A prestigious group of nearly 60 international CEOs and thought leaders gathered under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in Marrakech, Morocco for the annual CEO Retreat of A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council, June 27-29. This was the first time the closed-door symposium, founded over 20 years ago, was held in Morocco.
The Retreat brought together a cross-section of the world’s business and policy leaders for a series of intimate, off-the-record discussions on the global economy and issues facing global leaders in the public and private sector. The theme of this year’s Retreat was “Addressing the Leadership Deficit.”
“With the focus of world leaders squarely on fixing the global economy, we are at risk of losing sight of the fundamental underlying challenge: the increasingly difficult time that all leaders have gaining the clarity and traction needed to navigate through turbulent changes,” said Paul A. Laudicina, chairman emeritus of A.T. Kearney and chairman of its Global Business Policy Council, which helps business leaders identify global growth opportunities and manage business risks. “The result is a global leadership deficit compelling us to focus on what leaders can do in pursuit of the type of strategic leadership that will galvanize the support needed to bring their strategic visions to reality.”
During the Retreat’s opening dinner the organization recognized former Mexican President Felipe Calderon with its “Global Statesman of Our Time” award. Calderon, who was Mexico’s president from 2006-2012, was honored for his extraordinary efforts to open up Mexico’s economic and political system, fight his country’s drug trade and successfully guide Mexico’s economy through an unprecedented global economic downturn.
The award is bestowed only to a very select number of eminent heads of state and CEOs who have done great things to improve the state of the global business environment.
The Global Business Policy Council, organized by A.T. Kearney, is composed of academic, corporate and government thought leaders, coming together to discuss forward thinking, critical issues that affect the worldwide business climate. Each year the Council convenes global leaders in a different important city; last year’s retreat was held in Istanbul.
About A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a global team of forward-thinking partners that delivers immediate impact and growing advantage for its clients. We are passionate problem solvers who excel in collaborating across borders to co-create and realize elegantly simple, practical, and sustainable results. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors on the most mission-critical issues to the world’s leading organizations across all major industries and service sectors. A.T. Kearney has 57 offices located in major business centers across 39 countries.
The Global Business Policy Council was established by A.T. Kearney as a strategic service specifically for the world’s top CEOs and business-minded thought leaders to come together for discussion and forward thinking on key issues such as globalization, foreign direct investment, and off-shoring. From the first CEO retreat in 1992 in Vienna, annual gatherings have been held around the world. The Council also leads ongoing research programs on critical global topics.
