Trexin hosted its sixth Thriving Through Disruption event on January 29th in Chicago, at Sepia in the West Loop. A dynamic group of 12 senior executives in healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and high tech attended the event. Marvin Richardson, Managing Director and co-Founder of Trexin, provided an overview of the event series, kicked-off an enjoyable round of introductions with a dash of ice-breaking, and then introduced the two guest speakers for the evening.

Adam Stanley, Global Chief Information Officer at DTZ, delivered an insightful multi-media presentation about his organization’s embrace of disruptive technologies and their potential to provide competitive advantage. He took the audience through several demonstrations of how DTZ, a global leader in corporate real estate services operating in 50 countries, is proactively experimenting with predictive analytics, data visualization and virtual and augmented reality to maintain its reputation for unparalleled service.

Next, Larry Schor, Senior Vice President with Medecision, shifted the focus of the conversation to how the historic characteristics of the healthcare market, which have held it back from innovation, are changing dramatically. He described how Medecision, a leading provider of population health management technology and services, is capitalizing on the shift to consumer-centered care and ubiquitous adoption of smartphone technology.

The presentations inspired thoughtful questions and lively discussions during dinner that addressed the challenges and complexity of effectively embracing disruptive technology. The critical role of change management, focused leadership and innovative approaches to supporting large organizations through unprecedented levels of transition were an undercurrent to the conversations about disruption in healthcare. Attendees enthusiastically discussed the impact of fundamental business model change, privacy and security considerations, the maturity of data analytics and the growth in “consumer-centered” products and services across all industries.

Participants shared insights from their unique perspectives and generated a fascinating dialogue about the ongoing impact of technological and organizational disruptions and the opportunities for transformation in multiple industries. Those who participated made interesting new connections of people and ideas, and created a well-rounded experience to foster future collaborations among leaders who are committed to thriving through disruption.

Trexin continuously studies the impact of disruptive change, which can come in the form of technological innovation, government regulation, organizational restructuring, and business-model shifts. Although these disruptions can be threats, there is also great opportunity for organizations to capitalize on these moments through new business strategies. If you would like further information on Trexin’s Thriving Through Disruption event series, please contact Jenna Smith at [email protected].