Event: GenSight Executive Seminar: Optimising Portfolio Management through Effective Project Selection, 29 November 2007

The theme of this day seminar at the Institute of Directors, London, will be how organisations can more strategically manage project portfolios to optimise constrained resources and achieve alignment with corporate goals. Attendees will leave this seminar with a wealth of stimulating ideas on how to enhance strategic alignment, flexibility, efficiency, risk reduction and value creation. Speakers will be addressing:

• How to achieve portfolio balance to deliver strategic goals.
• How to manage portfolio performance to reduce risk and increase value
• Resource planning and optimisation methods
• Enhanced governance
• Accelerating project throughput
• Enhancing information quality to improve project control

This event is free to attend, and is open to senior executives involved in New Product Development and R & D, Strategic Programme Management, Strategic Planning, Portfolio Management and Project Based Investment. To register, email terry.cummings@gensight.com with your name, job title, company details, phone number and that you saw details of the event on the R&D Society website.

R&D Society event: Investing in R&D: the how, where, when, and why , 22 November 2007

Why does R&D expenditure matter? How should executives manage their R&D investment? Should companies increase their R&D spending for greater returns? Should executives (and their company's shareholders) view R&D as an expense or an investment? With the recent publication of the 2007 UK R&D Scoreboard and the 2007 EU Scoreboards, which benchmark companies and countries on their R&D spend, Investing in R&D: the how, where, when, and why, seeks to draw out the key lessons from the scoreboards' tables, to celebrate companies that are leaders in their field, and to help companies understand why R&D expenditure matters.

Following an introduction from Mike Tubbs on the latest evidence for the links between R&D and business performance, a panel of senior executives from leading R&D-intensive UK companies will give their insights, including:

• Richard Longdon, Chief Executive, AVEVA
• Bill Stuart-Bruges, Development Director, Sondex
• Brent Vose, VP of Oncology in Development, AstraZeneca

Following the presentations, a panel and audience discussion will explore the how, where, when, and why of investing in R&D.

Doors open for registration and coffee at 6pm. The meeting starts at 6.30pm with a drinks reception at 8pm. Book by completing the online form and follow with payment online or by post. The meeting fee is £20 for R&D Society members and £40 for non-members, including refreshments and wine reception.