Dear Friends,

Over the past 40 years, the explosive growth in information technology has had a dramatic impact on business yielding new business phenomena as outsourcing, insourcing, offshore outsourcing, search engine and E-business. According to Thomas Friedman in his book The World is Flat, the information age has offered corporate globalization strategy infinite possibilities limited only by one's imagination. However, every coin has two sides, and the path seemingly smooth is actually full of obstacles. How a company can make proper adjustments to capitalize on the opportunities in the information revolution and enhance its global competitiveness is the theme of this forum. The forum will focus on the following topics that in information age,

* What kind of leadership is needed and what role should the CEO or executive play in a technology-oriented environment?
* What impact will IT exert on a company's operation and strategic needs and how to integrate a company's IT policies into its strategy and operation management?
* How to introduce IT governance committee into corporate governance system to fully demonstrate that information technology is as important as strategy.
* How to predict risks and deal with the IT-related regulation issues in a timely manner. 

We are honored to have Prof. F. Warren McFarlan, Baker Foundation Professor from the Harvard Business School (HBS) to give a speech entitled "Global Competitiveness in the Information Age -- A 40-year Perspective". Prof. McFarlan was Senior Associate Dean of HBS from 1991-2004, and holds both MBA and DBA degrees from HBS. He has played a significant role in introducing materials on Management Information Systems, throughout HBS' program portfolio, since the first course on the subject was offered in 1962.

CEIBS Executive Forum Committee

Time: 19:00-20:30

Prof. F. Warren McFarlan
Baker Foundation Professor from the Harvard Business School

Prof. F. Warren McFarlan is Baker Foundation Professor from the Harvard Business School (HBS). He was Senior Associate Dean of HBS from 1991-2004, and holds both MBA and DBA degrees from HBS. He has played a significant role in introducing materials on Management Information Systems, throughout HBS' program portfolio, since the first course on the subject was offered in 1962. He has been a long-time professor of the Advanced Management Program, International Senior Managers Program and Delivering Information Services Program.  He was Chairman of all Executive Education Programs at HBS from 1977 to1980.

Professor McFarlan has co-authored many books and published widely, including his latest books, Connecting the Dots, (2003), Seizing Strategic IT Advantage in China (available only in Chinese, 2003).  Corporate Information Strategy and Management: Text and Cases (seventh edition, 2005).  He served a three-year term as Senior Editor of the MIS Quarterly (1986-1988). He is a member of several corporate and non-profit boards.

free

CEIBS Shanghai Campus

Please R.S.V.P. before  May 17^th  to Ms. Donna Zhang at execforum@ceibs.edu 
or telephone +86-21- 2890 5486