Geoff Nicholson – SMU IIE Distinguished Speaker – 26 Feb

Speaking on Innovation in Practice in 3M, distinguished speaker Dr. Geoff Nicholson is the father of 3M’s Post-it Note Programme.

Distinguished Speaker: Dr. Geoff Nicholson, 3M, former Vice President of International Technical Operations; Father of 3M’s Post-it Note Program

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Synopsis

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We hear a lot of talk about innovation, its importance to companies and nations.

Is it part of your business plan? Do you provide the resources to do it? Is it the responsibility of all the disciplines in your organization?

How do you define innovation? Do you measure it?

Are long term research groups in touch with customers and flexible enough to support short term developments when necessary? Do research projects with a short term focus leave room for longer term efforts?

What volunteer employee activities foster innovation and how can these activities be encouraged? Does your organization have a history of stories that help employees to learn about innovation? Does the company recognize innovative achievements?

We will try to answer these questions with examples of 3M’s innovative culture and results.

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Event Details

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Date: Friday, 26 February 2010
Time: 6-8.30 pm
Venue: Conference Hall, Level 5, SMU Administration Building [map]

Register here.

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About the Speaker

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Born in 1938 in Co. Durham, England, Geoff attended Grammar School in Houghton-le- Spring. He was awarded his PhD degree in Chemistry from Imperial College London, U.K. in 1963. With employment very limited, and the space race being on, he became part of the brain drain and joined 3M in 1963 in Minnesota, USA.

After several years in 3M’s Central Research Laboratories, he was appointed to positions in the company’s Visual Products and Commercial Tape Business units. In the latter business, he was instrumental in the development of 3M’s highly successful “Post-it” Notes and the subsequent line of “Post-it” products. The Chairman of the Board and CEO of 3M described him as “The Father of the Post-it Note Program” long before the program reached its potential of some several hundred thousand dollars in sales.

He was then appointed to a succession of international assignments, including Vice President, 3M International Technical Operations which included the establishment of extensive laboratories in more than 25 countries such as the UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, China and India. Geoff was responsible for the activities of more than 2500 technical people around the world. After retirement in February 2001, Geoff has been involved with some startup companies as well as various publications such as In Search of Excellence, Built to Last, Breakthroughs and other innovation publications.

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