Trinity Business School has partnered with Ibec, Ireland’s top business confederation in launching a free series of workshops and seminars for businesses to rebuild in the Covid economy.

The Reboot & Reignite series brings together top academics, business leaders and industry experts over a series of eight online workshops.

This session ‘Digital strategies for rebooting & reigniting businesses’ will look at how business can make the most of their digital capabilities in the COVID-19 era, and will offer expert insights for businesses around developing a key digital strategy, enabling them to connect with their customers at this difficult time.

The session will take place on the 10th November, from 1pm to 2.15pm.

Joint with Trinity Business School, the session will be led by Edel Creely (Managing Director, Arkphire Services) Professor Laurent Muzellec (Professor in Marketing, Trinity Business School), Liam O'Brien (Director of Strategy and External Affairs, Vodafone Ireland), and Gráinne Morrison (Head of Brand Value & Innovation, Dublin Airport).

Edel Creely, Managing Director, Arkphire Services says:

“Remote working has increased from 15% to over 40% across the EU in a very short time. The Covid19 global pandemic has forced a rapid form of digital transformation for businesses at a pace which ordinarily would have been more measured. And that transformation has led businesses to re-evaluate not just how their employees are working and collaborating, but also how they engage with their customers in new ways. Having worked in the I.T. industry all my life I’ve seen how technology has been an enabler of change. Recent events have forced organisations to make tactical decisions swiftly, it’s now time to take a strategic approach and business leadership needs to make both a cultural and a technological shift.”

Laurent Muzellec, Professor in Marketing, Trinity Business School says:

“A couple of studies have shown that to succeed in their digital transformation, companies need to invest in digital capabilities but more importantly must demonstrate digital leadership, which has to do with vision, corporate culture, governance and full buy in from employees. Most companies failed to become digital masters, not because of lack of investment in capabilities but for lack of digital leadership. The Covid-19 crisis is transforming attitudes and behaviours, it must be seen as an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation by developing a clear vision and leverage on the positive changes in corporate culture and leadership.”

Liam O’Brien, Director of Strategy & External Affairs says:

“COVID-19 has affected all parts of our lives, and will have ramifications for Ireland into next year and beyond. It has acted as a catalyst for digital adoption and innovation, and this creates an opportunity for all businesses to build on this into the future. The recent stimulus package announced by the Government in the budget offers a welcome injection of financial aid to business, in line with the priorities set out by IBEC through their Reboot and Reimagine campaign, However, it is vitally important that we put a focus on technology and connectivity as an integral part of our recovery. Any investment programme must be accompanied by initiatives that ensure businesses across all locations in Ireland are digitally enabled and have the supports necessary to survive and remain competitive. As we seek to emerge from the crisis, we now have an opportunity to shape our economic recovery in a way that delivers sustainable, long-lasting, impactful change for businesses all over the country.”

Gráinne Morrison, Head of Brand Value & Innovation, Dublin Airport says:

“COVID-19 has accelerated digital initiatives at Dublin Airport. Consequently we have expedited early stage projects to improve the passenger experience and grow revenues, such as home delivery for passengers shopping in The Loop, contactless payments, flight alerts and quick serve FAQS on Whatsapp and other social media. Physical touch point digital technology such as self-serve check-in kiosks were a big part of our early digital transformation programme, however ‘contact’ is no longer an option for passengers. In a COVID-19 world, passengers want to walk through, feel protected and certainly do not want to touch anything at all. So, the digital goal is to enable passengers to be completely self-sufficient using remote digital infrastructure, and ensure it works in an efficient, seamless and contactless experience