Adapt and Evolve: CI Lessons from the Dynamic Mobile Industry

To achieve maximum impact, competitive intelligence functions must evolve and proactively adapt to changing market and business conditions.  Working within Nokia’s market, competitive and strategic intelligence organisations from 1998-2012 provided Gordon Murray-Smith with a unique insight on the challenges encountered as the business developed.  Nokia’s success propelled it to a leadership position in 1998, a position it successfully sustained until 2012 before once again resuming a market challenger role.  Nokia’s business transformation was against the backdrop of sustained market growth combined with rapid industry, technological and competitive disruption.  Experiencing these changes and challenges first hand provides a valuable perspective on how an intelligence function must proactively evolve if it is to successfully impact and influence strategic business decisions.  Key take aways will include:

• Examples of the major intelligence challenges experienced as Nokia evolved through key stages in its business lifecycle, responded to competitive disruptions and a rapidly changing market landscape
• Guide to successfully position and integrate intelligence within a complex and changing business structure
• Lessons learned from leading a global intelligence team within the dynamic mobile telecoms sector
• Insight on how to ensure the CI function proactively evolves to ensure focus and relevance within a dynamic business environment

As ever, there will be the opportunity for light refreshment and to greet peers and practitioners warmly.

Speaker

Gordon has extensive experience of market, competitive and strategic intelligence, gained through positions within the mobile telecommunications and internet services sectors. He recently joined hibu plc (formerly Yell Group) as Head of Global Market & Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Insight.  Gordon previously led Nokia’s Global Competitive & Strategic Intelligence function and held several Director-level intelligence roles within Nokia’s global business units.  He is experienced at developing predictive intelligence designed to support strategic growth, product management, sales, business and strategy development.  Gordon supported successive business transformations as mobile products evolved from basic phones to smartphones and most recently the internet services ecosystem.  Through these roles he gained broad experience of global markets, with a specific focus on identifying and driving growth opportunities, particularly in emerging markets.  Earlier in his career Gordon led Nokia’s global market forecasting activities. He has an Economics & Marketing degree and also spent several years working in retail banking, in both IT and marketing positions.