Three IMD professors – Amit Joshi, Michael Wade and Arturo Bris – have been honored in the fifth annual Digital Shapers index. The index highlights 100 people in Switzerland that play key roles in digitalization and is a joint collaboration between the association digital switzerland and newspapers Le Temps, Bilanz and Handelszeitung.
Leading and guiding others on a digital roadmap
Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, and Amit Joshi, Professor of AI, Analytics and Marketing Strategy, were both recognized in the “Mentors” category.
Professor Bris’s work leading the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking and the Smart City Index has catapulted him to Digital Shaper status. Both projects are tech-focused and have changed the way we look at digital technologies as a key driver for economic and social transformation.
“For someone like me who has been trying to assess and promote the importance of digital competitiveness, it’s a great honor to receive this recognition,” said Professor Bris. “It’s a notable achievement for the IMD World Competitiveness Center and its work over the past few years.”
Professor Joshi has blazed a new trail in the digital world and his insightful commentary – including on how to weather the storm of COVID-19 – and has appeared in numerous media outlets. Professor Joshi’s ground-breaking research won him the 2019 EFMD Best Case Award for his look into Indian retail giant Pepperfry and he was a finalist in the prestigious Sheth Foundation Journal of Marketing (JM) Award.
“It is critical to look beyond the hype around Big Data and AI and understand their actual applications,” said Professor Joshi. “I am thrilled that IMD, my team and I are being recognized for helping organizations understand where practical impact of these technologies is possible.”
Shaping worldwide digital transformation
There’s more to Professor of Innovation and Strategy, and Cisco Chair of Digital Transformation Michael Wade than meets the eye, according to the Digital Shapers Index. He boasts the title of “Transformer” for the pivotal role he has played leading the IMD Global Center for Digital Business Transformation and as a prolific author whose name regularly appears in the world’s top business publications.
“COVID-19 may have stalled the economy, but it has accelerated digital transformation,” said Professor Wade. “It’s terrific to be recognized for the work my team at IMD and I are doing to better understand how digital can be used by people, organizations and society to create a brighter, more prosperous future.”
It is the third time Professor Wade has achieved recognition in the Digital Shapers index.
The Digital Shapers index received 550 nominations for the 2020 editions, representing the digital pioneers, data enthusiasts and digital visionaries whose work has changed Switzerland – and the world beyond. It focuses on emphasizing Switzerland’s role as a leading global digital innovation hub.
The finalists were announced at a Digital Shapers event on 24 September and the three IMD professors will appear in a special Digital Shapers issue of Bilanz magazine.
