WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The A.T. Kearney Strategy Summit, Scenario Planning in a World of Change, which is sponsored by the company's strategy practice and Global Business Policy Council, gets underway today. Day one will include a keynote address by Bob Woodward, associate editor of the Washington Post and author of 17 books, the most recent of which is "The Price of Politics." The A.T. Kearney Scenario Planning Summit is designed to help business leaders anticipate and plan for the future by offering an in-depth look at scenario planning as an increasingly important strategic planning tool. The event will address political and regulatory change as well as other global drivers, such as population, resources, technology, and geopolitics. Noted Bob Woodward, "In politics the key to success is understanding leadership, strategy, getting a clear-eyed assessment of real conditions, and talking straight. It is precisely the same in business."
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Strategic planning executives from six multinational companies will participate in the Summit, where they will be guided through a process for envisioning the global context in which they will operate in the years to come. Goals are to provide enhanced knowledge and flexibility for aligning strategies and contingency plans with the varied futures that may materialize in an unpredictable world, and improved capacities to guide their own leadership teams through scenario planning processes.
"Scenario planning has a 40-year history of providing companies with the forward-thinking resources and agility to navigate amidst uncertainty," says Erik Peterson, managing director of the Global Business Policy Council. "In light of the scope, speed, and complexity of change across the world, leaders intuitively know that they need to rely on the full range of strategic planning instruments to navigate."
"Through our client work and iterative process of refining our methodology, we have taken this proven resource to the next level," notes Sean Ryan, A.T. Kearney partner and strategy practice lead. The A.T. Kearney approach to scenario planning is highly interactive, enabling each participant to easily and effectively contribute to an understanding of the multiple ways in which the future may unfold. "The fact that we conduct these sessions with multiple companies simultaneously, from across multiple industries, contributes broadly to the perspectives that can be gained," adds Ryan.
Bob Woodward, in collaboration with Carl Bernstein, broke the Watergate scandal that led to numerous government investigations and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. "Bob Woodward, will provide foresight and perspective on the political environment in which businesses will operate in the future. He is a national treasure and we are delighted that he would share his insight and experience with our team," said Peterson.
About A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a global team of forward-thinking, collaborative partners that delivers immediate, meaningful results and long-term transformative advantage to clients. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors on CEO-agenda issues to the world's leading organizations across all major industries and sectors. A.T. Kearney's offices are located in major business centers in 39 countries. To read more about A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council and Strategy Practice, please visit: http://www.atkearney.com
SOURCE A.T. Kearney