experience. From enhanced autopilot and navigation to little quirky features such as Arcade Games and a navigation map that can be replaced by the landscape on Mars, the car is a veritable delight. It was with a twinge of regret that I had to leave it behind in the US, but I ensured it remained in the family by passing it on to my daughter!
All of this was the stuff of pipe dreams a few years ago, but thanks to the amazing advances made in AI and machine learning, the digital revolution is firmly upon us. Companies all around the world are bracing themselves for the challenges and opportunities being created by digitization. Phrases such as Digital Transformation, Agile Delivery, and Seamless Experience are used in almost every conversation in the C-Suite. More and more organizations are appointing Chief Experience Officers (CXOs), who are responsible for the overall experience of an organization’s products and services and to ensure that key stakeholders have a painless interaction with the company across all boundaries. All of this goes to underscore how vital it is for organizations to not just adopt but to wholly embrace digitization.
Educational institutions cannot be silent observers during this process. They must dynamically adapt their curricula to reflect the changing priorities and needs of the marketplace. Great Lakes is at the forefront in creating courses and specializations in analytics and AIMLA. While there are other institutions that may equip their students with an analytical toolbox, only Great Lakes provides its students the training for developing a deeper understanding of the underlying business problem. Importantly, this training evolves dynamically and with great agility to keep up with the demands of the marketplace. We draw upon the vast experience of our world-class faculty and the cutting-edge expertise of industry leaders driving change in the market.
The Digital Symposium at Great Lakes brings on stage a panoply of leaders and experts who are shepherding their organizations through the fast-changing business landscape. It is a unique opportunity for our students to learn from the experiences of this august body of speakers and to understand what it takes to succeed. I have no doubt that our students will benefit immensely from this experience as they consider their own career choices.
On behalf of the entire Great Lakes fraternity, I extend my warmest welcome to the guests attending the Great Lakes Digital Symposium 2019, and wish the event the very best of success.
Dr. Suresh Ramanathan
Dean & Principal
Great Lakes Institute of Management
Great Lakes Institute of Management, as an institute, has firmly established itself as one of the premium trend-setting B-schools. The CCS and PlaceCom teams work in tandem to bring about innovative events, converging the paths of Industry Leaders and Stakeholders with those of the Future Business Managers at the Institute. The Digital Symposium is the first of its kind conference which is in line with the vision that Digitalization has arrived and is here to stay. The event will be held at our first campus in Chennai, the hometown of our beloved Uncle Bala, on 22nd August, 2019.
The objective of this conclave is to throw light on Digitization, the driving force in today's corporate world, and to provide a truly great platform where the marketing, technology, finance, and human resources communities come together and share new ways of thinking and industry insights, and define new strategies to address key industry challenges in the ever-changing VUCA world. This is also a great platform for students to interact with the eminent and seasoned personalities comprising of CEOs and Subject Matter Experts, which will groom and prepare them to claim their place in the world as emerging leaders.
This event will also create multiple opportunities for our students to showcase their talent, innovation, problem-solving skills and intellect. The comprehensive Sessions, Keynotes, Panel Discussions and Live Business Case Study competitions will facilitate additional learnings for the them and broaden their perspectives, while nudging their intellect in the right direction.
Team Placecom and Team CCS cordially invite you to be a part of this prestigious event as we take a step towards the future and come closer to truly #GoDigital.
Regards,
M. Balaji
Group Director – CCS & Chief of Industry Academia Partnerships
