2016 Russell Reynolds Associates Auto Show Event

The traditional automotive industry, where technology innovation has primarily been focused on powertrain and safety systems, must now contend with new forms of mobility services that are revolutionizing mobility needs.  The conventional hardware-centric business model is being superseded by an emerging connected, on-demand, and personalized mobility services business model.  Many Russell Reynolds Associates’ clients are top industry players contending intersection of the Automotive and Internet industries where innovations is rapidly shaping the future of mobility.

This event was a collaboration between Russell Reynolds Associates and  Gao Feng Advisory Company (www.gaofengadv.com), a pre-eminent strategy and management consulting firm with roots in China.  Gao Feng has been helping clients solve their toughest business and management issues — issues that arise in the current fast-changing, complicated and ambiguous operating environment. The topic of this session is one of the most challenging issues facing the automotive industry, and China is rapidly becoming the incubator for disruptive business model innovations focused on mobility.  However, most firms are at a loss about where to find the best talent to drive their disruptive ideas on innovation and transformation.

The discussion was focused on the future of mobility in China, and the implications for leaders who must cope with the disruptions in the China market.  The event was held on 31 March 2016 in Shanghai China.  This event series is designed to bring senior executive representatives of the China Automotive industry together to hear from and interact directly with the leaders in disruptive innovation and mobility transformation.

Topics for discussion:

• Defining the disruption in the China context – What are the disruptive trends in today’s mobility world?
• Helicopter view of the competitive ecosystem – What is the chaotic landscape look like and how will it evolve?
• How should incumbents respond? Disrupting or being disrupted? – What are the internal capabilities to build? How to work with local start-ups?
• China for the world – Will China lead to world’s development and innovation in Connected Mobility?

Mr. John Larsen, Director, Smart Mobility, Ford Motor Company Asia Pacific

Dr. Markus Seidel, Vice President, BMW Group Technology Office China

Ms. Christina Xie, Senior Director, Strategy Department, Didi Chuxing

Mr. Jack Cheng, Co-Founder, Executive VP, NextEV

Mr. Kevin Harris, Co-Founder, Russell Reynolds Associates

Moderated by:

Mr. Bill Russo, Managing Director and Automotive Practice Leader, Gao Feng Advisory Company