Viewpoint

What's Next in the Global Marketplace

Fall 2009

• Conclusions from Clinton Global Initiative 2009

  by Aman Battish, senior associate, Washington, D.C.
  Its fifth annual meeting was a watershed for the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which brings together world leaders from business and civil society to address pressing world issues. Set against a backdrop of global recession, CGI had its strongest meeting yet, proving wrong the skeptics who thought the economy, a new administration and poor corporate finances would curtail the willingness of leaders to spend time addressing issues like global poverty. Read More »

• Rebuilding Public Trust in Business

  by Roger Bolton, senior counselor, New York
  Public trust in business, never very high even in the best of times, has plunged to record lows in the wake of the global financial crisis. For many CEOs this is a matter of grave concern; they realize that when trust is low, the public is more inclined to seek protection from government regulators. They also know that a lack of trust hurts their brands and corporate reputations, with tangible consequences for their businesses. Read More »

• Reform or Stagnation? Germany After the General Elections

  by Martin Ledwon, associate director, Berlin
  On Sept. 27, 2009, Germans elected the 17th Bundestag (German National Parliament) since World War II. The elections shifted the political architecture of the country. The previous government coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel was ended. Read More »

• Five Steps to a Successful Social Media Campaign

  by Christian Olsen, vice president, Washington, D.C.
  Integrating social media technologies into existing efforts can be an intimidating prospect for most companies. It may seem difficult and even dangerous for a company’s corporate reputation and risky for its privacy and messaging control. However, the online world is already involved in how businesses are perceived with or without their engagement, so it’s important for them to join the discussion to ensure their voices are heard. Read More »

• Good Work is Not Enough

  by Kirk Stewart, executive vice president, New York
  It’s been said people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Nothing could be truer in the professional services business. Poor service can overshadow great work and destroy a relationship faster than you can say, “Would you like fries with that?” Read More »

• Insights from the World Economic Forum Summer Davos in China: Relaunching Global Growth

  by Anna Tunkel, special assistant to the president, Washington, D.C.
  Last month, the World Economic Forum held its third annual Summer Davos summit in Dalian, China. Titled the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009, some 1,400 participants – from business, government, the media and the NGO community – spent three busy days discussing how the world could generate a new wave of sustainable economic growth. Read More »

• Business and Government Updates from Around the World

  by Edward Walsh, managing director, London, executive director, EMEA
  Richard Bullard, director of public affairs, Brussels
  Kenneth Jarrett, vice chairman, Greater China
  Jeff Zelkowitz, senior vice president, New York
  London – With nine months, at most, to go before the next UK general election, the political dynamic has been dramatically altered by the economic context and the public spending constraints that the next government will face...
  Brussels – Three major pieces of the jigsaw are now in place in this protracted year of change in the European Union ...
  Shanghai – President Obama’s September 11 decision to impose tariffs on Chinese tire exports to the United States has raised concern about prospects of a trade war between the United States and China...
  New York – Mergers and acquisitions are back, as companies shift from crisis-mode to growth... Read More »