Download presentation: Innovation Leadership in a Global Organization

Dr. Guido Petit
Director, Alcatel-Lucent Technical Academy
Alcatel-Lucent Bell Laboratories

The economic downturn has forced many companies to refocus their attention on innovation and renewed leadership in a world of constant and rapid change.  Alcatel-Lucent hasn't escaped from this trend.  This presentation will give some best practices -- contrasting them with some bad practices -- regarding innovation leadership in a global company, focusing on idea generation, business opportunity identification, incubation, venture creation and transfer.  Because innovation involves a critical and complex interplay between the best people inside and outside the company, the particular role of Human Resources in companies focusing on innovation will also be addressed. 

Setting the right expectations as well as managing these expectations is critically important to creating sufficient positive energy and chemistry among employees to really change the innovation and entrepreneurial mindset in a company.  Some practical examples of what works and doesn't work will be given, including some video interviews with employees who went through this experience to set up their own ventures inside Alcatel-Lucent.  Helping strengthen informal networks, scouting talent and fostering talent redeployment turns out to be key factors in addressing the challenges we face, especially now when the frequency of restructuring in companies is increasing. 

Dr.  Guido H. Petit is Director of the Alcatel-Lucent Technical Academy in Alcatel-Lucent Bell Laboratories.  The Technical Academy recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Alcatel-Lucent technological leadership and acts as a think tank to improve R&D effectiveness in domains such as innovation, knowledge sharing, networking and learning.  Guido is also secretary of the Innovation Board at Alcatel-Lucent in Belgium and is a member of the project team responsible for the organization of Entrepreneurial Boot Camps.

Previous positions held by Petit at Alcatel Belgium include Director of the Network Strategy Group and Project Manager of the Network Performance Modeling Group in the Corporate Research Center.  He has published more than 70 papers in leading technical journals/conferences and holds some 14 European Patents.   He was a visiting professor at the Department of Telecommunications and Information Processing of the University of Ghent, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Expertise Centrum for Digital Media (University of Hasselt) and of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Artesis Industrial College in Antwerp.  

Petit has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics, a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Crystallography.  He can be reached at guido.h.petit@alcatel-lucent.com.