Making Sense of Blockchain: Charting a Strategic Path Forward

Blockchain has been hailed as the biggest development since the internet, but how can firms embrace this promising yet risky new technology? This session will help managers make strategic decisions about blockchain. Participants will gain insight into considering whether their firm needs blockchain, how it might impact their existing business, and how to make strategic choices for its implementation.

Professor Saikat Chaudhuri will give an overview of the Blockchain technology, various applications, and will discuss four key questions that the firms should be asking:

· Do I really need Blockchain?

Professor Chaudhuri will provide a framework that firms can use to evaluate their need for Blockchain through a sample of firms that can consider adoption in the short and long term. He will present key factors that will help managers evaluate the true business value of Blockchain for their firm. By using proven techniques to identify promising use cases, firms can seize the optimal moment to jump on this new technology. He will offer a multi-pronged growth strategy with both organic and inorganic modes, with a recommendation to take a long-term perspective and evolve along with their ecosystem with a multi-faceted strategic agility. Professor Chaudhuri will also detail four key considerations that firms can use to progress on the technology S-curve and sustain their momentum in the long run.

Saikat Chaudhuri, Executive Director, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; Adjunct Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Saikat Chaudhuri is Executive Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management at the Wharton School, a research institute distinguished by a dual focus on academic thought leadership and industry impact.

Prof. Chaudhuri recently served as the interim director of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology (M&T) at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an alumnus of the M&T program, from which he earned his BS and BSE in 1997. He received a Master's degree from Stanford University and a Doctoral degree from Harvard University.

Prof. Chaudhuri has served on the Wharton School faculty since 2004, where his research encompasses high-technology mergers and acquisitions, high-end outsourcing, and technological innovation in dynamic environments. He teaches MBA, undergraduate, and executive education courses on corporate development and M&A as well as innovation management. His publications span scholarly and managerial outlets, and he has received several teaching awards from the Wharton School, besides recognition from professional associations such as the Academy of Management and Strategic Management Society. His work has been cited by leading media, and he is often interviewed or quoted by the press on contemporary business affairs. Prof. Chaudhuri has been invited to speak at corporate forums, industry events, and academic conferences across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Based on his research and experience, he has provided consulting on developing and implementing acquisition, innovation management, and corporate growth strategies for a range of technology-based companies, besides providing expert legal testimony and advising the Indian government on IT-based economic development opportunities.

Prof. Chaudhuri’s prior professional experience includes corporate development at Mannesmann AG, in addition to brief stints with Citibank, McKinsey and Company, and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 6 pm - 9 pm

Location: Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison, NJ 08817

· 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Networking (cash bar)

· 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm Seated Dinner & Dessert

· 7:00 pm - 7:15 pm Club Business and Introductions

· 7:15 pm - 8:30 pm Program and Q&A

· 8:30 pm - 9:00 pm Additional Networking

$49 for Supporting Member*

$98 for Supporting Member plus 1 Guest

$79 for Basic Member** - See Special Opportunity below

$89 for All other guests

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