Global Business Policy Council

CEO retreats

The Global Business Policy Council's retreats bring together a cross-section of the world's business and policy leaders. These deliberately small, off-the-record events foster a rich dialogue around critical issues likely to affect the business environment.

  • About 50 CEOs of Global 1000 companies and eminent thought leaders
  • Participants from approximately 20 countries
  • Annual gathering since 1992
  • Forward-looking discussion of issues and trends
  • Published meeting proceedings

A Forbes' article, "How CEOs Stay on Top of Their Game" (5 May 2008), explains the importance of the retreat and its format:

"'It's extremely important for CEOs to have a peer group they can talk to in an intimate, honest way," says Harvard Business School Professor Bill George. A retreat can be an ideal location for such candid conversations. That's what happens at the annual meeting of the Global Business Policy Council, where a group of 55 prominent executives, thinkers and policy figures convene to discuss best practices and strategy."

Recent CEO retreats and Political Hosts

China 2011 Shanghai: Global Business Policy Council CEO Retreat 20th Anniversary
Switzerland 2010 Bad Ragaz: Thomas Schmidheiny
Russia 2010 St. Petersburg: Vladimir Yakunin and Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko
Switzerland 2009 Bad Ragaz: Thomas Schmidheiny and Peter Brabeck
USA 2008 Chicago: Mayor Richard M. Daley
UAE 2007 Dubai: Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy and Planning
Malaysia 2005 Kuala Lumpur: Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minster
USA 2004 Washington D.C.: (2004 US Election Analysis)
Portugal 2004 Lisbon: José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
USA 2004 Miami: Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida
UK 2003 London: Prince Michael of Kent
Canada 2003 Vancouver: Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
Germany 2002 Berlin: 10 Year Anniversary; Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor of Germany
Brazil 2001 Rio de Janeiro: Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of Brazil
USA 2000 Phoenix: Joseph Biden, U.S. Senator
UK 1999 London: Shimon Peres, Prime Minister of Israel & Sir G. Howe, former UK Chancellor
USA 1998 Palm Beach: Vicente Fox, Governor of Guanajuato (later President of Mexico)
China 1997 Shanghai: Xu Kuangdi, Mayor of Shanghai
Italy 1997 Rome: Zlatko Matesa, Prime Minister of Croatia
USA 1996 Hawaii: Benjamin Cayetano, Governor of Hawaii
USA 1995 Washington, DC: Newt Gingrich, US Speaker of the House
Hungary 1994 Budapest: Árpád Göncz, President of Hungary
Hong Kong 1994 Hong Kong: Chris Patten, Governor of Hong Kong
Mexico 1993 Mexico City: Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President of Mexico
Austria 1992 Vienna: Franz Vranitzky, Chancellor of Austria
 
 
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