Corporate Innovation Forum envisions the future of work

To help current and future business leaders navigate the changing professional landscape, RCB and TD Bank hosted “The Future of Work in a Post-Pandemic World: What It Means for Your Business” in June, the fifth Corporate Innovation Forum.

This year’s virtual program, featuring keynote speaker Mike Carbone, regional president Pennsylvania/New Jersey for TD Bank, attracted more than 170 attendees. Heather Simmons, director of strategic projects at Rowan and a Gloucester County Commissioner, moderated a panel discussion including Korhan Kivanc, CFO, True Talent Advisory; Jason Wolf, Wolf Commercial Real Estate; Rachel Wilner, SVP and head of communications and knowledge management, TD Bank; Gerald Jones, president and founding partner, Union Core America LLC; and Janet Garraty, director, Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce.

The pandemic rapidly accelerated automation and digitization, increased the demand for contractors and gig workers, and shifted work to remote locations. Meanwhile, technology costs soared, and the need for office space plummeted.

Panelists discussed changes in work processes and flow, the decreasing need for physical space, the challenges of structuring and managing remote employees, disproportionally affected groups (including communities of color, low-income and low-education populations) and small businesses.

“The global message is that we all need to learn from the pandemic and be more flexible and to integrate the technology changes that were brought about,” said RCB Dean Sue Lehrman. “We tried to home in on current topics of interest. TD Bank is very active in the community, not to mention with their clients, who tell them what they need. Their clients run the gamut from small companies to massive corporations, so they always have their ear to the ground.”

TD Bank supports many other programs at Rowan, and the TD Bank Charitable Foundation sponsors the RCB Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy, which cultivates the entrepreneurial mindset in rising high school juniors and seniors, who earn college credits for participation.

This annual Corporate Innovation Forum presents current business topics, providing networking opportunities and an interactive question-and-answer portion.

“The business community responds very positively to the Corporate Innovation Forum,” Lehrman said. “After this event, I received many phone calls and emails.”