European Summit

Thursday, October 25, 08:30 AM-10:00 AM
Market Intelligence at Cisco, General Session , Room: Kursaal
Michael von der Horst, Managing Director Internet Business Solutions Group Europe, Cisco Systems GmbH
Cisco is known for its strong rebound after the Internet crisis in 2001 and the successful entering of new markets such as security, IP communications or consumer connectivity products. One important element of this success is a structured and multi-faceted approach towards competitive intelligence. Dr. von der Horst will give an overview of the different elements of Cisco's activities in competitive intelligence and how they support Cisco's strategy formulation and execution.

Presenter Biography

Michael von der Horst is managing director and Europe lead for the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG). In this capacity, he leads the activities of IBSG for all European geographies. Michael joined IBSG as one of the founding members of the team in Europe. In addition to his management responsibilities, he works for customers in the financial services and manufacturing sectors. Customers covered include Allianz AG, Lufthansa, and BMW. Within Cisco, von der Horst is member of the German Management team, as well as the European enterprise council.

Before Joining IBSG, von der Horst lead the Boston Consulting Group (BCC) as its principal. His focus was on strategy development, process, IT, and organizational change engagements for high-tech, manufacturing, and financial services clients. He was a core member of the HighTech and IT Practice Group.

During his tenure at BCG, von der Horst received his MBA with distinction from INSEAD, France and took a leave of absence to write his Ph.D. thesis in business administration at the Handelschochschule Leipzig, Germany.

Prior to BCG, he studied at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, and at Stanford University, receiving a German MSc in computer science.

Thursday, October 25, 3:45 PM-5:00 PM
Building Your CI Community, General Session , Room: Kursaal
Michael Belkine, Managing Director, Splendour Ltd
Join the European CI Community for a presentation and dialogue that will provide the SCIP board of director’s insight into the needs and behaviors of the European CI community. Findings from this discussion will be incorporated into strategic discussions as the board plans for SCIP’s future.

Our discussion will focus on the following:
- Identifying national experiences in the formation and building of professional gatherings and education of CI communities.

- Defining common denominators in your experience with pursuing professional development opportunities; identify what has gone well, and what has not.

Friday, October 26, 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
What Happens Next? An Executive Panel, General Session , Room: Kursaal
Many programs feature case studies, which by definition must look backward. This panel discussion is designed to look forward, Senior executives from prominent companies in the región are invited to look into the future, and discuss what they anticípate will be the future challenges facing their companies and industries. Also, they will forecast the role of competitive intelligence in helping them surmount these challenges. They will offer answers to five specific questions:p> - What are the key challenges facing your company/industry in the future?
- What are the key competitive challenges you expect to encounter?
- What role will competitive intelligence play in addressing these challenges?
- How will your company’s competitive intelligence function change in the future?
- What should your company's management do to help make this successful?

Panel Moderator

Cormac Ryan, President, TMA International