The Future Is Now at CES

The 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened to the public yesterday in Las Vegas. With over 3,900 exhibitors from 29 countries, there is a lot to absorb.

For a group of some 40 directors, a sneak peek of CES given courtesy of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Grant Thornton LLP provided a focused beginning to a three-day exploration of new technology—from robots to self-driving cars and augmented reality to smarter cities—and the implications for corporate governance.

To see more highlights from the floor, click here.

For Grant Thornton, supporting NACD’s first CES Experience underscores the accounting firm’s position “as a challenger brand in the marketplace,” said Michael Desmond, a partner and National Audit Industry & Growth Leader at Grant Thornton. “Being here at CES with a group of directors allows us to support our partnership with NACD and continue our reach into the marketplace at the C-suite and board levels. At the same time, this is where forward thinking and innovation are on display and all of these elements converge.”

Accompanying Desmond was David Wedding, a Grant Thornton partner who also chairs the firm’s board. “I’m here as a director myself and we, of course, are facing disruption in our industry from the impact of technology just like our customers. It will be interesting to see what’s trending and how other directors assess the ramifications of what we see.”

Maureen Conners, a director of Fashion Incubator in San Francisco and NACD’s Northern California Chapter, and former director of Deckers Brands, has been attending CES for at least 15 years. “The best advice I would give to any one coming to CES is not to be afraid to ask the dumb questions,” she said. Conners worked in product development at Gillette, Levi Strauss, and Mattel and started attending CES when as a consultant she helped Polaroid launch its first digital camera. She spoke of how seeing a driverless car maneuver onto a stage during an Intel presentation on Monday night stirred questions for her about how they will ultimately be used.

“I must admit it’s different seeing it in person,” she said.

Liane Pelletier, a director who was on the tour, serves on the boards of ATN International, Expeditors International, and NACD’s Northwest Chapter, echoed that sentiment: “It’s one thing to read about discrete enabling technologies that can disrupt our companies, and it’s entirely different to see and envision all of the use cases.”

Some of the other new products that stand to have industry-altering impacts included: a concept bed from Reverie that adjusts itself based on brain-wave activity; a self-driving Lyft vehicle; and a plush Aflac duck robot with three patents pending that uses a mixed-reality app to help comfort kids coping with cancer.

Come back tomorrow for additional coverage of NACD and Grant Thornton’s board-focused CES Experience.