2018 Webinar: The Innovation Imperative: Why Companies Must Embrace Innovation to Survive

ALFA International hosted a complimentary webinar on June 11, 2018,  titled: “The Innovation Imperative: Why Companies Must Embrace Innovation to Survive.”

Click here to view the webinar recording.

About the Webinar:

Innovation is the engine of the world’s economy. It drives progress in every industry. The essential trait of a successful company is a business culture where innovation is welcomed. The epitaphs of failed businesses are many and varied, but perhaps the most common theme is a failure to innovate. Companies constantly ask themselves, “How do we improve?,” “How do we anticipate our customer’s future needs?,” “How do we position ourselves to anticipate changes in the market?” In this fast-paced, entertaining and interactive webinar, an international group of presenters will explore the challenge of creating an “innovation culture” within a company, present examples of how companies around the world have tried to meet that challenge, and offer practical advice on how to set up policies that encourage creativity and innovation.

Panelists:

Christopher A. Page is a partner at Young, Moore and Henderson, ALFA International’s Raleigh, North Carolina member, where he is the leader of its Retail/ Hospitality industry group. Chris is an experienced trial attorney, with special emphasis representation of clients in the Hospitality and Retail industries, where he represents a number of national clients with all of their legal needs, including claims relating to employment, business disputes, trademark infringement, false advertising, premises accidents, food-borne illnesses, Dram Shop, and construction defects. After graduating summa cum laude from Duke University, Chris earned his law degree from the Yale Law School where he served as Senior Editor for the Yale Law Journal.

Melanie R. Cheairs is a shareholder at the ALFA International firm of Lorance & Thompson P.C. Her Litigation and Trial practice focuses on the Hospitality and Transportation Industries where she represents a broad array of Regional and National Hotel and Restaurant Chains, and Transportation Companies in their liability and employment matters. Melanie was recently awarded the prestigious ALFA International, Nate Fishbach Attorney of the Year Award, for outstanding service to the ALFA International Organization. She served a three year term on the ALFA Board of Directors, from 2013-2016 and currently she serves on both the ALFA International Marketing Committee, and as the Marketing Chair for the Hospitality & Retail Law Practice Group, following terms as Program and Practice Group Chair of the Hospitality Practice Group. Melanie is also active on the Steering Committees of both the Transportation and Women’s Initiative Practice Group and participates in the National Association of Professional Women.

Marc H. Harwell was a member of the ALFA International Board of Directors from 2014 – 2017; was Chair of the Transportation Section of ALFA; is a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC); is President of the Chattanooga Bar Association; is listed as BEST lawyer in Construction and in Insurance; in 2016 was featured in Chattanooga’s CityScope Magazine as one of the top 30 influential business leaders in Chattanooga; and is a Rule 31 listed mediator in civil litigation. He is a member of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC in Chattanooga, TN.

Gero Schneider is head of Tiefenbacher´s International Division and a core member of its employment and corporate practice. Tiefenbacher is the ALFA International member firm in Germany. Gero advises both German and international clients in all fields of employment law as well as any related corporate law issue with a particular focus on cross-border transactions. Gero has a wide range of experience in employment and corporate business matters, including litigation and arbitration, collective matters as well as cross-border transactions.

Kirti Mahajan Thomassen is partner and Head of the Competition and Procurement Practice at Bull & Co Law Firm in Oslo, Norway. For more than a decade, she has advised both national and international clients on antitrust/competition law issues and in relation to procurement procedures. She advises both procuring entities and suppliers, for example on good planning and execution of innovative procurement processes and in safeguarding their respective interests in relation to complaints and court processes, including litigation.