Innovation also means “do your core business right”

One of the most striking statements of Shannon Jones, Director Marketing and Category for Starbucks Coffee Company EMEA, was that most of the time innovation means to “do your core business right”.
Listening to the captivating presentation of our guest speaker who brought 70 members and guests of EPWN Amsterdam together on Monday evening this statement seems to have been one of the conclusions of the re-examination of the company’s strategy in the beginning of 2008.

Starbucks has been one of the greatest success stories in the US. The company started in 1971 with one coffee shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Today, Starbucks serves millions of customers every day, in close to 17.000 locations in over 50 countries. The EMEA headquarter is located, together with the roasting plant, in Amsterdam where around 130 Starbucks partners – this is how employees are called – of the regional support center are working closely with the countries in several areas.

In 2008, Starbucks reported slower profit growth mainly due to the business in the US. The start of a new era was set when Howard Schultz, founder of the company in 1971, decided to return as CEO in order to lead the company again – which at that time seemed to have become quite bureaucratic – to focus on its core business: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. So, innovation in the beginning of 2008 was to return to the core business.

Shannon shared with us how innovation at Starbucks is about large and also small things. Every aspect of the daily business at Starbucks is being reconsidered, like how to steam the milk properly for the perfect latte. When – during the recession – Starbucks was facing the reflection of a “luxury brand” rather than the “third place” that the company aimed to be, they also reviewed store design and developed new concepts like “heritage”, “artisan” or “regional modern” which are currently being piloted around the world, including flag ship stores in Europe to better respond to the local flavor of different places.

How to leverage with cultural differences was a big part of the Q&A session: Each country has its own habits and traditions when it comes to drinking coffee. The challenge is to implement the Starbucks concept in different parts of the world while staying true to the brand and taking local characteristic into account.

So what is the path to the future for Starbucks? New product lines are currently being introduced like VIA (portable instant coffee sachets), Starbucks Shared Planet comprises various areas of their long established corporate social responsibility program, and Starbucks extends its presence in social media like twitter and facebook to keep a very close contact to their consumers and partners.

All participants fully agreed that it was a sheer pleasure to follow the attention-grabbing presentation of a true passionate Starbucks partner Shannon Jones. Shannon truly lives the Starbucks spirit and was not intimidated by the large amount of questions she received. We all loved the straight forward answers and cannot wait to finally choose our “third place”, our very own Starbucks in The Netherlands… hopefully coming soon.

(Edited for publication)

Speaker: Nancy McKinstry

In today’s economy, it is not an option for any organization to not innovate. Where does innovation starts? How is it applied? How is innovation fostered best? And how does leadership come into play to drive innovation?

Copyright Taco Anema/Wolters Kluwer

Guest speaker Nancy McKinstry, CEO of Wolters Kluwer, will share how the global, market-leading information services company is implementing innovation in its portfolio of products and services for professionals, based on the foundation of the company: deep customer insight and understanding. The company’s long-term strategy is focused on maximizing value for customers and is based on technology and innovation to drive success for the company as well as for its stakeholders. Moreover, innovation is embedded in the talent management strategy of the company to foster leadership.

Nancy McKinstry, appointed CEO of Wolters Kluwer in 2003, engineered a successful transformation of Wolters Kluwer into a forward-looking, customer-focused organization for professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare. She is leading the organization as it carries out its 2010-2012 strategy for Maximizing Value for Customers. Nancy McKinstry has been included in leading lists as one of the most powerful women in business, including Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s Global 50 Powerful Women in Business, and Financial Times Top 50 Women in World Business.

Join us on Wednesday, June 16^th 2010 when Nancy McKinstry will be sharing experiences and best practice examples at Wolters Kluwer to make the case for innovative leadership across the board.

Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:45. The program begins at 20:45.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

Speaker: Shannon Jones

In the last few years, with an ever increasing competitive coffee environment and global economic crisis around the world, Starbucks Coffee Company had to reexamine its path to the future and truly innovate across products, brands and communication to differentiate and be relevant for the future.  From innovations in the digital space like My Starbucks Idea to new product launches like VIA!, Starbucks is poised to continue its record 2010 first quarter earnings into the next decade. Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time.

Our guest speaker Shannon Jones is Marketing and Category Director for Starbucks Coffee Company Europe, Middle East & Africa.  She has been with Starbucks for over 10 years in various marketing roles in the U.S. and international. For the past 4 years she has lead marketing and product in the EMEA region from their EMEA headquarters and roasting plant in Amsterdam.

Join us on March 15^th when we will get insights into one of THE most innovative companies, Starbucks!

Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00. The program begins at 20:00.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

The presentation as well as other useful resources are available here for download for EPWN members:

• Presentation from “Riding the Whirlwind: Culture & Innovation” with Fons Trompenaars

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Speaker: Hollis Kurman

Hollis Kurman: Growth Strategy and Innovation Advisor

One of the ironies of leadership – whether it be for companies, brands, or individual managers – is that once we get to a certain level of success, we tend to spend more time and energy protecting what we’ve achieved rather than actually leading. At best, this means that we risk losing our edge and sliding into a conservative comfort zone. At worst, we also leave a gaping hole in the market for challengers to come in and shake things up for us.

As the bar for creating truly differentiating and sustainable innovation gets higher and higher, we need to challenge and re-shape the rules, sharpen our ‘inquisitiveness’ muscle, and make fresh connections that others don’t make or don’t know how to use. Perhaps most importantly, we do need to be ‘always on’. Not in the Facebook/Twitter/Skype sense of the word – but simply to be able to recognize, capture and leverage the inspiration that is quite literally all around us, at all times. Women, especially, should be masters of this refreshing version of the blurred boundaries between ‘professional life’ and ‘personal life’ – and use it to their advantage.

Our guest speaker, Hollis Kurman, is an independent growth strategy and innovation advisor (as well as an aspiring writer of poetry and children’s stories…) and is currently:

• Advising clients (multinational leaders, challengers, not-for-profits, cultural institutions)
• Serving in a number of advisory- and innovation boards (commercial & academic)
• Member of the Dutch committee of Human Rights Watch
• Expert ‘outside advisor to the Firm’ McKinsey & Co.
• A frequent Workshop- and Co-Creation session- leader, speaker, university guest lecturer

Prior roles include Founder and Managing Director of Auberon, Growth Strategy Consultants; Founder and Managing Director Publicis Consultants (and in parallel Worldwide Account Director Unilever, and SVP Publicis Groupe); SVP Senior Account Director and Multinational Business Development, BBDO Worldwide; and Consultant/Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company in NY, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels. Hollis is originally from New York but has spent most of her adult life living in Europe.

Join us on March 29th as Hollis shares some new perspectives as well as some practical tips and tricks for honing your innovation skills and creativity.

Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00.

The program begins at 20:00.

Pre-registration is advised.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

Speaker: Richard Kwakernaak

Richard Kwakernaak, founder Institute for Communication Psychology and Transformation (ICPT);

Thursday, February 4^th, 2010

Location: Amsterdam Renaissance Hotel

Why is it sometimes a challenge to enjoy working together with others, men in particular, while it seems so easy at many other occasions? What role do emotions play? How do we recognize each other’s and our own emotions? And how do we consciously as well as unconsciously focus our attention, depending on how we feel?

During this interactive event Richard Kwakernaak will guide us to reveal our inner resources to communicate and cooperate as effectively as possible, even under difficult circumstances.

Richard graduated from Naval Academy with a specialization in Human Resources Management and founded the Institute for Communication Psychology and Transformation (ICPT) after fourteen years in active service of the Royal Netherlands Navy. During that time Richard acquired a vast amount of experience of communication in male dominated environments which he now also passes on in his work with various national and international companies and a number of seminars that he teaches for the military, especially at NATO’s Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence.

Discover how to benefit from the latest insights in social neurosciences, practically applied in the fields of Mindfulness, NeuroLeadership and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Learn what all people have in common and yet how different individuals interpret experiences, including specific characteristics of male and female information processing.

Afterwards you will have a thorough understanding why men sometimes act in a neglecting way, how emotions arise and impact your communication. During entertaining exercises you will practice how to maintain focus in order to communicate how and what you want.

Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00. The program begins at 20:00.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

The mission of the EIT is to grow and capitalise on the innovation capacity and capability of actors from higher education, research, business and entrepreneurship from the EU and beyond through the creation of highly integrated Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

• European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Speaker: Catherine Gray

Catherine Gray: Managing Director of Coppervine BV.

Catherine Gray is the founder of the Amsterdam-based internet marketing firm Coppervine BV. She advises on internet marketing in telecoms, finance and other sectors in eastern and western Europe and North America. Coppervine’s approach centers around clear communication based on an understanding of your audience’s perspective.

Before founding Coppervine, Catherine came to Amsterdam to expand e-learning software firm Blackboard’s professional services into Europe. Her background combines marketing, software development, communications, and graphic design. She holds the M.S. and B.S. degrees in Computer Science from M.I.T. Active in the Amsterdam business community, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Amsterdam American Business Club.

Space is limited – so please subscribe and be sure to update your reservation as we expect this workshop also to reach the capacity of the venue.

The amazing thing is how Julie seemingly effortless blends the two, driven by her firm belief that there’s a leader in all of us. The leitmotif that seems to run through her life is “Don’t underestimate the leadership potential of any given person”.

Painful but eye-opening experiences throughout her career have proven that women are often being ignored or patronised – be that as a senior executive of a company or as a potential customer in a store. But Julie wouldn’t be Julie if she simply lamented this fact. True to her credo that leaders identify opportunities, develop creative solutions and build support networks in order to succeed, she founded WOLF: A movement that empowers women, gives them a voice and, most importantly, an inspiring environment to share best practice approaches WolfInspires

report by Bettina Duske, Member of EuropeanPWN Amsterdam