Tag: innovation

Edna Conway currently serves as Cisco’s Chief Security Officer, Global Value Chain, creating clear strategies to deliver secure operating models for the digital economy. She has built new organizations delivering cyber security, compliance, risk management, sustainability and value chain transformation. She drives a comprehensive security architecture across Cisco’s third-party ecosystem.

Digitization is driving each of us across all industries to make dramatic changes to how we approach customers, products, services, and the always-on, real-time information rich marketplace. This digital economy is gender agnostic. And, it is highly dependent on a connected global ecosystem. The message is clear—no one person, enterprise, industry, government or region can stand alone any longer.

Here you can see a full list of the confirmed speakers at Webit.Festival Europe 2018, while here you can get all the information you need about the tickets for the event. Managing supply chain risk requires a comprehensive approach over the complete product or process life cycle, and Cisco is looking at the potential impact of new technologies such as blockchain and the “internet of things” as part of its solution.

“We define the value chain as the end-to-end life cycle for any solution. In order to build trust, you need to understand the risks you are taking, and those risks need to be measured in the language of business.” says Conway

Prior to Cisco, Conway was a partner in an international private legal practice and served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Hampshire.

My path to security was built on a foundation of protecting intellectual property; enhanced by a legal background and rich engineering and operational leadership roles afforded to me by Cisco. Each of these opportunities, including leaving a successful legal practice to join Cisco, required faith. Faith in my own ability to learn an entirely new discipline and trust that my colleagues would support me in that effort.

She is recognized domestically (US Presidential Commissions) and globally (NATO) as the developer of architectures delivering value chain security, sustainability and resiliency. Her insight is featured in a range of publications, analyst reports, and case studies, including Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, CIO Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. Conway is constantly using her expertise to leverage new tools in an ever-expanding digital arsenal. She has turned her attention to the security potential in blockchain. With the ability to track data through networks, blockchain becomes a highly effective digital ledger, or “passport for the data” according to her.

“A chain of custody of your data and your actions across the full spectrum of a life cycle adds a degree of integrity we’ve never had the ability to do easily before”

Recognition of her industry leadership includes membership in the Fortune Most Powerful Women community, and awards including: a Fed 100 Award, Stevie “Maverick of the Year Award,” a Connected World Magazine “Machine to Machine and IOT Trailblazer” Award, an SC Media Reboot Leadership Award, a New Hampshire Tech Professional of the Year 2018 Award, and CSO of the Year Award at RSA.

Only today (29 May) you can join Europe's tech and digital policy event for 2018 and have access to 10+ independent summits and 50+ meetups with 1 ticket at half price! Webit is welcoming this new era of data privacy by providing all our subscribers a special "DATA present” - 50% off from all tickets for Webit.Festival Europe 2018 only today - 29 May.

Register here and get your ticket

to join Prime Ministers, EU Commissioners and EU top policy makers, global innovators and enterprise executives, Ministers,  Mayors, investors, media and Europe's top 200 startups and scaleups - all at Webit.Festival Europe with a special discount of 50% on all tickets with code: GDPR 6000 global experts (67% senior attendance) join Webit from 110 countries.

Check who is speaking

Over 200 exhibitors and sponsors join Webit this year. A warm welcome to the group of new partners who join Webit including Microsoft, SAP, Samsung, Fox, Novartis, VISA, UBB, part of KBC Group, Superhosting . BG, VMware, FOX, Turner, Novartis, Bayer, Amgen, Generali to name a few. Special thanks to our General partner MasterCard and our strategic media partners Nova TV and NetInfo.

Happy to help.

Should you want to join as exhibitor and sponsor -  please contact us.  

With only one month till the 10th edition of Webit.Festival Europe 2018 (25-27 June '18) we are excited to share that we have added a new special lounge for your successful business networking at the Festival! As you know, we had to move to a new venue because Webit.Festival 2018 doubled in size.

With all the space we need now - we decided that it is time go wild!

All the 6000 attendees from global enterprises, through SMEs to scaleups/startups, academia leaders and policy makers come to Webit for 4 main reasons:- to see the future (check the speakers and Europe's top 200 startups) - to establish their place in the future (policy makers and business leaders discuss digital policy initiatives) - to connect with the right people (see who attends) - and to make successful business with them and expand their networks So we take business networking at Webit very seriously!

Thus today we present to you the new Webit Fountain Networking Lounge!

Yesterday we have commissioned a company to build a brand new Dancing Webit Fountain and a water mirror around which you shall have one more unique lounge for your successful networking. The magic is that after Webit this fountain shall be no more! A fountain built for only 3 days and only for your eyes! >GET YOUR WEBIT TICKET TODAY (prices go up this week)< The New Fountain Lounge adds to the number of other special lounges you may join and have your 1:1 or group business meetings while at Webit, including: - the AI Lounge - the Cybertech Lounge - the Cities 4.0 Lounge - the Blockchain Lounge - Innovate! Lounge - the Ladies Lounge - the Platinum Lounge Looking forward to welcome you @ Europe's tech, innovation and digital policy event for 2018!

The General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation joins Webit to discuss how to re:Invent Europe’s Future!

Burrow underlines the necessity of female participation in organized labour

Sharan is well known for her international advocacy on labour standards, corporate responsibility, climate change, investment in infrastructure and the green economy, investment in the care economy, women, equality and diversity, global migration and employment. She has represented workers and civil society groups in global policy discussions in United Nations bodies, including ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council), on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization as well as at the G20, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The world of work has to refocus on the fundamentals

On the matter of the priorities for governments and social partners to build the future of work Sharan Burrow thinks that we must repair the foundations and social partners have to say what will work for business and for people. We can reshape the world of the economy and the world of the future of our children and our grandchildren. Burrow is one of the B Team leaders, a commissioner on the Global Commission on Business and Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. She was a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos for 2015, 2016 and also joined this year’s all-women co-chair team. The ITUC is a supporter of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI). Under Sharan's leadership the ITUC's Workers’ Capital Committee has been strengthened. More than US$ 13 trillion of retirement funds are under joint trustee management and the ITUC and its affiliates are active in both trustee education, corporate governance and shareholder activism.

"We have a vital role to play to protect jobs in existing workplaces and industries by demanding and bargaining for industrial transformation, to organize new quality jobs in the emerging green economy and to fight for the ’Just Transition’ measures that ensure we leave no one behind. This means work for our pension funds too. It means investing for the long term."

Here you can see a full list of the confirmed speakers at Webit.Festival Europe 2018, while here you can get all the information you need about the tickets for the event.

Here you can see a full list of the confirmed speakers at Webit.Festival Europe 2018, while here you can get all the information you need about the tickets for the event. Removing the fiction from science-fiction, the UK-based inventor has thrown away the rule book with his suit powered by six small jet engines. Founder of human propulsion technology start-up, www.Gravity.co, Richard (The real-life Iron Man) has pioneered his innovative idea into a reality, taking flight in Spring 2017.

“The dream was to re-imagine an entirely new authentic form of human flight leaning on an elegant collaboration of mind and body augmented by leading edge technology. Gravity has to date been experienced by over a billion people globally with video views alone running at more than 60M within 7 days of launch.”

Richard's vision is to build Gravity into a world class aeronautical engineering business, challenge perceived boundaries in human aviation, and inspire a generation to dare ask ‘what if…’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JinhIHIF8Eo

“The way you have to balance is pretty much the same stance Tony Stark has in the film,” Browning says.

Richard also broke the record for fastest speed in body-controlled jet suit – he reached 32.02 mph and made his mark in the pages of Guinness World Records. He hopes that in the future he will smash it again.

“As the engine starts pulling up, it starts to build you can sense the energy and the moment the ground leaves your feet and you’re actually in the air it’s a pleasure and joy.”

Browning says that this is just the beginning of this technology journey. The next big thing his company is planning is adding wings to the suit, that will allow the person wearing it, to fly further, faster and higher and also use a lot less fuel than now.  

Though the moderator of the panel was still sitting on his plane, being late for leading the discussion, the Advisor at 8VC Jon Soberg, the founder and co-CEO of H-Farm Maurizio Rosi & the Investment Director at iTech Capital Alexey Telnov managed to deliver their experience and insights in the discussion about Investments in FinTech at Webit.Festival 2017. Stay tuned with the latest innovations by booking a ticket to Webit.festival Europe 2018 Technology is changing everything, in all sectors, businesses and business models and has an impact on society in the daily lives of millions of people. Technology is effective once it’s combined with the next generation.

FinTech is data

Money is data too, they represent the value. As we’ve already entered a “data age”, there’s much more consciousness about the data. From online payments through digital wallets and asset management, this is a pretty vast area of settling a company and acquiring a market segment of. As for FinTech where the area has been controlled by the big banks and large organizations until recently, now we see more and more startups creating new products and truly having an impact. Even though it’s getting more crowded in the last few years, this market still provides probably the biggest opportunity that’s out there in terms of a market.

One of the advantages of investing in FinTech is that one always knows where the money come from

By default, FinTech companies are dealing with money so that makes an investor’s job easier in order to track the flows. This area is fairly straightforward when it comes to a particular business model and the way the business works. The market for financial services is more than enough large so nobody has to ask questions about the size of the market or how companies in the sector will make money. The question is whether they can execute and succeed. The buzz in FInTech naturally raises the question of security: security solutions and their integration in FinTech products and services. Companies are putting more and more information on the cloud so security is a sensitive issue in all areas and needs to be paid proper attention to. Companies operating in this domain need to deal with regulations, licences and still find a way to keep their customers data secure.  

Stamen Popov, the Novartis Oncology Business Unit Head for Bulgaria & Macedonia was a keynote speaker at Webit.Festival 2017. His keynote covered the topics about the “from cost to value ” conversion in healthcare and treatment.

Healthcare spending is increasing faster than than the current economic climate’s capabilities

Many countries are concerned that higher spending doesn’t lead to proportionally better outcomes. Healthcare systems waste a significant amount of resources that limits the fiscal space and hinders performance. The largest percent of wasted resources goes to over-hospitalization, over-examinations and over-prescription of pills. Waste is also created by inefficient or flawed rules, overly bureaucratic procedures and poor execution or lack of best practices, e.g. effective preventive care or patient safety, low volume for specific treatments per hospital, etc. Mr Popov made a point that the most expensive pill appears to be the one which hasn’t delivered any positive effects to the patient. The pricing in the industry has to start evolving with accordance to the fast paced changes in technology and the development of new ways of treatment. Companies should to be paid for a result delivered, not for a specific pill. A shift needs to be made in pricing, away from what has been a transactional approach to a value-based approach. That should mean focusing on the outcomes and really communicating the value of the medicines and pricing them accordingly. Care routed in outdated habits, ignoring scientific findings and motivated by something other than optimal care shouldn’t be the care of today.

Focusing on value-based care, reducing waste and directing investments to the point where greater value can be produced is critical for sustainability.

Universal health care aspirations will be hard to materialize if we don’t shift to value-based care and change policies to support this shift. This change requires collaboration with every member of the healthcare ecosystem and better public-private partnership. Healthcare systems should stimulate more effective treatment results with the help of all parties involved in the process - patients, medics, researchers, healthcare providers and pharma companies.   If you want to stay up-to-date check the Webit.Festival website for upcoming speakers and our ticket options.

Visa is not the first credit card!

Maybe it’s no news for you, but for the majority of the audience of  the Red Stage at Webit Festival, it certainly was. The one who made that revelation is the General Manager of Visa for Israel, Mr. Oded Salomy. He had a keynote at last year’s edition on enabling the transforming world of payments. Visa is one of the names that probably need no introduction. “Visa” has become a nickname for our payment cards. So much, that people tend to there’s much more behind it than just a plastic for payments. Payments is such a vast area that it’s quite unpredictable what the future will bring. We never know what’s going to impact payments and the booming fintech industry. Everyday payments, business to business payments, business to customer payments and reverse.. Machines paying other machines rather than humans, biometrics being used in order to identify people by their biological characteristics.. All the way up to crypto currencies and tokens. New services, easier to work with and keeping a proper security level are needed by this ever evolving system. Numerous startups have been trying to be the next “big thing” that will shake the world of payments as the price of Bitcoin did some time ago.

In the Internet of Things space things have been connecting to Fintech too

Wearables such as rings, bracelets, wrist-watches and keychains are becoming more than just accessories - there are already ones out in sale that can allow us to pay on the move. Another category that’s being impacted is the connected cars. With just an Internet connection we can pay for grocery, for gas, parking, insurance while going to work or some more  without the need to get out of the vehicle. And last but not least, check the Webit.Festival website for upcoming speakers and our ticket options.

Advertising may win quarters, innovation wins decades

He is a new breed trendwatcher, energetic professional communicator, serial entrepreneur, award-winning marketing strategist and this will be his 4th Webit event - three times in Sofia and once in Istanbul, Igor Beuker has lots to share about his Webit experience.

“ Amazing conference, very well-organized, fantastic setting and backstage program, great speaker line-up, and very important to me as a professional public speaker and human being: the connection with the audience (at the event and on social media) is rare and heartwarming. “

Igor is among those speakers who have a special connection with their audience. Here is what he says about the audience in Sofia, and to his fans, in particular:

“ The connection with the audience in Sofia, is really one of a kind. I can’t explain the feeling.It’s one of the reasons why - out of 150 international talks each year - Webit is one of the highlights I really look forward to ”

We cannot deny that the difference between Sofia and Istanbul is enormous. Here is what Igor says about his experience:

“ Istanbul is a huge international city and the conference is a bit more business focused and formal than in Sofia, was my experience. I love the culture and the passion of the people in Turkey, and some of the attendees became business partners and friends.”

Bulgaria and Sofia are aiming at becoming a digital hub for CEE and the attitude and approach towards this is a bit more casual. In the same time, however, we coordinate with the government and local authorities, and as from last year, we were incredibly proud to announce that Webit is the flagship event of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel is chairing Webit's Plenary Sessions and is a patron of Webit.Festival along with The Government of Bulgaria and the Mayor of Sofia.” Last year I shared the stage and the dining table with the president of Bulgaria and the Mayor of Sofia, which is a great opportunity to share ideas.”

“Burning Man meet TED” and “Math Man in a world of Mad Men”...

...are just a couple of the new terms that were invented by the Bulgarian audience. At this year’s Webit.Festival Europe edition in Sofia, Igor will further develop his Mad Men vs. Math Men theory.

"Can I stretch my Mad Men vs. Math Men theory and framework even further? The Webit audience will give me the answer with their reviews and social feedback. My team and me value what they say and I even reinvent my speeches and one-liners for my talks, based upon what they highlight. That legacy brands and incumbents need to get out of their comfort zones, because that’s where the magic really happens. My bold style and personality I can’t change at 47, but the audience feels I know my why and I keep walking towards my purpose. Next-level change and reinvention is needed. Big is only good when big is smart: Advertising may win quarters, innovation wins decades.”

Igor is loved by the companies, adored by his fans and audience everywhere he goes and also by the media.

He gave a very special, exclusive, interview for a Bulgarian media. You can watch his interviews here, where he elaborates his Mad Men vs. Math Men theory in a more simple way. Igor’s answer to “how would you describe the atmosphere at Webit, he says: “Hard to describe, but when I look at the audience tweetback on my site, I get a huge smile on my face and I can’t wait to be back!”

We can’t wait to welcome you again, Igor! You have a very special place in our city and our hearts.

“ Experiencing the last three years, I expect Webit 2018 to be even bigger and better than the previous editions. If that is even possible.”

Sure it is! You don’t believe us? Take a look at the amazing speakers line here and the one of the kind networking opportunities here. You wish to attend? Book your ticket here.