The two-day 2023 Global Talent Development Forum (TDF), themed "Leading an Intelligent Journey to a Bright Future", concluded successfully at Huawei’s Global Training Center in Hangzhou.
The forum brought together 150 leaders and experts from 30 carriers and industry organizations such as TM Forum, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), and ATD. The goal was to gain insights into ICT industry trends, share operators' talent development practices, and explore the development of digital talent, thereby accelerating the digital transformation of the industry.
In the opening speech, Mr. Jason Liu, President of Huawei Learning & Certification Services Dept, emphasized that in the next decade, the development of new technologies such as 5.5G, cloud computing, and AI foundational models will accelerate the arrival of the intelligent world. Amid the digital and intelligent transformation, enterprises should cultivate talent with business acumen and technical expertise.
Embracing Technological Change and Trends for New Development Opportunities
With the emergence and application of new technologies such as AI, big data, and cloud computing, the ICT industry has witnessed rapid development. On the first day of the forum, experts delivered a series of keynote speeches on the ever-evolving technologies and products, exploring the new opportunities that will arise.
In his keynote speech entitled "2025 ICT Trends & IX Strategy", Mr. Li Changwei, Chief Strategy Marketing Expert at Huawei, said: "Since the ICT industry has entered an AI-dominated era, we should gain insights into customers' requirements which vary in different scenarios, design applications oriented to customers, and innovate solutions collaboratively to break the bottlenecks encountered during the telecom industry's transition to the industrial Internet.”
Mr. Liao Yunfa, President of the CAICT East China Branch, discussed the origin and current status of AIGC and foundation models and their impact on relevant industries, while Ms. Nic Scoble-Williams, Global Future of Work Leader at Deloitte, delivered a keynote speech titled "The Accelerating Future of Work — New Fundamentals for a Boundaryless World". She pointed out how the world of work has changed, unleashing new opportunities and aspirations for workers and employers.
Focusing on Talent Development to Explore New Paths
Currently, a consensus has been reached on the cultivation of digital talent, further integration of digital technologies, and deeper transformation of organizational management during digital and intelligent transformation. During the thematic sharing sessions, industry organizations such as ESCP, ATD, TM Forum, and China Mobile Zhejiang have been invited to explore innovative paths for talent cultivation under new demands.
Professor Véronique Tran, Executive Vice-President For Executive Education & Corporate Relations Professor of Organizational Behaviour at ESCP Business School, presented the topic "From Talent Cultivation to Engaged Employees: How to Build a Company Culture for Sustainable Talent Development". She emphasized that talent development is an important aspect of human resource management, and for organizations, staying updated with the latest trends is crucial to attract, retain, and nurture employees effectively.
Dr. Wally Su, ATD Senior Facilitator, highlighted that talent cultivation strategies based on the "70-20-10 rule" are urgently needed during his speech “High-Performance Learning Journey Helps Business Development of Organizations."
Ms. Cecilia Ortega Lagos, Global Director of Strategic Tech Operations of People and Planet Program, TM Forum, made a presentation under the theme of "People and Planet Program: Driving Digital Business Transformation and Sustainability". According to the TechCo Organizational Design (TCOD) project of TM Forum, the success of digital transformation lies in the operations, talent, and culture. The goal of the TCOD project is to help carriers make their employees "more intelligent", improve their decision-making skills, and promote inclusiveness in the organizations.
Mr. Kong Huaming, the Big Data & AI Architect from China Mobile (Zhejiang), presented a session entitled "Future-Oriented AI Intelligent Network O&M and Talent Practice". His presentation shed light on the challenges faced by operators in digital transformation of talent, including organizational adaptation, digital workspace, and readiness of talent capabilities as the digital transformation journey has now entered into the "deepwater zone".
Mr. David Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Learning & Certification Services Marketing, launched the "Digital Intelligence Talent Development Initiative" during the closing session on the first day. He introduced Huawei's comprehensive talent development services, which encompass talent consulting, cultivation, assessment, and operations. Zhou expressed his aspirations for collaboration with customers, industry organizations, and partners to continuously improve the talent development ecosystem, foster intelligent talent, and accelerate transformation and growth.
Connecting Global Elites, Listening to Experience, and Sharing Best Practices
On the second day, accomplished experts in the talent development field shared their successful practices and insights on innovative talent practices, organization strategies, talent development and future leadership.
Ms. Refan Althemairy, the Succession Management & Talent Development Director of STC in Saudi Arabia, delivered a presentation on "Linking Development to the Organization's Strategy". She introduced STC's "DARE" strategy, an approach that leverages talent development to drive the success of their business strategies and support their strategic objectives.
Furthermore, Mr. Prong Tharawanich, Head of Human Resources Operational Excellence Department of Advanced Info Service PLC, shared his expertise in "Digital Symphony: AIS Practices, Talent Harmony, and Cultural Crescendo." He discussed AIS’ competency transformation roadmap of digital operational talent, emphasizing the learner-centered approach, personalized learning paths, learners' autonomy, and the significance of reflection in the talent cultivation process.
Ms. Rumeysa Kaymakcı, Director of Turkcell Academy, presented "Future of Leadership", recognizing the rapidly changing trends in the workplace and highlighting the need for leaders to adapt their business capabilities and methodologies to ensure the continuous growth of organizations in the future.
According to Mr. Xu Haiming, Former Director of Latin America Human Resource Dept of Huawei, in his speech entitled "Talent is Core of Digital Transformation, HR to Lead the Way Forward", HR department and business leaders should collaborate to align innovative talent solutions with business requirements, and convert transformation strategies into feasible plans to facilitate successful digital transformation.
Jointly Creating the Dynamic Classroom with Innovative Teaching Modes and Top-Notch Instructors
Apart from keynotes and insightful presentations, the forum also featured experiential sessions delivered by Huawei's instructors. Dr. Dong Song, Deputy Chief Expert of Huawei Software Marketing & Solution Sales Dept, and Mr. Wang Yifu who is one of the instructors of Huawei Learning, delivered courses on "Digital Operations Transformation" and "Foundation Model Technology and AI Industry Transformation ".
These courses unraveled the difficulties of digital transformation, technological advancements, and their impact on talent development through interactive and engaging teaching methodologies. The attending guests expressed their appreciation for these enriching sessions, looking forward to future opportunities for learning experiences.
The 2023 TDF envisioned a future where Huawei continues to deepen its dedication to talent development. Through strengthened collaboration with global carriers, industry organizations, and partners, Huawei aims to propel the development of intelligent talent, expedite industry-wide digital transformation, and seize the opportunities presented by the next wave of intelligent revolution.
