Until Next Year: Notes from Davos

My head was already full when I rode up the mountain to Davos on January 20. Many events were unfolding across the world: President Trump was being inaugurated; three female hostages were released as part of the cease fire agreement just signed; and many of us were paying tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. I wondered how the mood and energy would be in the Alps this year.

From the moment my feet hit the icy pavement at the World Economic Forum, I had dynamic sessions with ambassadors, government leaders, editors, CEOs and my counterparts from other biopharmaceutical companies. I enjoyed dinner discussions hosted by TIME Magazine, Business Insider, and The New York Times with the AdCouncil. Thanks to all for the provocative conversations.

My three key takeaways:

1. Every company needs a global diplomacy plan. With so many political changes in the United States and around the world, those of us who work across the spectrum of Corporate Affairs have a great opportunity to translate and support our companies. Prepare to be busy!

2. Every professional must up their AI game. The AI founders and chief executives paint a picture of a very different future, one in which technology can not only replace, but improve our work. I learned about FOBO (Fear of Being Obsolete) and redoubled my commitment to using the new tools.

3. It’s still fun to get together. Long security lines, epic traffic and cold weather aside, it was joyful to make new friends and have reunions with folks I’ve been privileged to know for many years.  

And, finally, name dropping is a Davos contact sport. Here’s my list of just some of the amazing people I chatted with in the Alps: Anthropic Founder Dario Amodei; Anti-Defamation CEO Jonathan Greenblatt; Axios' Eleanor Hawkins; Business Insider Editor Jamie Heller; Former Secretary of State John Kerry; Editor in Chief of LinkedIn Daniel Roth; Designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg; and Ambassador Nikki Haley—to name only a few.

Until next year, uf widerluege.