Around the world, children are facing unprecedented hardship. One in five lives in or is fleeing conflict zones, one in four faces severe food poverty, and one billion are at extreme risk from climate-driven disruptions. By 2026, an estimated 208 million children will need humanitarian assistance.

This solutions-focused event will launch the Alliance for Children in Emergencies (ACE), a UNICEF-led platform that unites global businesses to support children in emergencies long term. The program will feature insights from ACE’s founding members and remarks from UNICEF leadership and a global spokesperson recently returned from Gaza. A youth champion will share her account of growing up in a protracted crisis, underscoring the urgent need for collective action and innovative solutions.

Speakers: Nigel Andrade, Senior Partner and Global Chair, Strategy, Growth, and Organization Transformation Practice, Kearney; Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF

Facilitators: To be announced

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting offers a defining moment to reaffirm America’s leadership in shaping the future global order. As global decision-makers convene in Davos, we are delighted to invite you to a private dinner gathering global CEOs and top executives of US-headquartered companies for the US Executives Exchange, on Monday, January 19, from 19:00–20:30 CET.

Global dynamics are redrawing the contours of growth, risk, and resilience. In this era of disruption, leaders must balance near-term performance with long-term renewal. The US Executives Exchange will convene a select group of CEOs for a confidential dialogue on leading through constant change—exploring foresight, adaptability, and collaboration as foundations of competitiveness. The session will also feature insights from the World Economic Forum’s Investment, Trade and Industrial Policy team. 

Speakers: Sean Doherty, Head, International Trade and Investment, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice-President, Chief Technical Operations and Risk Officer, Johnson & Johnson; John Schultz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating & Legal Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Facilitators: Carol Cruickshank, Chief Executive Officer, Americas, Kearney; Per Hong, Global Lead Kearney Foresight; Senior Partner; Senior Fellow, Global Business Policy Council, Kearney

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm Europe’s role in shaping the global agenda. As leaders gather in Davos, we invite you to the Europe CEO Council on Monday, January 19, from 19:00–20:30 CET—an exclusive dinner convening global CEOs and top executives of Europe-headquartered companies. 

In an era of accelerating industrial transformation and geopolitical flux, Europe’s most senior business leaders face the challenge of staying ahead of global shifts while maintaining strategic coherence in an increasingly fragmented world. This annual gathering provides a forum to collectively anticipate and interpret industrial policy trends across regions and sectors—from evolving state priorities and technological frontiers to the cross-border dynamics reshaping global systems. Participants will also receive exclusive insights from the World Economic Forum’s Investment, Trade and Industrial Policy team. 

Speakers: Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice-President, Energy Management, Schneider Electric; Andrew Caruana Galizia, Head of Europe and Eurasia, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Anna Borg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vattenfall

Facilitators: Rhiannon Thomas, Global Consumer Goods and Retail Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney; Richard Forrest, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Kearney; Erik Peterson, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Global Business Policy Council, Kearney

Women’s health remains chronically underfunded and under-researched, despite women representing half the global population. The Global Alliance for Women’s Health, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, Kearney, and Wellcome Leap, is addressing this imbalance by developing a new science-to-patient blueprint that shortens the path from discovery to scalable solutions. 

Building on the “Prescription for Change” white paper, the initiative aims to accelerate breakthrough innovation through removing barriers such as slow regulatory process and limited reimbursement pathways that stall progress. This session will explore how greater collaboration, investment, and system-level alignment can close the gender gap in health outcomes and unlock the full potential of innovation to improve women’s health and, in turn, global health.

Speakers: Elisabeth Staudinger, Managing Board Member, Siemens Healthineers; Regina Dugan, CEO, Wellcome Leap; Shyam Bishen, Head, Centre for Health & Healthcare, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Fiona Marshall, PhD, President, Biomedical Research, Novartis; Justine Levin-Allerhand, Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer and COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering; Diene Keita, United Nations Under Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director 

Facilitator: Paula Bellostas Muguerza, Global Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney

As global interdependence deepens, the foundations of how organizations operate are under unprecedented pressure. Supply chains are fracturing, cloud dependencies are multiplying, and geopolitical uncertainty is reshaping the rules of engagement. In this environment, operational sovereignty is emerging as a new frontier of competitive advantage—the ability to run and adapt critical operations under one’s own control, regardless of external shocks. 

Against this backdrop, we are delighted to invite you to an executive lunch roundtable discussion, co-hosted with Zero100, titled “Operational sovereignty: Thriving in a fractured but interdependent world,” taking place on Tuesday, January 20, from 12:00–13:00 CET at the Kearney Glass House. Together, we will explore how COOs and senior executives can reclaim sovereignty across technology, data, and supply networks. Beyond resilience, operational sovereignty is fast becoming a catalyst for trust, agility, and innovation—requiring new metrics and bold leadership choices that balance autonomy with efficiency. 

Speakers: Kevin O'Marah, Co-Founder, Zero100; Ernest Nicolas, Chief Enterprise Operations Officer, HP; Carsten Thoma, President, Celonis

Facilitators: Per Hong, Global Lead Kearney Foresight; Senior Partner; Senior Fellow, Global Business Policy Council, Kearney; Suketu Gandhi, Chair, Strategic Operations and Senior Partner, Kearney

AI has expanded what organizations can build—and, in doing so, has sharpened the question of what they should build. With $640 billion in generative AI investment forecast for 2026, organizations are racing to construct digital cathedrals. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Kearney, has examined what distinguishes true leaders in this space, as some realize returns of up to 70 percent within two years while others remain trapped in pilot purgatory. 

Drawing on insights from the Forum’s AI First initiative and conversations with senior leaders worldwide, we are delighted to invite you to a dinner discussion. This gathering will convene CFOs, CTOs, and CIOs to examine how intentional architecture—rather than unchecked expansion—will define enduring value in the AI era.

Speakers: Debra Bauler, Chief Information Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Dow; Sangita Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals; Dr. Manar Al Moneef, Chief Investment Officer, NEOM; Chris Wright, Head of Information Technology and CIO, Nestlé; Mala Anand, President and Chief Customer Experience Officer, Microsoft 

Facilitators: Michael Roemer, Global Digital and Analytics Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney; Owen Tracey, Global Communications, Media, and Technology Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney 

Quantum computing is nearing its inflection point, where decades of research are converging with commercial and geopolitical realities. The question is no longer if quantum will matter, but how quickly nations, industries, and institutions will execute on their quantum strategies. To bring clarity to a field often shrouded in mystique, we are delighted to invite you to a breakfast discussion.

During this session, we will explore the state of quantum progress and the real-world problems quantum technologies are beginning to address today. We will discuss the rapidly expanding ecosystems forming around hybrid quantum–classical computing and the policy frameworks that are shaping global competitiveness. And as encryption standards face inevitable disruption, we will examine how organizations can prepare for a post-quantum world.

Speakers: Dr. John M. Martinis, 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, Professor Emeriti University of California Santa Barbara, and Co-Founder Qolab; Dr. Paul Alivisatos, President of the University of Chicago, Professor of Chemistry, University of Chicago; Niccolò de Masi, Chairman and CEO, IonQ; Dr. Richard K. Lyons, Chancellor at the University of California Berkeley, Economist and Former Professor of Business; Peggy Johnson, CEO, Agility Robotics; Sassine Ghazi, CEO, Synopsys

Facilitators: Michael Roemer, Global Digital and Analytics Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting provides a pivotal moment to shape Asia’s leadership in the global AI and innovation landscape. As leaders convene in Davos, we are delighted to invite you to a private lunch bringing together the global CEOs and top executives of Asia-headquartered companies for the Asia Leadership Forum, on Wednesday, January 21, from 12:00–13:00 CET. 

As global industries enter a new era shaped by artificial intelligence and innovation, Asia’s leadership will be instrumental in charting the course ahead. This CEO-level luncheon will explore how the region can harness its scale, diversity, and dynamism to translate innovation into enduring strategic advantage. Participants will also gain exclusive insights from the World Economic Forum’s AI First team, offering a forward-looking perspective on the emerging trends and approaches that will shape competitiveness in 2026 and beyond. 

Speakers: To be announced

Facilitators: Shigeru Sekinada, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Kearney; Siddharth Jain, Managing Partner, India, Kearney

As life expectancy increases across the globe, the true opportunity lies not only in living longer but in living healthier for longer. Extending healthy life years could add trillions to global GDP, redefine value creation across industries, and reshape workforce dynamics. Yet realizing this “longevity dividend” requires bold cross-sector collaboration among leaders in healthcare, consumer goods, finance, technology, and government. 

During this exclusive session, we will explore how innovations in prevention, personalized health, and digital care can extend healthy lifespans at scale; discuss the emerging longevity economy; highlight new growth frontiers across sectors; and reflect on the role of business leaders in shaping an ecosystem that enables people to thrive across longer, healthier lives. 

We hope you’ll be able to join us for this meaningful exchange on the future of healthy longevity. 

Speakers: Julio Triana, President of Consumer Health Division, Member of the Board of Management, Bayer; Elin Jäger, Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Head of CEO Office, Corporate Strategy & Sustainability, Novo Nordisk; Bechara Choucair, MD Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Kaiser Permanente 

Facilitator: Paula Bellostas Muguerza, Global Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney

Closing the women’s health gap requires coordinated action across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Despite growing awareness, women continue to experience poorer outcomes due to decades of underinvestment and systemic bias. In this context, we are delighted to invite you to join us on Wednesday, January 21, from 16:00–17:30 CET at the Kearney Glass House for a dedicated session on advancing women’s health. 

This event will mark the launch of the [w]Health Healthcare and Life Sciences Index—the first cross-sector benchmark tracking progress across pharma, MedTech, consumer health, payors, providers, and investors. Speakers will share insights from this new global baseline and outline practical steps to accelerate change: embedding accountability, aligning investment, and integrating sex- and gender-specific data into innovation to make women’s health visible, measurable, and central to global health outcomes. 

Speakers: Novo Nordisk; Tisha Boatman, Chief of External Affairs – Government Affairs, Global Partnerships, and Reimbursement, Siemens Healthineers; Mary Stutts, CEO, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA); Daniella Foster, SVP & Global Head, Public Affairs, Market Access & Sustainability, Bayer Consumer Health; Julia Hoover, Senior Vice President Global Franchise Head Reproductive Medicine, Ferring Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Nigina Muntean, Chief, Innovation and Transformation Branch, UNFPA; Maria Ansari, MD FACC CEO and Executive Director, The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., President and CEO, The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., CEO, Northwest Permanente, co-CEO, The Permanente Federation

Facilitators: Paula Bellostas Muguerza, Global Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead and Senior Partner, Kearney; Carol Cruickshank, Chief Executive Officer, Americas, Kearney

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting offers a defining moment to reaffirm the Middle East’s leadership in shaping the global order. As senior leaders gather in Davos, we are pleased to invite you to this exclusive lunch for senior representatives from both the private and public sectors. 

Amid geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and reconfigured trade and investment flows, the Middle East finds itself not only adapting to global uncertainty but shaping the contours of the economic order. More than a conventional macroeconomic overview, this discussion will explore how the region can leverage this moment of global turbulence to advance transformation, elevate competitiveness, and enhance its influence. 

With ambitious diversification agendas under way, Middle Eastern economies are navigating new supply chain dynamics, evolving capital flows, and the race for innovation. The conversation examines how policy choices, investment strategies, and talent development can strike the right balance between stability and bold structural change—positioning the region for sustained growth and a more central role in the global system. 

Speakers: Walid Sheta, President, Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric; Harrison Lung, Group Chief Strategy Officer, e&; Eugene Willemsen, Chief Executive Officer, International Beverages, PepsiCo

Facilitators: Abdulaziz Thahen, Managing Partner, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kearney; Mukund Bhatnagar, Global Financial Services Lead and Partner, Kearney 

Technology sits at the center of the sustainability conundrum—driving progress while contributing to rising energy use, material intensity, and waste. As the climate crisis deepens, leaders face a defining question: Can innovation outpace its own footprint? In this context, we are delighted to invite you to join us on Thursday, January 22, from 19:00–20:30 CET at the Kearney Glass House for an evening discussion and dinner. 

In partnership with We Don’t Have Time, the world’s largest climate-action media platform, we will launch a new global report examining technology’s pivotal role in accelerating a sustainable future. Drawing on perspectives from CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and CSOs across industries, the report provides fresh insights into how leading organizations are embedding sustainability into innovation amid rising AI investment, rapid digital transformation, and growing geopolitical uncertainty. During this session, we will bring together global technology and sustainability leaders to discuss the report’s key findings and explore how organizations can translate ambition into execution through stronger collaboration, smarter investment, and shared accountability.

Speaker: Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and Executive Chair, AccuWeather; Antonia Wanner, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nestlé; Eva Riesenhuber, Global Head of Sustainability, Siemens AG; Daniele Tonella, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Management Board, Banking, ING Group

Facilitators: Nigel Andrade, Chair, Strategy, Growth, and Organization Transformation and Senior Partner, Kearney; Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and Founder, We Don't Have Time