INSEAD, the world’s leading business school, will highlight the invaluable role of finance in a changing global economy at the seventh edition of its annual Global Business Leaders Conference. The event will be held on October 23rd at the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), situated on Al Maryah Island.
Against the backdrop of technological and demographic shifts, the upcoming edition of the Global Business Leaders Conference will examine the evolving face of finance in a dynamic world. The opening remarks will be delivered by His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Managing Director of the Emirates Foundation. The keynote speech will be delivered by Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE. He will be followed by Khalid Khalfan Al Suwaidi, Chief Operating Officer, Abu Dhabi Global Market.
The event will feature a number of panel discussions on a broad range of topics. The first plenary session, entitled “What is the New Normal?”, will look at the rise of globalisation, immigration and technological changes, and what they mean for governments and business. The session will be moderated by Lily Hua Fang, Associate Professor of Finance, INSEAD, and will feature His Excellency Khaleefa Salem G. Al Mansouri, Deputy Undersecretary, Department of Economic Development, Manuel Kuehn, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Head of Executive Office, Siemens LLC UAEand and Lino Cattaruzzi, Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Google.
There will also be a plenary session entitled “Diversity and Innovation in Finance”, moderated by Peter Zemsky, Deputy Dean, Dean of Innovation, Professor of Strategy, The Eli Lilly Chaired Professor of Strategy and Innovation, INSEAD. The session will take a close look at the impact of technological advances and workforce diversity within the financial sphere. The session will feature David Hayward Evans, Chief, Global Philanthropy, UNICEF, and Sadia Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Selar Enterprises.
Ilian Mihov, Dean, Professor of Economics, The Rausing Chaired Professor of Economic and Business Transformation, INSEAD, said, “With a host of changes taking place on a global scale, on both the economic and political fronts, it is imperative that we confront and actively debate the financial issues that will affect businesses and societies around the world. INSEAD has long been synonymous with fostering entrepreneurship and debate, and the Global Business Leaders Conference is the ideal platform to discuss the impact of innovation and workforce transformation on the world of finance.”
Khalid Al Suwaidi COO of ADGM commented: “The financial sector is an important enabler of economic growth – not only for Abu Dhabi, but for the UAE and the wider region. It is an enabler of innovation, and we recognise that we must also innovate within the industry. For this reason, it is imperative that we provide the necessary tools and resources for professionals, to ensure that we are not only responding to change, but driving it. By expanding our professional development offering on Al Maryah Island, we will help to cultivate a highly-skilled workforce, and ensure Abu Dhabi is an attractive destination to pursue a career in finance”
Lily Hua Fang, Associate Professor of Finance, INSEAD, added, “We are seeing the area of finance being significantly shaped by various factors on a daily basis, and the Middle East is no different. With this in mind, knowledge-sharing and mutual collaboration between governments and private enterprises are the best way to address the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. The Global Business Leaders Conference, and its associated plenary sessions, is thus the ideal platform to bring thought leaders and experts together, and highlight the global environment that will impact organizations and communities alike.
For more details on the event, please visit /events/global-business-leaders-conference-abu-dhabi-2017
