Joining forces in times of crisis: building a better future with institutional creativity

This session of Aspen Ideas, the debate series on contemporary issues held throughout the year, took place on the 14th of April on the topic “Joining forces in times of crisis: building a better future with institutional creativity”.  The debate was presented by Darío Gil, Director of IBM Research in the United States, and moderated by Rocío Martínez-Sampere, Director of the Fundación Felipe González and Aspen España Fellow

Aspen Institute España´s civic mission is more important now than ever.  In trying times like these our society needs spaces where individuals can reflect and dialogue about the future and how to come out of the current crisis from the perspective of a values-based leadership committed to democratic ideals.

Darío Gil is the Director of IBM Research, one of the world’s largest and most influential corporate research labs.  Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Gil served as Chief Operating Officer of IBM Research and the Vice President of AI and Quantum Computing, areas in which he continues to have broad responsibilities across IBM. Under his leadership, IBM was the first company in the world to build programmable quantum computers and make them universally available through the cloud. An advocate of collaborative research models, he co-chairs the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a pioneering industrial-academic laboratory with a portfolio of more than 50 projects focused on advancing fundamental AI research to the broad benefit of industry and society. A passionate supporter of scientific discovery and education, Dr. Gil is a Trustee of the New York Hall of Science, which provides schools, families and underserved communities in the New York City area with exposure to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Dr. Gil received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.

Rocío Martínez-Sampere, Director, Fundación Felipe González. Barcelona, 1974.  She earned a degree in Economics from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and a Masters in Economics and a Masters in Government and Public Policy from the London School of Economics.  She worked as an analyist at City and then at the Fabian Society, a foundation accociated with the Labour Party, of which she was a part of.  She then joined the Fundación Rafael Campalans, where she is currently a member of the Board of Trustees.  She was chief of cabinet for Narcís Serra and a consultant to Pasqual Maragall in the first progressive government to hold power in Catalunya.  In 2006, she was deputy for Barcelona in the Parlament, where she was spokeswoman for economic issues and the budget.  She is contributor in several media outlets.  She is a trustee at Alianza por la Solidaridad and Teamings.  She is an Aspen España Fellow since 2017 and member of the advisory board for Grupo Godó.