New world risks v. opportunities top CEO agenda

(CNS): The 2019 Cayman Economic Outlook conference will be focusing on the risks and opportunities presented by the current world turmoil, officials said in a press release announcing the annual local business event that will take place later this month. The keynote speaker this year at this popular event, which has been running for fifteen years, is economist and author Noreena Hertz, who will join a line-up of international economic experts and local speakers, including the premier’s annual State of the Nation address.

Royal Fidelity Merchant Bank & Trust Limited have announced that they are taking over as the title sponsor for the conference previously backed by its business partner, Fidelity Bank. The theme for the one-day event is “Dynamic New World: Braving the Turmoil”. Michael Anderson, president of Royal Fidelity, explained that the title emerged from the era of marked challenges the world is embarking on.

“Political divisions and other tensions in the United States, triggered by the Trump administration’s preference for unilateral action, can create diplomatic isolation and lead economists to wonder what role the US will play in the world over the next several years,” he said. “Similarly, the European Union is still struggling to implement reforms to maintain its legitimacy. China, too, is grappling with domestic political challenges.”

But, he added, the new era also holds unique opportunities. Medical technologies are advancing at an alarming rate. Today’s genetic revolution is such that DNA can be edited as easily as the words on a computer. Within this revolution, there lies potential cures to diseases, preservation of endangered species and even the solution for world hunger.

The opportunities are endless but the risks are real, and the theme for the conference is designed to address the challenges and opportunities that exist in this “new world” and help to chart the way forward, he said.

Hertz, who is headlining the conference, is the best selling writer of The Silent Takeover, IOU: The Debt Threat and Eyes Wide Open. She is also the host of a radio show and a regular opinion writer for publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Other speakers include Ian Goldin, founding director and professor of Globalization and Development, University of Oxford; Andreas Ekstrom, digital revolution journalist; Jamie Metzl, biotechnology futurist; and Mark Mathews, professional surfer, Red Bull athlete and motivational speaker.

The CEO conference will be held on Thursday 28 February, at the Kimpton Seafire Resort.