Economist Impact events

Fireside chat. The 30-year fallacy: is fusion’s future closer than you think? For decades, fusion energy has been described as “30 years away”, leading to scepticism about its viability. Is this perception still accurate? Long touted as a source of clean, limitless energy, fusion could become a massive market opportunity. Join Bob Mumgaard, chief executive, Commonwealth Fusion Systems as he discuss how commercial fusion power plants might be within reach, could spread widely and poses major implications for who gets there first. The winner may reshape global energy markets and geopolitical alliances. Or, it could be…30 years away. Register >> http://econimpact.co/Qo #FusionEnergy #Innovation #EnergyFuture #EconFusionFest #CleanEnergy

Kicking off at the Business Innovation Summit: Grace Anderson, global vice-president of gen AI & digital adoption at Sodexo, joins Shreya Ruikar, head of AI strategy – HR at DHL Group; Abraham Georgakarakos, vice-president of digital, e-commerce, and AI at Virgin Media O2; Marco Rossetti, PhD, head of big data and AI at Vodafone Italia; and David Aiub, senior director of technology at CI&T. Together, they are discussing how agentic AI can unlock corporate data—bridging gaps, enhancing decision-making, and transforming business operations. Can this technology be responsibly scaled to deliver real value? Don’t miss out on their insights! #EconBIS

The Business Innovation Summit is live! Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach Ph.D, head of disruptive research and technology at Airbus, joins Ruth Miller, principal consultant at Lenovo; Tahmid Quddus Islam, vice-president of innovation and technology at Citi; Giorgia Molajoni, chief technology officer at Plenitude and Dexter Thillien, lead analyst for technology and telecoms at the Economist Intelligence: EIU. Together, they are exploring the potential of edge AI, “Industry 5.0”, automation, and digital twins to transform industries—from real-time decision-making in manufacturing to operational efficiency in healthcare. Don’t miss this panel discussion! #EconBIS

Loretta Franks, chief data & analytics officer at Kellanova, joins Nadine Thomson, former president of product operations, Choreograph at WPP; Marcin Detyniecki, Group chief data scientist & head of AI research and thought leadership at AXA and Jon Lexa, president of Sana. Together, they are discussing how business leaders can move beyond AI hype to deliver measurable impact—exploring competitive advantages and evolving leadership strategies amid rapid technological change. Gain valuable insights from this panel discussion! #EconBIS

The Business Innovation Summit is live! Today, industry leaders and innovators are coming together to explore how businesses can thrive amid disruption and leverage innovation to build resilient strategies. From measuring AI’s financial and operational impact to exploring how success of AI investments be defined, we’ll soon hear from experts like Aneesh Raman from LinkedIn, Jessica Hall from Just Eat Takeaway.com, Costi Perricos from Deloitte and Ikhlaq Sidhu from IE University, among others. Stay tuned for updates, insights, and highlights from the sessions throughout the day! #EconBIS Angela Byrne, Loretta Franks,Taner Akcok, Dan Winn, Marcin Detyniecki, Danielle D'Lima, Bastien Parizot, Arul Daniel, Betsabeh Madani-Hermann, Niresh R., Amitabh Apte, Shreya Ruikar, Jon Steinberg, Giovanni Di Filippo, Nadine Thomson, Greg Smith, Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach Ph.D, Stacey Winters, Giorgia M., Abraham Georgakarakos, Claire Davenport, Hebe Middlemiss, Peter Jackson, Usha Mishra Hayes, James Waters, Jon Lexa, Fabrizio Antonelli, Pinar Ozcan, Tikiri Wanduragala, Isabell Welpe, Ahmed Khedr, Martin Hvidt Thelle

Final call to register for the General Counsel Insight Hour Series 2025. Join industry experts from HSBC, easyJet and Thomson Reuters as they share practical insights on optimising legal spend, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making. Date: Thursday, March 27th 2025 Time: 3pm GMT Registration closes soon—secure your place today: http://econimpact.co/Q7

At the "AI for CFOs" event, a panel on future-proofing AI in finance has just wrapped up. Speakers included Renaud Heyd, chief financial officer at SAP; Winny Li, group treasurer at PPD; Huiming Chen, FCMA, CGMA, chief financial officer - Europe at Illumina and Emre YILDIZ, treasury and credit risk director at Eti. Discussions focused on strategies to minimise risks and maximise returns through AI adoption. Upcoming sessions will delve deeper into operational excellence and regulatory considerations. It’s not too late to join us tomorrow at the Business Innovation Summit—sign up now: http://econimpact.co/Q4

Here Comes the Sun: Inside Britain’s Fusion Ambitions Britain aims to be a global leader in fusion energy, with a record of scientific breakthroughs, investment and innovation. It is spending over £400m in the sector, from supporting the Joint European Turus reactor in Oxford to developing a prototype fusion plant called STEP in West Burton, Yorkshire. And British companies are pioneering high-temperature superconducting magnets. But is the country doing enough to stay ahead in the global race? What challenges remain in funding, regulation and technology—and how can Britain ensure its efforts lead to scientific and commercial success? Prof Ian Chapman, Chief Executive, UK Atomic Energy Authority provides valuable insights into these critical issues. Learn more: http://econimpact.co/Q5 #FusionEnergy #Innovation #EnergyFuture #EconFusionFest #CleanEnergy #UKAEA Helen Ponsford

The AI for CFOs event is underway! Federico Cohen Freue, senior vice-president, AI and data operations at Mastercard, is sharing insights on how generative AI is transforming the finance function—from fraud prevention to internal workflow improvements. The session will be moderated by Dexter Thillien, lead analyst, technology and telecoms at Economist Intelligence: EIU. Mastercard has been at the forefront of using AI to secure payments and enhance operational efficiency. Federico’s fireside chat dives into practical strategies and the lessons learned from Mastercard’s AI journey. Be part of the conversation tomorrow at the Business Innovation Summit—secure your spot here: http://econimpact.co/Q4

The "AI for CFOs" summit is live now! Ian C., enterprise digital strategy leader at JLR; Eléonore Crespo co-chief executive at Pigment; Riccardo Calliano, vice-president finance, GenAI commercial investment at GSK; Christopher Bishop, chief reinvention officer at improvising careers are participating in a panel discussion on the transformative impact of generative AI in finance. Topics include enhancing customer satisfaction through personalisation and emerging business models driven by AI adoption. Explore how generative AI is reshaping the financial landscape in upcoming sessions. Don’t miss out—join us tomorrow at the Business Innovation Summit! Register now: http://econimpact.co/Q4