In the opening keynote address at INSEAD’s Leadership Summit 2007, Greg Case, the CEO of Aon Corporation, said Europe is at the core of his company’s activities. “Well over half of what we do is outside the US and the most dominant piece of that by far is in Europe.” He adds he only sees ‘incredible relevance’ which is increasing. Read more..

There has been so much ‘hype’ about the rise of the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – as the new economic powerhouses of this century, that one begins to wonder about the relevance of Europe as an economic power.

“Is the European economy as relevant as it once was?” asks Alice Rivlin. “Yes, absolutely, the citizens of Europe are better off now in an economically integrated Europe than when each country was going it alone. In the US, for example -- where the economy has been integrated for 200 years -- the economy of the state of Michigan is in dire shape, but no one in Michigan believes that they would be better off if Michigan were not part of the Union.” Read more..

Demand for energy around the world is increasing, particularly with the rapid economic growth in China and India, and the issue of ‘energy security’ is becoming increasingly important. But, on the other side of the coin, climate change and global warming have also become political and economic issues. And while the future of nuclear power is still uncertain, it seems we shouldn’t be counting on alternative energy sources to take up the slack from carbon-based fuels just yet. Read more..

How can sustainability issues become part of everyday business decisions and should business leaders, especially from family-controlled firms, be looking to take a longer-term view rather than get caught up in the ‘obsession’ with quarterly results? These were among the issues discussed in this lively panel session. Read more..

Europe is often perceived as a less attractive place to conduct business compared to the US or Asia. At the Leadership Summit, two non-European business leaders -- one an American and the other an Asian -- discussed the relative attractiveness of the European economy in the coming 10-20 years. Read more..

With European growth lagging behind that of Asia, the issue of how Europe can kick-start its economy came under the spotlight at the Leadership Summit.

“Europe is not over,” argues Ernest-Antoine Seillière, President of BUSINESSEUROPE. “People think it’s over because other parts of the world are doing well – such as Asia, for example. But Europe remains relevant.”Read more..