Perspectives
Deloitte at Davos 2017
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting (held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and typically referred to as Davos) presents a yearly opportunity to gauge the world’s perspectives on pressing economic and social issues. Global leaders participate in a variety of panel discussions and private events, addressing topics at the forefront of the world agenda.
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From 17-20 January, 2017, a senior Deloitte delegation connected with global stakeholders, including government leaders and clients from across industries, to address the theme of Responsive and Responsible Leadership. Deloitte specifically focused on leadership as it relates to the Future of Work, the Future of Mobility, Smart City opportunities, and the role that business can play in navigating these new frontiers.
The Deloitte delegation at Davos included:
- Punit Renjen, CEO, Deloitte Global
- David Cruickshank, Chairman, Deloitte Global
- Cathy Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte US
- Prof. Dr. Martin Plendl, CEO, Deloitte Germany
- David Sproul, CEO, Deloitte UK
- John Hagel, Co-Chairman, Center for the Edge, Deloitte US and Co-Chair of the Global Future Council on The Future of Platforms and Systems
Led by Scott Corwin, Managing Director, Future of Mobility Leader, Deloitte US
The automotive and personal mobility landscape is undergoing a rapid, comprehensive upheaval. A series of converging forces are transforming everything that we've imagined transportation to be. New advances in batteries and materials are providing improved energy efficiencies and passenger safety. Connected cars are turning driving into a networked experience, and autonomous vehicles could ultimately free us from having to drive at all. Younger consumers are embracing new ideas around pay-per-use mobility and a free-wheeling mix of public and private travel. This emerging ecosystem aims to make mobility faster, cleaner, safer, and more efficient than ever before—with implications for leaders in energy, insurance, health care, public policy, manufacturing, technology, and beyond. Learn more about the Future of Mobility.
Led by Brett Walsh, Global Human Capital Leader, Deloitte UK
The nature of work and the workforce is changing rapidly, driven by the acceleration of connectivity and cognitive technologies. Almost every job is being reinvented as the workplace evolves to a flexible workforce augmented by software, robots, crowds, and artificial intelligence. Deloitte has been at the forefront of chronicling this trend and working with employers to navigate the future of work. Deloitte is helping organizations understand this new, augmented workforce and the changes they must implement, from the way they design jobs and organize work to how they think about workforce and skills planning.
Led by Cathy Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte US
Our clients are facing unprecedented disruption, and more than ever, industry lines are blurring and converging. Smart City is a great example of that convergence. Sensors and connected technologies are helping to transform public services across transportation, sanitation, energy, and broad constituent engagement. Smart City strategies and tools developed by Deloitte help us deliver the future to our clients, offering them thought leadership and solutions that integrate insights from multiple sectors.
This year at Davos, Deloitte and AT&T co-sponsored the "Smart Cities | Smart Nations" panel discussion as part of their alliance to build Smart Cities. Cathy Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte US, and Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T, explored how organizations can create scalable and sustainable models to help cities realize the benefits of Smart City opportunities. They were joined by Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research Science & Innovation and Richard Quest, CNN International Business Correspondent. Learn more about Smart City strategies.
World Economic Forum projects
Deloitte has been selected to serve as an official advisor to four Forum projects this year. Deloitte project advisors in attendance at Davos participated in high-level discussions and shared thought leadership pieces on current global issues for their respective initiatives, which included:
- Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services; Project advisor: Bob Contri
- Food Security and Agriculture; Project advisor: Shay Eliaz
- Redesigning Development Finance; Project advisor: John Mennel
- Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI); Project advisor: Penelope Lepeudry
On the Davos agenda
Ending Corruption: The Recovery of Trust
Hosted by the World Economic Forum; this session featured Deloitte Global Chairman David Cruickshank;
Corruption creates distrust of leaders and public institutions, yet 40 percent of chief executives do not consider it a top priority. How can leaders fight corruption more decisively and effectively? This session was moderated by Rana Foroohar, Global Business Columnist and Associate Editor, Financial Times, USA
Panelists included:
- David Cruickshank, Global Chairman, Deloitte, United Kingdom
- Michel Sapin, Minister of Economy and Finance of France
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Paytm, India
- Guy Standing, Research Professor in Development Studies, University of London, United Kingdom
- Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director, Transparency International, Germany
Live from Davos 2017
This year, Deloitte participated in and hosted a series of events, ranging from real-time live-streamed conversations to private meetings. Select events were open to a global audience online, enabling a real-time experience and connecting a widespread set of stakeholders. Thousands of Internet users from across the globe joined the conversation using #DeloitteFutureNow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
#DeloitteFutureNow live-stream social media conversations
Throughout the week, Deloitte discussed topics that are fundamentally transforming how individuals act and the way businesses operate now and in the future. We invited our online audience, through Twitter and Facebook, to share their thoughts, comments, and questions in real-time during our discussions in the Deloitte green room on-site at Davos.
The Future of Work: The augmented workforce
Driven by the acceleration of connectivity and cognitive technology, the nature of work and the workforce is changing. Almost every job is being reinvented, and organizations must approach external talent, robotics, cognitive tools, and AI systems as the “new, augmented workforce.” As this trend gathers momentum, it is necessitating sweeping changes to the way companies design jobs, organize work, and think about workforce and skills planning.
“The Future of Work” panel discussed how automation, cognitive computing, and crowds are paradigm-shifting forces that will reshape the workforce now and in the near future.
Brett Walsh, Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Leader, and Matthew Bishop, Senior Editor for The Economist Group, explored the role of people and technology in shaping the workplace of the future.
If you missed the discussion, view it and other thought leadership on the Future of Work homepage.
The Future of Mobility: A new ecosystem of mobility
Breakthroughs in self-driving cars are only the beginning: The entire way we travel from point A to point B is changing. This transformation is creating a new ecosystem of personal mobility, with implications affecting more than just the automotive industry.
“The Future of Mobility” panel discussed how industries from insurance and health care to energy and media can create value in this emerging environment.
Scott Corwin, Managing Director, Future of Mobility Leader, Deloitte US, Michael Ableson, Chief Strategy Officer, General Motors, Sandy Pentland, Professor, MIT Media Labs, and Alan Murray, Editor-in-Chief of Fortune, explored the implications of tomorrow’s mobility ecosystem and how to succeed in it.
If you missed the discussion, view it and other thought leadership on the Future of Mobility homepage.
Leadership perspectives from Davos
In the days leading up to and during Davos, Deloitte delegates and thought leaders will share their insights on Forum topics. Read the latest blog posts from Deloitte leaders at Davos:
- 2 February, 2017: Deloitte Global Financial Services Industry Leader Robert Contri provides a brief introduction to RegTech in "Types of RegTech Innovation."
- 25 January, 2017: Deloitte Global Financial Services Industry Leader Robert Contri examines distributed ledger technology in “APIs signal mainstream adoption of financial services blockchains."
- 19 January, 2017: Deloitte Talent Leader Elisabeth Denison offers her perspective on the role of digital talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship in “Driving prosperity in the digital era."
- 18 January, 2017: Deloitte Global Chief Ethics Officer Chip Cottrell and Deloitte Partner, Forensic, Deloitte in Switzerland Penelope Lepeudry address the urgent need to advance the anti-corruption agenda globally in “Integrity is everyone’s business: Lessons from PACI in Mexico.”
- 18 January, 2017: Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen blogs about the role of business in addressing societal inequities in “Business leaders: This is our wake-up call.”
- 17 January, 2017: Deloitte Global Financial Services Industry Leader Robert Contri offers considerations for financial services leaders in "How to get started with digital identity."
- 16 January, 2017: Gary Coleman, lead partner in Deloitte’s strategic relationship with the World Economic Forum, discusses how people and their interests will shape the fourth industrial revolution.
- 13 January, 2017: Monitor Deloitte Principal Shay Eliaz explores global food systems and offers his perspective in “What will we be eating in 2030? And where will it come from?"
- 10 January, 2017: Deloitte Global Financial Services Industry Leader Robert Contri outlines three potential scenarios for the future in “What will digital identity look like in financial services?”
- 4 January, 2017: Deloitte Global Chairman David Cruickshank writes about what business can and should do to reverse the effects of “Corruption and the erosion of trust.”
2030 Purpose: Good business and a better future
Businesses can make a significant impact towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The good news? This isn't just good for humanity, it's good for business. Deloitte’s new 2030 Purpose report offers a fresh perspective on the connection between sustainable development and enduring commercial success. Download the 2030 Purpose report.