Alumni Lecture: Juanita Lohmeyer - Strategic Growth In a Changing Global Environment
Date/Time: Thursday, March 21, 2013 -- 6:00 pm (Networking starts at 6 pm, lecture starts at 6:30 pm). RSVP below!
Location: Room C100, Robson Square, 800 Robson Square
Speaker: Juanita Lohmeyer, Founder, Forward Strategy Group
Title: Strategic Growth In a Changing Global Environment
Abstract: To survive and thrive, organizations must execute in the present and adapt to the future. Few of them manage to do both well. “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” (Alvin Toffler). Thinking about and acting on the big things is exactly what this talk is about.
Not only is the business environment changing in traditional ways such as a through the competitor landscape, supplier capabilities and marketing opportunities, but also more rapidly in new ways. New technologies, or applications/combinations thereof, are constantly being introduced. Changes in regulatory environments have been more pervasive as of late. Anyone is today’s society is very aware of the global financial crisis and many of the effects thereof both financially and socially, including a drive for increased productivity. Globalization, social media, localization and generational differences, although buzz words we have perhaps heard one too many times, all have an impact on the present business environment.
Change is nothing new. It has, in fact been, called the only constant. This talk will focus on a Systematic Framework to Operational Excellence including how deriving strategy, communication, continuous improvement, vision setting and team engagement fit into the big picture. To cement the big picture, it will present case studies with tactical examples on what this means in practice namely how to bring transformational change into the operations.
Finally, to come full circle, the role of technology and how it fits in will be discussed. Specific application of what this means for Computer Science Graduates, at all levels in their career, and how they can harness this information for their benefit as well as their company’s will complete the discussion.
Bio: Juanita Lohmeyer is a Transformational Change Leader best known for her stellar track record in leading large-scale transformation into the operations. Lohmeyer has just wrapped up work with ICBC, leading the Crown Corporation through a modernization of its call centres, the first of its kind in North America, and the creation of a new employee portal.
Before ICBC, Lohmeyer worked at TELUS, where she put in place system and process improvements that saved the company more than $14 million. Prior to that, she worked overseas in Germany at T-Mobile, where she improved performance by 30% for a large logistics system through redesign of processes, serving over 25 million customers.
As the founder and CEO of Forward Strategy Group, she specializes in operational planning for systems transformation, new ventures and operational readiness. Lohmeyer also likes to give back. Through Forward Strategy Group, she has worked with non-profit groups in Tanzania, in one case doubling their orphan intake capacity. She also recently completed an engagement in Honduras, which has an infant mortality rate four times higher than Canada, with a clinic to embark on their strategic sustainable growth plan allowing them to open a gravely needed labour ward.
Work such as this lead to her latest honor of being named a 2013 “Top 40 under Forty” for leaders within the Vancouver Business Community.
Top 40 Under Forty - Juanita Lohmeyer
Lohmeyer has also been proudly named the winner of “The Next Generation Leadership” at the 2012 Government Technology Exhibition and Conference(GTEC) Distinction Awards. This award recognizes individuals in the public sector who have demonstrated leadership excellence in the innovative management and application of information technologies.
Other distinctions include UBC’s Computer Science Tri-Mentoring Amazing Mentor Award, Canadian Information Productivity Award Information Technology Finalist, International Stevie Award: Winner, Best Support Team, BCTIA Technology Team of the Year Award Finalist and Governor General’s Award for Academic Excellence Winner.
She holds a Bachelor of Computer of Science on the Dean’s Honour List from UBC, an MBA from Cornell University with Distinction, an MBA from Queen’s University and a Certified Management Accountant Designation, CMA from CMA-BC. With a tremendous program execution reputation, she is also a certified Project Management Professional, PMP.
Lohmeyer is a global business advisor for Queen’s School of Business and Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, a mentor with the UBC Computer Science Department and an Executive Coach with UBC’s Sauder School of Business.
Having visited, lived, studied and worked in over 55 countries, she has an immense passion for travel and speaks several languages. She recently returned from a trip to Morocco and Southern Europe where she summited the highest Mountain in Northern Africa and brushed up on her Spanish and French.