CTS Program

Symposium Agenda

This unique, annual learning experience was designed by the Center for Services Leadership, the country’s leading and most respected academic research center focused on the subject of services. The Symposium has a proven track record of providing executives with effective tools to enable their companies to compete – and win – through the strategic use of service. The event gathers together executive business speakers from a variety of industries who provide mini-case studies in services innovation. We combine them with academicians and thought-leaders who show the broader perspective. The event brings approximately 100 senior-level participant attendees out of their industry myopia and generates fresh ideas on how to infuse a culture of service excellence throughout their organizations.  

Agenda Overview

The Compete Through Service Symposium consists of a general session format with mainstage presentations all day Thursday and Friday morning. Thursday also offers breakout sessions, which are smaller, more intimate groups receiving presentations on service and services. Breakout sessions are highly interactive, information rich, and provide actionable take-aways. Friday morning features a Service ThinkTank, a series of events which were previously offered by invitation only for the CSL board and faculty network. Hallmarks of the Service ThinkTank include dialogue, networking, and thought-leadership ideas from academia. Thursday, October 26th 

• 7:45 a.m - 8:30 a.m        Continental Breakfast and Opening Announcements
• 8:40 a.m - 9:40 a.m        Mainstage Presentations
• 9:40 a.m - 9:50 a.m        Networking Session
• 10:10 a.m - 10:55 a.m    Breakout Session
• 11:25 a.m - 11:35 a.m    Networking Session
• 11:35 a.m - 11:50 a.m    Morning Recap
• 11:50 a.m - 1:00 p.m      Networking Lunch
• 1:15 p.m - 2:15 p.m        Mainstage Presentation
• 2:35 p.m - 3:20 p.m        Afternoon Breakout Sessions
• 3:20 p.m - 3:50 p.m        Mainstage Presentation
• 3:50 p.m - 4:00 p.m        Networking Session
• 4:00 p.m - 5:00 p.m        Featured Speaker
• 5:00 p.m - 5:20 p.m        Closing Remarks
• 5:30 p.m - 7:00 p.m        Network Reception

Friday, October 27th

• 7:45 a.m - 8:30 a.m        Continental Breakfast and Opening Announcements
• 8:40 a.m - 9:30 a.m        Keynote Speaker
• 9:30 a.m - 10:40 a.m      Roundtable Discussions
• 11:00 a.m - 11:50 a.m    Lightning Talks
• 11:50 a.m - 12:00 p.m    Key insight sharing and program wrap up

Mainstage Speakers

• Tony Viviano, Managing Director of US Strategic Partnerships at Microsoft: Using Virtual Reality Successfully
• Eddie Lopez, Senior VP at Truist Bank (#9 Bank in the US): Customer Experience Management
• Alec Gefrides, Former VP at Intel: Services Strategy
• Atul Vashista, Chairman & CEO of Supply Wisdom: Service Outsourcing
• Beth Foley, Chief Communications Officer and VP of Southern California Edison: Building High-Performing Teams

Breakout Sessions

• Goldratt Group: Using the Goal in Services
• ASU Student Panel: Future Leaders and their Expectations
• Emily Adams, President of Fresh Revenues: How to integrate Millennials into your organization 
• Amanda Johnson, Senior CX / UX Strategist at Zion & Zion: STCA: A hands-on approach to Customer Experience Management

Roundtable Sessions

Part of the Symposium experience will be what we are calling a “Roundtable Event”. The purpose is to create a format that allows for more opportunity for discourse around research ideas and business best practices, and for our attendees to find and connect with people who share similar research and business interests. The roundtable format will consist of three 20 minute sessions for a total of 60 minutes of roundtable discussion time. 10 roundtable leaders will present on their particular research idea or business best practice. Attendees will choose which tables they would like to participate in, and rotate after each session is over. This session is designed to provide a fast paced and highly interactive session where many takeaways will be gained over a 60 minute period.  

Service ThinkTank

An added element that gets to the heart of the true meaning of a symposium for this year’s program is what we are calling a “Service ThinkTank”, an event that was previously an invitation-only event for the CSL board and faculty network. The session will focus on dialogue, networking, and bringing in more ideas from academia and other thought leaders, adding a new and vibrant dynamic to the program.

• Aric Zion, CEO of Zion & Zion: How to Meet Customer Expectations one step at a time
• Scott Broetzmann, President & CEO of CCMC: Lessons from The Customer Rage Study
• Mark Rosenbaum, Professor and Dean at Hawaii Pacific University: The Future of Services