Davos 2023: “Things could be a lot worse”

After a three-year hiatus, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, came back with a vengeance, just as a fragmented world confronts a confluence of crises.

The global meeting of government, business and community leaders—the first in three years—can’t quite be described as optimistic, among the 600+ CEOs, 200 cabinet ministers, 50 heads of government and 20 central bank governors who attended the event. But after a year marked by war, inflation, energy shortages and pandemic fears, the general view of Davos 2023 was, “hey, things could be a lot worse.”

In this episode, host John Stackhouse offers his key learnings during his visit to the Swiss Alps. Alongside his special co-host Naomi Powell, Managing Editor of RBC Economics and Thought Leadership, John takes us through the memorable moments and key themes from this year’s #WEF2023 in Davos. From complications arising from the war in Ukraine, to the energy transition and the global innovation landscape, listen to John’s front-row seat perspective.

Hear from some of the world’s top leaders and thinkers, including Matthew Prince, CEO of IT security firm Cloudflare, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Svein Tore Holsether, the CEO of Yara International, a leading crop nutrition company.

John also talks about the macro and micro trends discussed at the forum, and where Canada can lead. Also, what was the general sentiment around prospects for 2023 among world leaders? Listen in and find out.

John Stackhouse shares his takeaways from Davos 2023, click here to read the piece called, “The Meh-conomy & Matterhorn-sized risks: 12 themes for a fragmented world.” John also penned daily “dispatch from Davos” editorials, which you can read on his LinkedIn page.

For more information about the World Economic Forum, click here.