Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2008 kicked off today with an opening keynote address by His Excellency Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Chairman, Young Arab Leaders (YAL). This was followed by the first session of the day that featured Rajat Gupta, former Managing Director of McKinsey & Company Worldwide who talked about his views of business strategies aimed at creating ‘upturns’ in times of ‘downturns.’
Now an annual highlight and always a talking point at Leaders in Dubai Business Forum, Gupta’s session was followed by the Al Rouad panel debate – moderated by Nadine Hani from Al Arabiya News Channel. Featuring Sameer Al Ansari, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Capital LLC, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Operating Officer, Etisalat, Fadi Ghandour, Founder and CEO, ARAMEX International and Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, Vice Governor, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.
Discussing issues related to the human ROI of business and leadership, Professor Dave Ulrich, ‘The Most Influential Person in People Management,’ concentrated his talk on the ‘soft’ side of business. Traditionally the share price of an organisation was purely down to profits, Ulrich’s more recent comments suggested that 50 percent of share prices is influenced by the performance of the ‘intangibles’ which include people, governance, perception of an organisation and leadership.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, The World’s Greatest Living Explorer, having overcome the most unfavourable odds time and again through perseverance and courage, discussed his opinions about ‘The Gallantry of Business – Overcoming the Odds when the Stakes are High.’ In Sir Ranulph’s world, the stakes are always high – the decisions and successful execution of his endeavours reap great reward, whether for personal achievement or financial gains for others. Failure however would mean losing his life.
Former President of The World Bank, James Wolfensohn, Chairman of Wolfensohn & Company LLC, a private investment firm and an advisor to corporations and governments talked about ‘The responsibility of Business – Society Needs Business to be Accountable,’ and how social and community development creates home grown talent and ensures sustainability, growth and continued success of organisations.
Rudolph Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City, will close the first day of Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2008, by discussing issues related to ‘Empowering International Business Leaders in Turbulent Times,’ and his opinions on the principals of leadership their subsequent effects on profitability and the economic crisis gripping the globe with a focus on security. In 2007, Mayor Giuliani ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He is also renowned for his courage in managing the September 11th 2001 attacks on New York, as well as his leadership in transforming the city from an unmanageable and ungovernable metropolis to an international symbol of urban renaissance, economic viability and cultural vitality.
The Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2008 is supported by Citi, Nokia, Amlak Finance, Etisalat, Al Mal Capital, wasl, the InterContinental Hotel and Cadillac. Media Partners include Al-Arabiya News Channel and CNN.
For more information and registration, please visit www.leadersindubai.com.
About Leaders Presents – part of IIR
‘Leaders Presents’ is a new division of IIR Middle East designed to provide the IIR delegate a new level of conference experience. Born from the success of the Annual Leaders in Dubai Business Forum, Leaders’ events stand out from the rest by providing a superior level of speaker, ensuring up-to-date topics and maintaining an all-around level of excellence throughout the execution of their events. The flagship event - Leaders in Dubai - is a meeting of over 1,500 of the regions’ most eminent business leaders from across all industries who come together with some of the most popular business, economic and political leaders from across the globe - to network, learn and debate on the future of business and to share their experiences. Leaders Presents has launched a number of other highly successful events recently including the acclaimed Management Innovation Forum, which was launched in 2007 and met with rave reviews, and the Middle East Business Achievement Awards which honors regional business leaders for their excellence and contribution to business. 2008 now sees the launch of a variety of new ‘Leaders Presents’ events - all of which promise to evoke thought and creativity, and give real value to the delegates who attend. Speakers current and past at ‘Leaders Presents’ events include Colin Powell, Jack Welch, Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Kofi Annan, Michael Porter, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Tom Peters, and Malcolm Gladwell.
