The morning's topics were Denmark Today and Europe Today, which were overviews of society from a cultural, political, and economic standpoint. Like all of the topics we would cover during this trip, we had been given extensive readings to complete prior to our arrival so we knew what to expect. The speakers were interesting, but we didn't cover anything particularly newsworthy so I'll move on to the afternoon.
When we returned from lunch we were treated to a panel discussion on Innovation with three featured guests: 
- Janos Flösser, Chief Executive Officer, IO Interactive
Janos is a fascinating guy. An artist, he began a small video game design company that created popular titles such as the ultra-cool Hitman series. His company isn't so small anymore, but he kept his dedication to the creative process and instilled it in his company's culture.
- Scott Proctor (A&S ’93, Darden ’98, M.S. in MIT ’02), Chief Information Officer, GE Life Sciences, Sweden
Scott is a UVA man three times over, with an undergraduate degree from the college of Arts and Sciences, an MBA from Darden, and a Master of Science degree from the very same program at McIntire that I am in. Like so many Darden graduates, Scott must have felt that his education was so inadequate that only a degree from the School of Commerce could straighten him out. Scott is a bright and cheerful fellow who, unfortunately, was forbidden by GE from talking about half of the slides in his presentation. Nevertheless, we enjoyed meeting him and learning about his new life as an expatriate.
- Christopher Sorensen, Senior Manager, Innovation, Bang & Olufsen, Idea Lab
Christopher has a jaw-dropping resume. He started as a technology consultant, managing large projects (300+ people / $300+ million budget). After bringing the Paris Stock Exchange project in on time and on budget, he was sought out by stock exchanges around the globe to do the same for them. He turned those offers down and left his consulting firm to join Bang & Olufsen, a company that creates audio and video devices with innovative designs.
The discussion focused on how companies can use process innovation, product innovation, and business model innovation to transform themselves and gain competitive advantage. Each panelist had a unique point of view and it was a lively discussion.
As promised, I'll go light on the details, but the most valuable item I came away with was how these three leaders inspired creativity and the innovative spirit in their people. You can read books on that sort of thing, but these guys make their living on creativity and they are definitely doing something right.
Oh, and Monday's photos are available online here.
