At the 9th Vienna Congress com.sult the panel of experts examined the economic challenges Europe is currently facing.

As part of Panel II “Challenges of Leadership”, moderated by ORF editor, Mari Lang, Christian Legat discussed ways out of the crisis for Europe, how to achieve revival in company profits and what successful leadership is all about.

 

Even in her opening speech, Maria Hoffrichter-Zanetti, Communications Management, Competence Call Center, referred to the current situation in the EU as not merely a financial or economic crisis, but a crisis of trust. Growing uncertainty within society needs to be addressed by setting positive examples and adopting an innovative approach to management, to inspire people and highlight new problem-solving solutions.

 

Panel II including Co-CEO Christian Legat, suggested possible solution models and drew attention to the key ingredients for successful leadership:

 

In his introductory statement, Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco, explained that it is important for a successful company to create shared values in order to subsequently achieve greater prosperity. Knowledge is an important contribution to this in today’s global markets. In Leahy’s opinion, employers play a decisive role when it comes to their employees’ initial and advanced training, however responsibility does also lie with the individual.
He also voiced the opinion that more should be invested in research and that institutions should place greater trust in the voice of the people and feedback received.

 

Boris Nemsic, the former CEO of Telekom Austria, expressed his belief that the political and economic leaders in any given society should work together. However, not every strategy can be applied to the same extent in all EU countries.

 

He advises that management and executives should remain as independent as possible from shareholders and demonstrate high levels of innovation in order to be able to compete with markets such as China, India and the USA.

 

When asked about growth potential in Eastern Europe by moderator Mari Lang, Christian Legat, Competence Call Center Co-CEO painted a picture whereby growth is influenced by three major drivers. Firstly, quality is viewed as providing a distinguishing feature and a competitive edge for companies in the long-term. Legat also predicts more complex customer requests and a subsequent increase in the complexity of professional customer service provision. Both of these trends will then result in the third growth factor: The ever increasing demand for professional call center outsourcing in Europe. 

 

At present, the Indian market is not a focal point for Competence Call Center. Call centers in India are primarily aimed at the English-speaking world – CCC currently provides ten European locations with call center services in over 20 languages. 

 

Philip Blond, manager of ResPublica, predicts a change in capitalism and the necessity to continually redefine this concept. Cultural changes within the society in which we live will result in win-win situations for society as a whole.

He believes that clusters, an amalgamation of large, medium and small businesses, and postgraduate degrees are the two global indexes for innovation.
Economic growth can be prompted by encouraging the middle classes to start entrepreneurial business ventures and viewing them as producers instead of consumers.  For existing businesses to increase productivity, it is important for them to support their employees and encourage further training. These innovative ideas and visions as well as new, powerful institutions will also result in a new breed of managers, which Blond believes we need in order to achieve economic revival. 

 

Michael Koch, CEO, Wolters Kluwer France, spoke in favour of global strategies which can be applied at a local level. The differing requirements of shareholders, customers and employees need to be harmonised and balanced out in order to achieve economic success.

 

About com.sult:
The 9th Management and Consulting Congress, com.sult,  took place on 24th January 2012 at the Vienna House of Industry. As one of the most renowned international economic conferences, com.sult brings big names in economics, politics and media as well as up to 1,500 guests to Vienna for networking events and the opportunity to exchange thoughts and experiences.
   
Keynote speakers at com.sult 2012:
Philip Blond, manager of ResPublica, advisor to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron
Sir Terry Leahy, CEO Tesco 1997 until 2011
Lech Walesa, former Polish president
Hans-Dietrich Genscher, former German Minister of Foreign Affairs
Avigdor Liebermann, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Martin Meyer, Vice President of the Principality of Liechtenstein
Jan Petersen, former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

Impressions of the 9th com.sult >>

 

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