Smith & Tata Present “Tata Dialogue on Innovation” in NYC

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business partnered with the Tata group for the “Tata Dialogue on Innovation” at New York City’s The Pierre hotel on July 10, 2014. The discussion was moderated by CEO of PepsiCo Americas Beverages Albert Carey and featured a discussion with Warren Harris, President and COO of Tata Technologies.

The event was the second in a series of discussions on innovation that the school will host with Tata. The first event was held in Washington, D.C., last year and the next is planned for later this year in San Francisco. The exclusive gathering presented a memorable learning experience and networking opportunity for Smith alumni in the NYC area.

“This dialogue with Warren Harris represented an extraordinary opportunity for Smith School alumni to engage with, and glean insight from, a foremost strategist and leader,” said Smith School Dean Alex Triantis. “Collaborating with the Tata group more broadly represents our commitment to preparing critical thinkers and problem-solvers, who, like Warren, develop creative solutions in the ever-growing complexity of the global business environment.”

“With the global marketplace, consumers have more product choices than ever before,” said Harris. “Consequently, manufacturers are increasingly pushed to innovate in every aspect of the product development process to differentiate from the competition, which has created some truly remarkable advances.”

Harris is an internationally recognized expert on product development and global manufacturing, having presented at the National Academy of Sciences, The Center for Automotive Research, the Society of Automotive Engineers and forums hosted by Frost & Sullivan and McKinsey and Associates.

“We see innovation — in thoughts, processes, approaches and strategies — as key to success in business,” said Kapil Sharma, Senior General Manager for Tata Sons, North America. “As such, we are thrilled to partner with the University of Maryland’s Smith School to host this discussion series that will foster a thought-provoking dialogue on sustaining innovation in an environment of competitive change.”

Join the conversation online at #TataInnovationDialogue.