In this dynamic session, Harvard Law School Distinguished Fellow Dr. Heidi K. Gardner and Smarter Collaboration International CEO Ivan Matviak will equip participants with practical ways  to tackle increasingly complex challenges and accelerate their legal careers through smarter collaboration. Drawing on insights from their bestselling book Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach for Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work, as well as original case research 
including the Heineken–Ironclad transformation, the session will bring to life how crossfunctional collaboration and technology-enabled innovation are reshaping the legal function.

Participants will examine how Heineken’s global rollout of an AI-enabled technology platform  became a catalyst for stronger collaboration, greater transparency, and significant business  value. The session will also explore what it means to lead in an era defined by AI, focusing on  how legal leaders can move beyond efficiency gains to reimagine workflows, redefine roles, and  position their teams as strategic partners to the business. 

The session will also incorporate the Smarter Collaboration Profile tool to create a personalized experience, helping participants identify their collaboration strengths and design a tailored  roadmap for increasing their impact in an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven environment.

In a series of interactive lectures and case studies, Professor Mihir Desai will develop the most central intuition from finance including value creation, capital allocation and valuation.

How cognitive flexibility fuels better judgement, innovation, and human connection. In a world defined by volatility, the most undervalued leadership trait is not confidence but openness — the ability to stay curious when others contract. This session explores “Openness to Experience” as a form of strategic intelligence for modern leaders: how to hold multiple perspectives, learn through discomfort, and remain receptive to insight under pressure. Participants will engage in a brief self-assessment and dialogue on the psychology of openness — its link to risk appetite, empathy, and decision-making — and leave with practices to cultivate adaptability without losing conviction.