by Jean Lowrie-Chin
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| This event was a must for my daughter Anita - GM of PRODEV |
We spent an invigorating Friday at the Destination
Experience, brainchild of the audacious Kirk Hamilton. Described as “an
interactive masterclass in innovation” we focused on the “Fourth Industrial
Revolution”.
Sean Watson of the Singularity University said many
companies are struggling because they are “stuck in mental, cultural models –
legacy structures.” He said technology had democratized access with the cost of
entry into markets now nearly zero. Business now requires “big, bold thinking”.
Jamaican born Ann-Marie Campbell is Executive
Vice-President of Home Depot. Starting out as a cashier in Florida, her
enquiring mind and energy moved her up the corporate ladder. She noted that her company maintains its
brick and mortar presence for more mature customers, along with a strong
digital presence. Listed as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in the US by
Fortune Magazine, Ms Campbell says the shop run by her grandmother, which
inspired her business sense, still stands in Portland.
We enjoyed a session with Danielle Terrelonge, Mark
Croskery, Odetta Rockhead Kerr, Jeff Pulver and Mauro Miyake. Launching DRT in
2008, Danielle made her bold step to build the leading Caribbean digital media
monitoring service. Innovative investment expert Mark Croskery of SSL has created
the Blue Dot survey company. Odetta Rockhead Kerr has presided over the growth
of the BPO business in Jamaica as country head and Vice President of Sutherland
Global. Mauro Miyake, Director at Microsoft, says the company is on a mission
of empowerment – he says cloud technology is an equal opportunity enabler. Space
does not permit me to share all the presentations; please Google the presenters,
who are all brilliant.
I must applaud the last panel: Jampro CEO Diane
Edwards, business leaders Jeffrey Hall,
Andrew Mahfood, Paul ‘PB’ Scott and Chris Williams. Referring to the advice of
Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill to pull out the “slices of genius”
in your team, Diane said “we need to believe in our own genius”. She reminded
us that Jamaica in now the Number Six country in the world for ease of starting
a business and Number One in the English-speaking Caribbean for doing business.
Jeffrey Hall noted with the lowering of interest rates
and the movement of capital, business at the Port of Kingston had doubled. P.B.
Scott called for updating our regulations in order to align with global strides
in tech, following Bermuda’s example. As the panel noted the importance of
growing the small and medium sectors, Andrew Mahfood said the steps taken in
the national budget will assist the more vulnerable, while Chris Williams noted
the rise of the Junior Stock Market, the work of Branson Centre and new SME
bank offerings.
CHECK THESE SLIDES FROM OUR PRESENTERS - AWESOME!!
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