Big Impact: Small Businesses and Global Pandemic Recovery

Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media

Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policy makers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world's leading political risk research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is an independent voice on critical issues around the globe, offering clearheaded insights through speeches, written commentary, and even satirical puppets (really!). Ian is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, a weekly show airing on US public television.

Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Prior to being the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia between 2016 and 2019. He was Minister of Transport between 2012 and 2016. Dr Workneh has had a long career in the Civil Service in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia where he served in the Administration and the Security.

Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, IMF

Kristalina Georgieva has been serving as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund since October 1, 2019. On April 12, 2024, the IMF’s Executive Board selected Ms. Georgieva to serve for a second five-year term starting on October 1, 2024.

Before joining the IMF, Ms. Georgieva was CEO of the World Bank from January 2017 to September 2019, during which time she also served as Interim President of the World Bank Group for three months.

Talal Al Kaiss, Acting Group Chief Global Affairs Officer, G42

Talal Al Kaissi is an accomplished leader whose career spans across pivotal roles across the intersection of technology, space, business, and government. As the Executive Vice President & Chief Partnerships and Government Affairs Officer at Core42, as well as, Acting Group Chief Global Affairs Officer of G42, Talal has helped shape significant deals, including a transformative partnership with Microsoft. His strategic vision and leadership in these roles have been central to the organizations’ success in the global market.

At Core42 Talal oversees strategy, partnerships, investments, international expansion, government affairs, and the marketing & communications function. Talal also plays a leading role in G42’s global affairs function ensuring adequate representation and support for advancing relations with the UAE and foreign governments to help shape the companies’ commitments towards responsible AI deployment.

Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations

Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Petr Pavel, Czech Republic President

Mr Pavel has many years of military experience spanning from 1983 to 2018, ascending from a Special Purpose Airborne Reconnaissance Platoon Leader to the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. Notably, he chaired the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, further solidifying his expertise and leadership within the international defence community. Throughout his career, he led various positions, such as the Commander of Special Forces Brigade or the Deputy Military Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU.

Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Executive Office of the Secretary-General

Guy Ryder has some thirty years of experience in the world of work, most of it at the international level. During that time he has occupied positions of leadership at the global level and been called upon to manage complex processes of change and situations of considerable political sensitivity in all regions of the world.

He has served the ILO in senior positions and occupied posts of key political responsibility in its constituent structures. In these different capacities he has demonstrated real and consistent commitment to the Organization’s values and objectives and been active as a practitioner of tripartism.

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft

As Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith is responsible for spearheading the company’s work and representing it publicly on a wide variety of critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy, environmental sustainability, human rights, digital safety, immigration, philanthropy, and products and business for non-profit customers. He leads a team of roughly 2,000 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals located in 54 countries and operating in more than 120 nations.

Anne Witkowsky, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations

Anne A. Witkowsky was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. In that capacity she had policy responsibility for humanitarian assistance and disaster response; DoD support to the security of U.S. embassies; peacekeeping and stability operations; and international humanitarian law, rule of law and protection of human rights.

Folly Bah Thibault (moderator), journalist and principal presenter for Al Jazeera English

Folly Bah Thibault is a journalist, Principal Presenter for Al Jazeera English, based in Doha, Qatar. She has covered some of the world's biggest news stories and interviewed top leaders and newsmakers, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Bill Gates and Nobel laureates Malala Yusufzai, Wole Soyinka and Dmitry Muratov.

Folly is also a Global Champion for Education Cannot Wait, the UN’s Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises. She founded the NGO ‘Elle ira à l’école’ Fondation Kesso Bah- which promotes the education of young girls in Guinea and the West Africa Region.