The hard part of innovation is rarely the ideas. It’s deciding what to kill, pivot, or fund. Too many programs stall because nobody has a reliable way to make that call.
On Tuesday, November 3, at 3pm (London), InnovationCast will host Innovation Portfolio Management: From the Trenches, a live webinar in which two innovation leaders from two very different sectors show how they make those decisions, with a rare glimpse into how they manage their innovation portfolios.
Eduarda Baptista, Senior Innovation Professional at Brisa Group, a European mobility and infrastructure leader, and Benjamin Jenkins, Director of Exploratory Innovation at Synthomer, a leading specialty chemicals supplier, will discuss real-life projects they have managed first-hand, from initial idea to implementation, including projects that succeeded, projects that died, and the decisions that changed priorities, funding or capacity.
Wherever a project ended up, it was evidence that made the decision defensible, turning innovation from a program you hope for into a portfolio you can manage.
There is no single right way to manage an innovation portfolio. The two companies work in very different sectors, and Eduarda and Ben will explain how each applies different governance to improvements to today’s business and to potential new growth engines. Both are open about what they are still working out, and neither claims to have it solved. The lesson for attendees is not to copy either company's model, but to build the capability that fits their own context.
Leonardo Varella-Cid, CEO of InnovationCast, said:
“Innovation managers make hard calls most people never see, and it’s rare to get an inside look at how those calls are made. Eduarda and Benjamin will speak candidly about their innovation portfolios, including the projects that did not make it. I’m very excited to hear what drove their toughest decisions and what they’ve learned along the way. People working in innovation will recognize themselves in their stories, and they will leave with something they can use the next day.”
The webinar will run for 60 minutes, with a Q&A at the end. The session will be recorded. Registration is now open, and the webinar is free to attend: Innovation Portfolio Management: From the Trenches
About the Speakers
Eduarda Baptista, Senior Innovation Professional, Brisa Group, brings almost a decade of experience in open innovation, startup collaboration and strategic partnerships in the mobility sector. She takes innovation projects from idea to pilot.
Benjamin Jenkins, Director of Exploratory Innovation, Synthomer, brings around 15 years of experience in innovation and R&D across FMCG and chemicals, with a particular focus on front-end innovation and building future growth platforms.
