About the Event:

In an era of constant changes and complex businesses, innovation is required to create new ideas, processes or products that can lead to effective transformational changes to drive economic growth, surpass competition and benefit the society. Design Thinking, a well-established process and strategy, has been deployed by many consulting firms to generate innovating perspectives and business results. 
 
“Design Thinking, Methods and Perspectives” is a unique subject incorporated in the curriculum of Executive Master in Innovation Leadership, an interdisciplinary programme hosted by the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) that nurtures Innovation Leaders.
 
In this talk, sponsored by PolyU’s Institute of Advanced Executive Education (IAEE), Professor Cees de Bont will share with the audience the models of Design Thinking. He will also discuss its applications and how it can help reframe business challenges to create innovative solutions.    Mr. Anson Bailey will share his experience of applying Design Thinking in creating meaningful connections between his teams and the customers, and finding creative solutions to the business problems and challenges in a professional services environment.

About the Speakers: 

Professor Cees de Bont
Dean of School of Design & Swire Chair Professor of Design
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor de Bont has solid experience and track records in the management and leadership of a sizable and leading design schools in the world.  He took up the deanship in the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands in 2005 and carries responsibility for the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University since February 2012.
                             
Professor de Bont has a good mix of academic and industrial experience.  He started his academic career in 1993 as Assistant Professor of Economic Psychology at the University of Tilburg.  During his appointment in the University of Tilburg, Professor de Bont also acted as a consultant to the Philips Design in Eindhoven of the Netherlands.  In 1995, he joined Philips Design to become responsible for the Human Behaviour Research Centre.  He was subsequently Head of Marketing Research and Strategy at Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care from 1997 to 2005 when he was responsible for generating and utilizing market information for the formulation of the strategy, R&D and marketing plans of the company.
 
Professor de Bont’s research interests are in the areas of early concept testing of consumer acceptance, consumer behaviour, innovation adoption, and networked innovation. 
 
From 2009 till 2012 January, Professor de Bont chaired the Dutch Innovation Centre for Electric Road Transport which is a nationwide platform for electric mobility in the Netherlands; meanwhile, he was chairman of the largest research program for the creative industries in the Netherlands (CRISP).  He is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Design Institute for Social Innovation at PolyU and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Design Centre and PMQ.

Mr Anson Bailey
Principal, Business Development,
KPMG China

Mr Anson Bailey has spent the last twenty years working in both industry and professional services covering strategic consulting across a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and across a number of different sectors.
 
Anson joined KPMG in Hong Kong in 1999 and is currently a Partner based in the Hong Kong office heading up business development across the KPMG China Practice. At the same time, he works closely with the Regional Consumer Markets Chairman across the Asia Pacific region and is part of the Regional Consumer Markets Practice Leadership team as well as a member of the Global Technology Innovation Centre.
 
Anson has been active in driving a number of thought leadership and executive briefings for senior executives covering the consumer markets arena with recent reports released including Global Mobile Payments, Luxury Experiences in China, Consumer Currents, Global Reach of China Luxury, Product Sourcing in Asia Pacific, The Consumer Executive Top of Mind Survey and MNCs in China.
 
Anson specialises in Strategy and Business Development today, he not only mentors the next generation of go-to-market professionals in his company but continues to work with a growing number of C-level executives as a trusted advisor in providing the best in client service whilst acting as the Lead Partner for a number of strategic accounts in the consumer and technology arena across the Asia Pacific region.