Scots should be aware the future of the country will be decided by Larry Fink and his World Economic Forum: sighs of relief- no more voting -no more politicians-no more Holyrood the WEF will decide who is and who is not- well done Starmer

It’s a new era for the World Economic Forum, and I feel that it neatly bridges past and future.

Today, the Forum’s board of trustees announced that André Hoffmann and Larry Fink take over as interim Chairs of the organization, following the departure of Klaus Schwab.

With that decision, the Forum is turning a page, and entering a new era, in which building bridges on the global stage is obviously harder, but as needed as ever.

I’m excited about their chairmanship, and I think those who wish the Forum well should be too. Why?

Andre and Larry bridge the past and the future of both the organization and the world economy.

First, they are both long time trustees and stewards of the Forum Spirit and its vision. There’s a clear choice for continuity in their appointment.

Before ESG became political plutonium, Fink endorsed it and included it in his leadership agenda. It’s something he talked to me about for “Stakeholder Capitalism”. If he later changed tack, it was arguably for good reason: shareholder democracy and stakeholder capitalism require business leaders to listen to their stakeholders.

As for Andre, his holistic approach to capitalism, including social, environmental, human, and financial capital, is a blue print of how capitalism could and should evolve going forward (I’m so convinced to have co-authored a book on the subject with him).

They also bridge the US and Europe, and their differing approaches to capitalism and democracy.

Andre is a true Swiss, and that’s what the Forum’s HQ needs. The Forum was always global in its reach, and inspired by the American way from the get go, but it is and remains Swiss and European in its DNA. For the organization to thrive in a changing world order, it needs a Swiss steward at the top.

Yet similarly, the organization cannot retreat to the old continent. The US economy is more vibrant and dynamic, and its political power is at a 21st century high. As such, you need an American at the helm, and few American business leaders are as influential as Fink.

There is much left to say still about the past and ongoing changes at the Forum. I am among many who have questions still. But for now, I couldn’t think of better news than this. Best of luck to them and to Børge Brende and the entire Forum leadership and team.

https://lnkd.in/e3xXiNkY

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peter-vanham-9602ba6_statement-from-interim-co-chairs-of-the-world-activity-7362188105304473601-pHFY/