January 22, 2008

Opening Breakfast General Session
08:00 – 09:45
Keynote Speaker: Tom DePasquale, Executive Vice President of Technology, Concur, USA

 Tom DePasquale is the Executive Vice President of Technology at Concur.  Formerly DePasquale was the founder, president and CEO of Outtask, Inc., which was acquired by Concur.  He has more than 25 years of experience applying technology solutions to address global business and industry challenges. After watching the evolution of various software delivery models, DePasquale recognized the opportunity to apply his visionary Software as a Service model to the second largest cost category for corporations, Travel and Expense (T&E) Management. 

Burdensome for employees and hard for companies to control, DePasquale saw a need to unify and automate the travel and expense processes, making it easier for employees to travel and get reimbursed, while providing substantial savings to a company’s bottom line.  He likes to describe the T&E process as “the only area where we take digital data and convert it to paper, so people can re-key it, and then store the paper.”

He is the architect of the Cliqbook, corporate travel management application, which currently supports over 2000 corporations word wide. He has led the industry to deliver on the promise of end to end paperless and keyless expense management.

DePasquale has proven himself to be a CEO who understands opportunity, time to market, funding, building a skilled team and delivering on his vision.  His leadership is recognized in the industry.  In 2002, DePasquale became the recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and was named twice as one of Business Travel News’  “Top 25 Most Influential Executives,” first in 2005 and now again in 2007.

Today, Concur is the leading provider of On-Demand services.  The company offers the only fully integrated T&E management solution through its CliqbookTM and Concur ExpenseTM service offerings to seamlessly automate and control travel management, and expense submission, reporting, and reimbursement for corporate clients.

DePasquale is a native of Virginia and received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia’s (UVA) McIntire School of Commerce.   He sits on the NBTA Allied Leadership Council and the Riderway, a ground transportation management company.

Lunch General Session
14:30 – 16:00
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Lorenzo Meyer, Professor, Editorialist, TV & Radio Commentator, Mexico

Lorenzo Meyer is a distinguished professor and researcher in social sciences as well as editorialist in leading newspapers, like Reforma and other 15 local newspapers. He also is a commentator in TV and radio. He graduated from El Colegio de México where he obtained a B.A. and a PH.D in International Relations, later he pursued postdoctoral studies in Political Science at the University of Chicago. He is author of several books on international relations of Mexico with the United States, England and Spain as well as political and social history of Mexico during the XXth Century. These are among his most important research books: México y los Estados Unidos en el conflicto petrolero; Su Majestad Británica contra la Revolución Mexicana.

He is an analyst of the Mexican political system, particularly the transition from authoritarian to a democratic regime. These are among his essay books: Liberalismo autoritario, Cambio de régimen y democracia incipiente, and El Estado en busca del ciudadano. Un ensayo sobre el proceso político mexicano contemporáneo. He has published more than a hundred and twenty chapters and articles in academic publications.

He has a long trajectory as university professor in Mexico, the United States, and Spain and has received several recognitions, among others, Premio a la Investigación Científica and Premio Nacional de Periodismo. He is an analyst of the Mexican political system, particularly the transition from authoritarian to a democratic regime. Fifteen years ago he started publishing op-eds in some of the most important Mexican newspapers, nowadays Reforma and other 15 local newspapers. He also is a commentator in TV and radio.

January 23, 2008

Closing Lunch General Session
13:30 - 15:30
Keynote Speaker: Germán Dehesa, Actor, Author, Mexico

Germán Dehesa is a well-known Mexican actor and writer. He has had a prolific career as a comedian in film, TV and radio and has written more than 50 theatrical productions. For his role in the 1995 film "Cilantro y perejil," Dehesa was nominated for a Silver Ariel Award, the national film award in Mexico.

Having also served as editorialist for several Mexican newspapers, Dehesa was awarded the Parliamentary Journalism Award in 1998.