EY at MWC Barcelona 2024

MWC Panel: NFTs: The One-Hit Wonder?

Giuseppe Perrone, EMEIA Blockchain Leader

From apes to punks to coveted art and viral memes, we’ve been living in the NFT bubble for the past year. Recently, Bloomberg reported that in Q3, 2022 trading volumes of NFTs were down 97% from January, a record high. So, is it time to jump off the NFT bandwagon or do they still have something more to offer? Join us as experts debate the true value of NFTs, democratization of access and use cases beyond the art world.

Domhnaill Hernon, Global Leader, EY Metaverse Labs

During this session Domhnaill Hernon will go through and clarify all the areas that cause mass confusion around metaverse terminology.

Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman & CEO

Part One.

Changing the Future of Energy

Energy consumption accounts for between 15% and 40% of operators’ operating expenditure, and that figure is expected to increase in the next few years. Automation and machine learning are modernising networks to reduce energy usage but could - or should - mobile companies and energy companies work better together? The war in Ukraine and a global cost of living crisis means every industry is impacted and whilst mobile companies need to prepare for - and adapt to - the challenges presented by an energy crisis, expectations on network investment and ROIs continue. What does the energy crisis really mean for industry projections and is collaboration with energy leaders essential for the long-term future?

Andy Baldwin, Global Managing Partner, Client Service

Part Two. The Electric Odyssey

Addressing climate change through the promotion and use of renewable energy sources, the mobile industry and motor racing are uniquely placed when it comes to sustainability. The adoption of electric vehicles is paving the way for a lower carbon future, but it has also created a new sporting platform for the purpose of promoting technology advancement, the environment and equality.? Join us as we go off-road with Extreme E, showcasing electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

Welcome Speech for Diversity4Tech Cocktail Reception

Diversity4Tech Global Mobile “GLOMO” Award

Julie Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner & Global Leader, Women. Fast Forward

Karyn Twaronite, Global DE&I Officer & Global Vice Chair

Join us at MWC Barcelona 2023 as we kick-off our extended Diversity4Tech programme with a celebratory drinks reception. Hosted by GSMA and EY as this year's new D4T Programme Headline Sponsor.

This networking drinks reception will be a great opportunity to socialise with like-minded peers, make new contacts and start your DE&I journey for the week. Here you can meet colleagues who are equally passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion as a way of welcoming and celebrating different talents, perspectives and skills across the industry - and in turn, inspires a bold and transformative change.  Everyone is welcome, but places will be limited so arrive early!

Diversity in Tech GLOMO Award

In the journey to connect everyone to everything, the mobile industry holds a responsibility to ensure no one is left behind. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion brings value to all organisations and should be embedded into the DNA of the workplace.

This award celebrates individuals and organisations who champion equality, diversity and human rights every day across the technology sector and beyond. They have a strong ethos of addressing imbalance and bringing the underrepresented into the conversation, free from prejudice and discrimination.

Karyn Twaronite, Global DE&I Officer & Global Vice Chair (Keynote)

Errol Gardner, Global Vice Chair, Consulting (Panelist)

As the world relies on the tech sector to enable positive transformation, a lack of diversity and equity are compromising the sector’s capacity to innovate. According to the EY Tech Horizon 2022 survey, more than a quarter of technology transformation leaders acknowledge that insufficient progress in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce poses a significant challenge. Yet, less than half of organizations (44%) include diversity targets in their transformation strategies and initiatives. In this panel we discuss how organization’s all have different starting points, circumstances, backgrounds and identities, experiences and needs, which we all need to better understand:

• Why an enhanced focus on diversity and equity is critical to solving today’s most complex business issues
• Participation in the digital world and benefit from its efficiencies in terms of inclusion
• What can the Tech sector do to build more inclusive and equitable environments
• Closing the digital diversity and equity divide and spur innovation.

Karyn Twaronite, Global DE&I Officer & Global Vice Chair

13:30 – 15:00 DISCUSSION 1: HIRING TALENT WITH DE&I EMBEDDED INTO THE PROCESS

How a Attract and Hire a Diverse Talent Pool that Connects to Growth, Innovation, Revenue and Brand Equity

Shaun Scantlebury, Partner, People Advisory Services

15.30 – 17:00 DISCUSSION 2: RETAINING TALENT THROUGH A DE&I LENS

Activating Inclusive Hiring and Team Development Practices to Increase Representation: Better Sourcing and Spotting Bias in Recruitment and Management

Tuesday, 28 February

16:15-17:00 CET

Joongshik Wang, TMT Market Segment Leader & EY Parthenon Leader, ASEAN

With a surge in interest and investment in VR, 3D spaces and connected worlds, is it time to follow companies like Disney, LVMH and Procter & Gamble, and invest in a Chief Metaverse Officer? Whilst we may still be a few years away from mass adoption of the major metaverse platforms, is there a concern that operators will be left behind if they don’t?

Recent reports predict that in just a few years, one in four people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse and as Telco’s provide a vital entry point, is this a fresh opportunity to reduce customer churn and increase revenue? The future of business is taking shape, is a chief metaverse now needed to navigate this new and often confusing space?

Wednesday, 1 March

09:30-10:15 CET

• Many companies say they are committed to prioritising diversity, equity and inclusion, but when it comes to investing time and money into meaningful change management, that commitment can sadly waiver. Making real change, starts with executive buy-in: starting from the top down and not forgetting the crucial role of middle managers.
• Identifying key barriers & silos to wider adoption
• Active engagement across the business: key ways to increase efforts to gain optimum support
• Measuring tools to find out how successful your DE&I programs are being seen and adopted
• Giving feedback and creating opportunities for DE&I advocacy
• Calling out inaction or examples where DE&I has been neglected

Wednesday, 1 March

09:30-10:30 CET

Barend van Bergen, Partner, Strategy, Sustainability & Value Impact

The ESG landscape is rapidly evolving, and investors, regulators and other stakeholders are taking greater interest than ever before in operators’ ESG performance. There is increasing demand for evidence that sustainability strategies are aligned to core business, and an expectation that companies will demonstrate how they create value to society. At the same time, operators’ board members and CFOs require ESG metrics that are decision-useful, easy to implement, and build recognition and trust with stakeholders.

How is the mobile industry keeping pace with these developments? What are examples of successful ESG strategies that demonstrate leadership? How can industry alignment create greater value for society and stakeholders?

Come and join us to hear more about the state of ESG in the mobile industry and the ‘ESG Metrics for Mobile‘, a first-of-its-kind mobile sector ESG reporting framework, developed alongside partners from EY, Yale Center for Business & the Environment, and 20 mobile operators representing 45% of the world’s mobile connections.

Wednesday, 1 March

13:15-14:15 CET

Golnar Pooya, Principal, Business Transformation

With the welcomed digitalization of industries and lifestyles, enterprises and consumers are looking for innovative business models to meet their growing needs. This is setting the stage for 5G as-a-service models to bring forth a new wave of monetization. For operators, the need of the hour is to modernize, move up the value chain and work with the right ecosystem of partners to meet these new demands. In this session we will discuss modernization and monetization efforts, such as 5G

Standalone, and the growth, personalized user experience and future readiness they enable. 

Wednesday, 1 March

13:15-14:15 CET

Edwina Fitzmaurice, Chief Customer Success Officer

Science fiction movies like Ready Player One and The Matrix have already demonstrated the immense potential of immersive technology that merges the physical and virtual world. More recently, with the breakthroughs in AR and VR combine with the global deployment of 5G, immersive technology represents the next frontier in our lives, from automotive, sports to work and more.

Now the big question is, what’s next? What’s our way of work, play and interact with the digital universe? How Innovations including AR, AI and etc., are being at the forefront?  Will 5G empowered holographic communication realize its future? What does the future hold for cross-industries partnerships?  What will be the evolution in verticals of sports, automotive and more? Let’s see how these revolutionary technologies will offer us the best immersion ever!

Wednesday, 1 March

14:45-15:45 CET

Beatriz Sanz Saiz, Global AI & Data Consulting Leader

Industry 4.0, the metaverse and online gaming, are just some of the big drivers for edge cloud services and the increasing demand on our networks. This has forced a major network redesign and has motivated efforts to grow edge computing to enable faster and more efficient processing of data closer where the users are. With the addition of automation and analytic tools, the network edge is transforming, allowing increased agility, scalability and reduction of costs. Join us as we deep dive in how the Edge can be leveraged to meet our ever changing business needs.

Wednesday, 2 March

10:00-10:45 CET

Scott Porter, Americas Media & Entertainment Consulting Services Leader

Gaming has steadily risen in popularity for years. With the global rollout of 5G, ever-expanding adoption of cloud gaming and the evolution of immersive technologies, we are on the cusp of a paradigm shift in how and where games are played. What is the future looking like for the metaverse gaming in Web 3.0? Will play-to-earn model and GameFi be spotlighted? Could we expect to see more advanced AI appear in gameplay and game development? Will AR or VR win the day and allow truly immersive gameplay for the mainstream? Join this session to decode what technology innovations are shaping the future of the gaming industry, and how will they influence the game experience?