Global Business Connection

A new lecture series presented by the World Affairs Council and Addison WorldFest, presents programs throughout the year on a variety of international business topics.

OCTOBER 5, 2011 - ALLISON CERRA - "THE SHIFT"
Presented in partnership with Addison Business Association

Technology is moving at a staggering pace.  As consumers and employees become increasingly connected, the implications to companies mount. Join the Town of Addison, Addison Business Association and World Affairs Council for a luncheon with Alcatel-Lucent's Allison Cerra, who will discuss five key shifts influenced by technology and impacting how we engage as consumers, employers and employees. Cerra will discuss a broad range of social and economic issues impacting businesses in the network-community age, including:

- The emerging challenges facing generations and those serving them
- How cloud-based environments do far more than offer a new flavor of technology
- How a virtual environment fundamentally changes the means of socialization

In her current position with Alcatel-Lucent, Cerra oversees marketing strategy and communications and engages with North and South American service providers on go-to-market approaches to drive revenue. She has more than 15 years of telecommunications experience in marketing, sales and product management and is the co-author of The Shift: The Evolving Market, Players and Business Models in a 2.0 World. In addition to The Shift, Allison has published several whitepapers and articles about emerging end-user broadband trends and market potential for next-generation services. 



NOVEMBER 2, 2011 - PAULA CALDWELL - "CANADA: AN IMPORTANT STRATEFIC PARTNER FOR THE UNITED STATES"
Presented in partnership with Addison Business Association