Ismaili Economic Forum — Agenda

The following is a draft agenda. The selection of speakers and the ordering of sessions are subject to change.

Opening Remarks and Welcome

Alliances and Entrepreneurship: Overview
Intended to showcase the diversity, depth and scope of alliances and entrepreneurship in the global Jamat, the session also highlights opportunities for global collaboration.

Hussein Ladha and Richad Soundardjee (Co-Convenors, IEF)

Keynote: Globalization of Business From a Developing Country Perspective
How did TCS become one of the world’s leading IT companies? Our keynote speaker discusses the enabling environment, ethical principles and business strategies behind its success.

S. Ramadorai (TCS, India)

Keynote: Why Strategic Business Alliances are Important?
Drawing on his experience ranging from Silicon Valley entrepreneur to country IT leader, our second keynote speaker reflects on the ever-increasing role of networks and alliances in an entrepreneur’s success.

Zia Chishti (TRG, Pakistan)

Coffee Break

Alliance Life Cycle
This session will discuss the structuring, origination, establishment, growth and globalization of alliances.

Overview
Professor Rafiq Dossani (Stanford University, USA)

Case Study of the Early Stages of the United Bakers' Co-operative Society
Noorallah Gilani (Aga Khan Economic Planning Board, India)

Case Study of the Development Stages of the Atlanta Retailers Association
Afroz Painter (Atlanta Retailers Association, USA)

Case Study of the Maturation Stages of the Avicenna PLC
Salim Jetha (Avicenna PLC, UK)

Lunch: Country / Regional Opportunities
The rules, the opportunities and a how-to guide for small businesses are presented for these exciting regions.

Shair Baz Hakemy (Afghanistan), Salim Dewji and Shaffin Jamal (Africa), Al Moeiz Laiwala and Shaukat Merchant (Bangladesh and India), Munir Merali (Central Asia), Naushad Rashid (Middle East), and Farrukh Khan (Pakistan).

Leveraging Alliances
This session will show how alliances foster innovation and entrepreneurship via global linkages, joint research projects and sharing strategic information.

Building Client Relationships: Case Study of Boots Pharmaceuticals
David Cole (Boots Pharmaceuticals, UK)

Entrepreneurship: Case Study of the Taiwan Bicycle Industry Associations
Jimmy Yang (Kenda Rubber Company, Taiwan) and Professor Michelle Hsieh (Institute of Sociology at Academia Sinica, Taiwan)

Innovation in Agribusiness: Case Study of Florida Agribusiness Associations
Professor James Sterns (University of Florida, USA)

Innovation in Professional Services: Case Study of The Indus Entrepreneurs
Speaker (s): Syed Babar Ali (The Indus Entrepreneurs, Pakistan)

Leveraging Technology: Case Study of Technology-Based Alliances
Valerie Rozycki (eBay, USA)

Coffee Break

Workshops: Issues in Alliances

Compliance and Transparency
How should the ideals of a compliant and transparent alliance be translated into practice? What roles do structure and disclosure play?
Professor Alnoor Bhimani (University of London, UK)

Critical Mass
How may an alliance reach critical mass, while managing the problems it raises of heterogeneity and greater distance between the membership and management?
Nizar Ali, NATA Chair, USA

Networks of Alliances
When should networks of alliances be built – common goals, across the supply-chain, across regions? What are the strategies for building such networks?
Karim Meghji (International Professionals Network, USA)

Professional Management
How may an alliance be professionalised from its earliest days in a cost effective manner?
R. S. Sodhi (Amul, India)

Sourcing
How may alliances bring the power of bulk-buying to the small enterprise? And go beyond, by improving the reliability of the supply chain and opening up opportunities for cooperation? How should conflicts of interest between member businesses of different sizes be managed?
Aziz Hashim (National Restaurant Developers, USA)

Trust
What must be done to establish, build and sustain collegial and honorable relationships between members of an alliance? How may mistrust issues be dissipated and broken trust mended?
Sadrudin Akbarali (Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance)

The Ethical Foundations of Business: Case Studies from AKDN
The Aga Khan Development Network is a model of ethical functioning, high professional standards, focus on human and environmental development, and catalytic impacts on public policy. In this session, the philosophy of AKDN will be explained and illustrated with case studies of two of its operations, Frigoken and Serena.

Aziz Boolani, Karim Dostmohamed, Shams Jaffer, and Luis Olivares (AKDN)

Coffee Break

Workshops
These workshops, presented by experienced practitioners, will guide participants step-by-step through the stages of building alliances.

Next Steps in the Development of Alliances
Nizar Ali, Karim Dhukani, Salim Jetha, Dr. Sabina Jethwani, Amin Manekia, and Afroz Painter

Lunch: Sectoral Opportunities
These sessions, led by persons experienced in various sectors, will expose participants to opportunities for small-business investment and cross-border collaboration in emerging and developed economies.

Agriculture
Karim Dostmohammed (Frigoken)

Financial Services
Omar Hafeez (Citibank, Tanzania)

Hospitality
Shabir Abji (AJ Group of Companies, Tanzania) & Murtaza Hashwani (Hashoo Group, Pakistan)

Medical Services
Dr. Anupam Sibal (Apollo Hospitals Group, India)

Real Estate
Shehnoor Jadavji (Lotus Pacific Holdings, Canada), and Joe Valente (DTZ, UK)

Retail
Farid Virani (Prime Communications, US)

Textiles
Munir Mashooqullah (Synergies Sourcing, Bangladesh)

Workshops: Issues in Entrepreneurship

Customer Service
How does good customer-service reward a small business – loyalty, brand-building, global access? What are the approaches and costs?
Aziz Merchant & Alex Stephanou (Brand Garden. UAE)

Finance
This session will explain how to make a financial plan that is sensitive to the business (and its business cycle); and how to access finance of different types to fulfill the financial plan.
Zakir Mahmood (Habib Bank, Pakistan)

Marketing
In this age of rapidly changing markets and big-box competition, how should a small business go about identifying its market? Having done so, what are the implementation strategies?
Balan Kannan (Nestle, India)

Professionalising the Family Firm
This question is both inter-generational and driven by competition. Should the small business add professional management or professional advisors? Should they be experts on business strategy or operations? How may the family’s control and ownership be protected?
Deepak Shah & Mukesh Shah (Strategic Consultants, Kenya)

Skills Development
When do skills need updating? Which ones are the important ones – marketing, technology, creativity, project management? How should the small business acquire such skills?
Anuradha Parthasarathy (Global Executive Talent, India)

Sound Governance
Can good governance practices be imported into an organization after it is formed? What should the scope of good governance for a small business be – in particular, when should transparency and compliance look outwards to include support for environmental and underprivileged issues?
Karim Khoja (Roshan Telecom)

Coffee Break

Plenary Panel of Workshop Outcomes
Workshop Rapporteurs and Panelists

Moderated by Rafiq Dossani

Conference Summary

Hussein Ladha and Richad Soundardjee

During a series of pre-consultations with Economic Planning Boards and Alliances held between November 2007 and January 2008, the IEF team came across a plethora of relevant best practices and programmes that would be benefit delegates in other countries. These will be shared among participating delegates from Economic Planning Boards, Alliances and other institutions, which in turn will be funneled to the wider Jamat.