Building on MIT’s prestigious reputation and innovative culture, this program combines research-based management frameworks with practical hands-on experiences, and offers networking opportunities for top-tier convenience industry leaders. Attendees (from retail companies only) will directly apply methods and frameworks to their own businesses – to build innovation capability and improve business results.
Held on MIT’s campus, the NACS Innovation Leadership Program offers convenience leaders the opportunity to:
- Learn how to build an innovation culture – focused on skills, desire, freedom of action, high commitment and high integrity
- Recognize and overcome mental models that inhibit innovation
- Leverage the principles and processes of design thinking
- Identify choices for responding to disruptive competition
- Develop digital business models
- Apply innovative methods for designing work and operating models that engage employees/create competitive advantage
- Experience first-hand MIT’s entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem
The power of innovation at MIT can’t be denied. A 2015 research study determined that MIT alumni have created over 30,000 companies with over 4.6 million employees and nearly $2 trillion in annual revenues – which would be the world’s 10th largest GDP if measured as a country.
Endowed by
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
—Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, Inc.
For any questions, or to request more information, please contact:
Brandi Mauro
Education Coordinator
bmauro@convenience.org
(703) 518-4223
Presidents, CEOs and VPs within forward-thinking, innovation-seeking retail companies that are leading the convenience and fuel retailing industry.
The NACS Innovation Leadership Program at MIT is designed to be relevant, engaging and useful to senior level executives who are interested in driving innovation across their firms, particularly in the areas of:
- Customer experience
- Operating models
- Supply Chain
- People engagement and culture change
The program integrates lessons and tools drawn from the worlds of strategy, design thinking, digitalization, machine learning, ecosystems, neuroscience and organizational psychology. This is a program not just about creativity, ideation, or managing the product development process. Other elements of the program include: Exposure to the MIT Ecosystem and Exposure to NACS Program Endowers.
Participants leave with a change plan focused on implementing selected innovation opportunities in their organizations.
Check out the sessions planned for the 2019 program:
Design Thinking & Service Process Innovation (S. Eppinger)
Successful innovation based on three factors – customer desirability, technical feasibility, and business viability. Structured practice for systematic design and development.
Innovation Leadership & Culture (C. Chilton)
Engaging innovation from workforce via 3 intersections: Skills (‘Able To’), Motivation (‘Want To’), Autonomy (‘Allowed To’).
Innovation Strategy: Thinking Clearly About Disruption (P. Azoulay)
A set of choices for dealing with new competitors – based on the nature of the competition. Why we are slow to respond and what to do about it.
Operational Model Innovation (Z. Ton)
Developing a high integrity/high commitment operational culture.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the Supply Chain (D. Simchi-Levi)
Trends in supply chain digitization; implications for you and customer experience.
Working Harder/ Working Smarter (S. Dodge)
Designing work as a capability, focusing employees/increasing accountability, implement innovative change, especially in management processes.
Digital Business Models (N. Fonstad)
Strategic framework based on balance of customer objectives to supply chain/partners.
Innovation Portfolios (N. Fonstad)
Applying a ‘test & learn’ approach across diverse types of innovation to identify sources of value.
Customer Centric Thinking: UI/UX (R. Gosline)
Unpacking the customer journey as not just a process, but a set of linked behavioral decisions.
Implementation Challenges in Making Innovation Happen (R. Fernandez)
3 Lenses of Change.. Your Brain and Theirs – bringing others along; addressing both organizational and personal obstacles.
To get a better understanding of the schedule for the week, take a look at the Program Curriculum (PDF). The curriculum is subject to change.
The NACS Innovation Leadership Program takes place on the campus of MIT and is administered by faculty of the Sloan School of Management. Check back periodically to meet the 2019 presenters.
Registration for the 2019 Innovation Leadership Program is open now. Registration is limited to retailer, distributor, and state association member companies only. State Associations, please contact Brandi Mauro at bmauro@convenience.org to register.
A tuition endowment from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, PDI, and Shell make this program most affordable for all participants. With financial support from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, PDI, and Shell, program tuition is $3,995, which includes instruction, course materials, scheduled meals and entertainment.
For comparison purposes, an open-enrollment innovation course at MIT typically costs around $10,000 per person.
Scheduled meals are included in the total cost of the program, but lodging and travel are not included. Participants are responsible for their own hotel accommodations and travel. NACS has reserved a block of rooms at the Boston Marriott Cambridge at a special rate for NACS Innovation Leadership Program attendees from Saturday, November 2nd through Saturday, November 9th: $309 per night, plus all applicable taxes/fees. The last day to receive the discounted rate is Friday, October 11th, 2019.
Boston Marriott Cambridge
50 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 494-6600
To make a reservation, use the link below or call Marriott Central Reservations at 1-800-228-9290 and say you are with the NACS Innovation Leadership Program room block. Each individual guest will be responsible for all room, tax and incidental charges and will be asked for a credit card when making the reservations. Guests will also need to present a credit card upon check-in. If any guests are Marriott Bonvoy members, please remember to include your account number when making your reservation.
Hotel Reservation
Attendees are also welcome to make reservations at a hotel of their choosing. For any questions regarding hotel accommodations, please contact Erin Garay, Meetings & Registration Coordinator, at (703) 518-4244 or egaray@convenience.org.