Biography of Jeffrey Garten

A former political and trade adviser and investment banker, Garten discusses the rising global competition and how companies should react and adjust, stimulating dialog about new trends with an eye toward politics. With real-world experience transcending any single discipline, he focuses on the intersection of the economy and business, policy and politics -- forces that no longer act independently, but must be considered as a whole. He will customize his presentation.

Where Is the Global Economy Headed and What Will it Mean to You?
Every organization is impacted by what’s happening in the global economy – the rise of China and India, the outsourcing of jobs at all ends of the spectrum, the prospect of pandemics, mind boggling flows of private capital in all directions, to name just a few. These phenomena are changing the world as we know it, creating both new opportunities and daunting challenges, leading to the need for more information, sounder judgment and better risk assessment with experience in politics and international investment banking. Garten understands these issues from all angles, explaining and engaging in a discussion of what they mean for you as a decision-maker, citizen, consumer, investor and corporate executive.

How will Business Leadership Change in the 21st Century ?
It is no secret that the global environment for business is fraught with new challenges: globalization, rapid changes in technology, hypercompetition not just from companies in the developed world but from new ones in emerging markets, new strategies, new models of corporate organizations, new requirements for different leadership skills, etc. Drawing on a number of his previous books, including The Mind of the CEO and The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda for Business Leaders, as well as on countless interviews over the past decade for his column in Business Week, Garten uncovers a number of critical issues that business leaders at all levels – CEO, CFO, CIO, vice presidents -- must know. He points to a new model for leadership for the next decade and beyond and explores such questions as: What will the “company of tomorrow” look like and how will it differ from what we know today? How should they be better organized to face ruthless competition from every angle, to gather the required information and make the best possible judgments about risks and opportunity, to find, hire and retain the best and the brightest? What are the traditional leadership traits that are in greater demand than ever and what new talents will be required? How should leaders prepare themselves for the challenges ahead – What will they need by way of training, education and experience?

The Company of the Future
Garten presents a picture of an American company 10 years from now and the elements that will differentiate it from a company today. He discusses how global it will be in its geographical scope and depth of product and service in foreign locations. He talks about its organizational structure, including how it will be bound up with non-American companies in alliances of all kinds. He points to new strategic imperatives as well as the leadership and workplace talents and skills that will be in greatest demand. And he describes the political and social pressures that the "company of the future" will be under, and how it will have to respond to them.

This presentation is designed to be highly interactive. Garten will identify the issues and trends from his perspective and will invite audiences to comment, add to his list of changes that he sees -- and/or disagree with him. The take away from this session is a mind-expanding experience in which the audience can assess how well their own organizations or their investments are positioned for success. They will also have a better idea of what the future holds for them professionally and personally.

Five Burning Questions
Garten raises five burning questions, tailored to the interest and backgrounds of the participants, and then orchestrates a vibrant discussion with the group.
Examples of the issues he can discuss are the following:

-How significant will China and India be in the global economy, and should we welcome or oppose some of the trends?
-How precarious is the global energy situation and what are our real choices for energy security at reasonable prices?
-What are the potential economic shocks on the horizon –political, economic, financial, social -- and can we prevent them?
- What is the best design for the highly adaptive organization of the future, given the pressures of rapidly changing trade and investment patterns, disruptive technologies, changing requirements for skills and talents in the workforce, etc?

Garten provides an overall introduction and then introduces each topic so that everyone is on the same map. The session is designed to bring the audience in from the beginning. It will encourage the sharing of knowledge among all those assembled, be they small groups or large, and it will create an awareness of the big trends in the global economy and ways to deal with them.

About Jeffrey Garten

The world is speeding rapidly toward a completely global economy. Respected thought-leader Jeffrey Garten understands how this new environment impacts business— and the skills business leaders need to thrive.

The Global Future: The economy has gone global. Asian markets are exploding, and economic opportunities abound in South America and Europe. The results are changing patterns of trade and investments, and intersections of policy and interests throughout the world — all leading to questions and uncertainty. As one of the nation’s foremost experts on globalization, Jeffrey Garten provides audiences with the skills they need to navigate the ever-shifting, borderless global economy.

Leading in the New Business Climate: Today’s business climate requires new leadership skills. While traditional styles are still beneficial, with a global economy that’s constantly in flux — and a workforce that reflects this unprecedented economic diversity -- a new leadership toolkit has become a necessity. Garten explores the challenges business leaders will face in the decade ahead: responding to emerging markets, aggressively pursuing innovation, investing in design and coping with the changing political and social environment.

From Theory to Practice: Experienced on all levels, Garten understands the theories: a professor of the Yale School of Management, he’s also served as U.S. commerce undersecretary for international trade. Moreover, he also understands how economic theory is put into practice: a former investment banker, he’s the author of The Mind of the CEO which details the innermost thoughts of 40 corporate titans while describing the strategic challenges they face. Audiences benefit from the breadth of his experience and expertise — from the ivory tower to the real-world marketplace.