Moderator
Ali Velshi

Keynote Introduction:
Jan Peter Balkenende

Participants
Lex Fenwick
Mark Angelson
John Copelyn
Robert Annibale
Stanley Bergman
Louise Blouin


Since the beginning of the credit crisis in the fall of 2008, companies both large
and small have struggled with sharp declines in revenue and decreased lending
by banks. This has led, predictably, to the rise in unemployment throughout
the United States and Europe; in particular, in the U.S. the unemployment rate
increased from 4.4% in 2008 to 9.5% in 2009. The credit crunch has also led
to a steep decrease in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) reflecting the difficulty
corporations face in raising capital in the current environment. During the first
half of 2009 the value of worldwide M&A transactions declined to $1,140 billion,
representing a 35% decline compared to the first half of 2008. This session will
address: 1) How businesses can best cope with crisis? 2) How can opportunities
and innovation be realized in a time of cost cutting and staff reductions? 3) What
do businesses need to do in order to be more resilient in the face of future
crises?