Monash Business School Leaders Panel: “Digital Disruption”

Description

Technological development is causing significant disruption both economically and socially. Can or should government and business seek to slow down the pace of technological change in a quest to lessen disruptive impact?

Any attempts to do so would seem to ignore the inexorable nature of technological development, driven by consumer demand for products and services. As demonstrated over and over again, attempts by government to resist change in an effort to protect incumbent businesses and their employees from challenge by new business models has inevitably proved to be costly and fruitless.

Kogan is challenging traditional models of retail; digital media and streaming is challenging existing models of television broadcast.

Uber is a contemporary example of technology and consumer demand overwhelming stiff resistance by incumbent businesses and government to accept change in motor vehicle transport.

Can we hold back advances in medical technology, manufacturing, service delivery or simple lifestyle accessories because of the potential for them to cause significant social and economic disruption? Or should we plan for technological change and the social and economic adjustments that follow?

These are some of the issues that will be explored by the Leaders Panel, which will include:

Lucas Groeneveld, State Manager of Uber (Victoria & Tasmania)

Lucas leads Uber’s operations in Victoria and Tasmania. He is passionate about the future of transport and the significant economic and social benefits ridesharing is delivering. In his role, Lucas leads a local team of over 100 to deliver the best possible customer experience for more than 850,000 riders and 18,000 driver-partners across Victoria and Tasmania.
Prior to joining Uber, Lucas spent nine years as a Management Consultant at PwC, where he helped clients achieve top-line growth through customer-centric growth strategies. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University.

Rebekah Horne, Director of Digital Development, National Rugby League

Rebekah is the Chief Digital and Information Officer at the NRL and has 20 years’ experience in digital, telecommunications, mobile and media companies. Rebekah is responsible for the build, delivery and execution of the NRL’s digital strategy across the game. Prior to joining the NRL, Rebekah was the Chief Digital Officer of Network Ten and before that Chief Executive Officer of LA based start-up Topfloor.com. Between 2006 and 2011, Rebekah was responsible for the internationalisation of News Corp’s digital business, Fox Interactive Media. Rebekah is also a non-executive director at Greencross Ltd.

Kate Morris, Founder and CEO of Adorebeauty.com.au, Australia’s first online beauty store

Kate Morris is the Founder and CEO of Adorebeauty.com.au, Australia’s first online beauty store.  She launched the business from her garage in 1999 at the age of 21, while still an undergraduate student.
In 2015, after 15 years of bootstrapping, Adorebeauty.com.au announced an investment by retail giant Woolworths Limited. Kate was awarded the Business Innovation Award for Victoria at the Telstra Business Women’s Awards in 2014; was inducted into the Australian Businesswomen’s Network Hall of Fame in 2015; and is a Class of 2017 inductee in EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women program.

David Shafer, Executive Director, Kogan

David Shafer has worked with Kogan.com since 2006, moving to a full-time role as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director in November 2010.
Prior to joining Kogan.com, David was a Senior Associate at Arnold Bloch Leibler. David holds a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Melbourne. David is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Kogan.com is Australia's leading pure-play online retail website and one of the fastest growing prepaid mobile provides in Australia, renowned for achieving price leadership through digital efficiency. Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Kogan.com’s mission is to make consumer goods and services more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Hugh Williams, Vice-President of Engineering, Google (leading Google Maps)

Hugh E. Williams has had a career in three parts as an entrepreneur, professor, and technical executive. He’s currently a Vice President of Engineering at Google, where he has been leading Google Maps. He has also held senior executive technical roles at eBay, Microsoft, Tinder, and Pivotal. Prior to that, he spent over ten years researching and developing search engine technologies, and five years running his own startup and consultancy. He has published around 120 works including roughly 25 US patents. In his spare time, he is an honorary Professor at RMIT University, a non-executive director of Redbubble, a startup advisor and investor.

What is a Leaders Panel?

Our Leaders Panels showcase Monash Business School’s thought leadership as a source of inspiration for new thinking, as the seed for creating communities of knowledge, and as a point of reference for national debates. The Leaders Panels bring together prominent members of our Business Advisory Board, as well as guest speakers to focus on issues of national importance which merit public discussion and debate. A typical Leaders Panel will include a discussion between three to four contributors to stimulate and shape debate, followed by a Q & A.

Venue

This Leaders Panel will be held at 6.00pm – 8.00pm on Wednesday, 26 July at Monash University’s city location, Level 7, 271 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.