Upcoming Events

Christophe and Karen will be joining us to share their insights into the economic and geopolitical landscape in the US and Europe, including the latest developments on Trump 2.0, tariffs, AI, and private capital.

Sir John is Executive Chairman of Newbridge Advisory, which he founded in 2019 to advise corporate leaders on geopolitics and political risk. He is also a non-executive director of BP. Sir John has 36 years’ experience in diplomacy and intelligence, culminating in five years as Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 2009 to 2014. Prior to leading MI6 he was the UK’s Ambassador to the United Nations (2007-2009), Political Director of the Foreign Office (2003-2007), Special Representative in Iraq (2003), Ambassador to Cairo (2001-2003) and Foreign Policy Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair (1999-2001). In his earlier career he worked overseas in Yemen, Syria, South Africa and Washington, and at home was involved in policy on the EU, Russia and the Middle East.

Thorold is the former Editor for Europe, Middle East and Africa at the Wall Street Journal. He was also the Journal’s masthead editor overseeing all global events and live journalism, including the CEO Council franchise. His live interviews have included Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Christine Lagarde, Rishi Sunak, David Attenborough, Satya Nadella, Ana Botin, Ryan Reynolds, Antony Blinken, Olaf Sholz. Before joining the Wall Street Journal in 2008, to recreate the paper’s Heard on the Street Column, he was U.S. Lex Editor for the Financial Times in New York. Thorold started his career as a strategy consultant at Bain & Co and has a degree in Modern Languages from Trinity College Cambridge.

Is Britain a minor player, marginalised by our departure from the EU and dwarfed by the rise of new economies? Or is there a major role for us to play in a rapidly changing international order? With rising global tensions and superpower competition, the UK’s role matters. Jeremy Hunt, reflecting on his diplomatic career, explores whether Britain should retreat or champion freedom and democracy in an uncertain future.

In collaboration with How To Academy.

Doug is Director of the Natural History Museum and Chair of the Alan Turing Institute. He also serves as the Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), appointed on 21st January 2025. Previously, Doug was Country Manager of Amazon UK and President of Amazon China. Earlier roles include the Civil Service, Partner at McKinsey and Company, Director at Asda-Walmart, Founder and CEO of internet start-up Blueheath, Chair of the British Heart Foundation and Chair of the Science Museum Group. He has degrees in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Computing from the University of Edinburgh, and previously taught mathematics and computing at the University of Aarhus in Denmark.

Join us for a private curator led tour of the V&A’s new exhibition, Cartier. A major exhibition featuring more than 350 objects, including precious jewels, historic gemstones, iconic watches and clocks, that chart the evolution of Cartier’s legacy of art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20th century.

Please note the timing of this event: 9-10am.

Join Parmy Olson, Bloomberg Opinion columnist and winner of the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2024, as she explores the evolving landscape of AI, social media, and Big Tech regulation. From the power struggles shaping the future of AI to the growing calls for accountability, Parmy will offer sharp insights into what’s next in the digital age.

Melinda joins us to offer guidance on how to make the most of the time between an ending and a new beginning and how to move forward into the next day when the ground beneath you is shifting. Melinda will reflect on some of the most significant transitions in her own life, including becoming a parent, the death of a dear friend, and her departure from the Gates Foundation. Her stories illuminate universal lessons about loosening the bonds of perfectionism, helping friends navigate times of crisis, embracing uncertainty, and more.

In collaboration with How To Academy.

Mark is CEO of WPP and has held multiple leadership positions at WPP since joining in 1989. As CEO of WPP Digital he was responsible for WPP’s first moves into technology. In 2015, he became Global CEO of Wunderman, which he transformed into one of the world’s leading agencies. Mark received a Fellowship in 2021 for outstanding services to the industry in the IPA’s New Year’s Honours. In 2023 he joined Involve’s Hall of Fame following multiple listings as an Empower Advocate (including #1) which recognises leaders who create diverse and inclusive business environments, alongside his five consecutive years as a Heroes champion of women in business. Mark was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s New Year Honours 2024 list, for services to the creative industries. Mark is a Trustee of the Natural History Museum. He has an economics degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, was a Henry Fellow at Harvard University, and has an MBA from INSEAD.

Please join us – with partners/spouses – for summer drinks and a private viewing of the Saatchi Yates Gallery’s upcoming show, London Rules The World. The show features artist commissions from the gallery programme as well as secondary consignments drawing from the rich history, diversity and cultural scene of London, that has brought together remarkable modern and contemporary artists.

Capitalism didn’t fail, it was ruined… Ruchir says progressives are right, in part, to mock it as “socialism for the rich.” For a century, governments have ballooned in size —spending more, regulating more, bailing out more. The result? A distorted system propping up monopolies, zombie firms, and billionaires. Capitalism is no longer fair or efficient. Join us as Ruchir unpacks how the system broke — and why building a bigger state will only make it worse.

We are delighted to welcome Mishal Husain, Editor-at-Large for Bloomberg Weekend, who will be speaking about her critically acclaimed book, Broken Threads: A Family From Empire to Independence.

For decades, work has been debated and discussed as a narrow economic category. Instead, Hilary identifies work as a cultural force and one at the heart of good lives, strong communities and nations that have a sense of a shared destiny. Crucially, in these dramatic times, she will show how we can shape this force to meet technological change, our ecological crisis, and the challenges of the world’s deep injustices.

In collaboration with How To Academy.

The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Alastair King DL, will welcome us to the splendour of Mansion House for our first breakfast of the autumn season where he will be discussing opportunities for the UK, and recounting his findings from his travels around the world promoting London as the Lord Mayor.

Frey argues that every leap in innovation – whether the internet, mRNA vaccines, or AI – requires a fragile balance: decentralised exploration to make discoveries, and centralised institutions to scale them. Get that balance wrong and progress stalls.

In a bold re-examination of the past, present, and future of humanity, James challenges conventional thinking and offers a vision of hope and optimism – a necessary antidote to the fear and despair that define our times. He describes a Stellar world where today’s pressing issues simply dissolve, where humanity can thrive, free from fear, scarcity, and despair.