With the world becoming a smaller and increasingly connected place, investors, businesses and governments must think “globally” more than ever before. That is one reason more than 2,500 leaders from business, government and society are gathering in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the 40th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
I’ve covered this event and moderated plenary sessions in recent years, and I always look forward to the opportunity to hear from and talk with leaders on critical issues, especially as the world continues to adjust to life after the recent financial crisis.
Among the topics I’m most interested in exploring are:
1. The global recovery: Where are we? And what do many of the world’s nations see for the coming year?
2. Commodities and raw materials: Are they likely to continue rising? And a related question is, how concerned should we be about possible inflation?
3. Sovereign debt risk: Many governments are running deficits after spending so much money to stimulate their economies. How much of an issue will debt be going forward?
4. China: Just this week, global markets slipped on concerns over how robust China’s growth can really be. And then we got word that China’s economy grew 10.7% in the fourth quarter. The expectations seem to shift frequently, but there’s no doubt slower growth in China would have ramifications everywhere. It will be interesting to explore what’s driving growth there and what the warnings signs of a slowdown might be.
The meeting begins Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning, I’ll be moderating the first debate of the conference. The topic will be the challenges and choices to prevent another financial crisis.
Among the people I’m scheduled to interview during the week are George Soros, Bill and Melinda Gates, Bob Diamond, Laura Tyson, former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, and many more.
It’s rare that so many people who actually have the power to shape events gather in one place to discuss topics that are important to everyone, especially investors. I will of course keep you up to date on the blog and in . I also invite you to watch our extensive coverage on CNBC.
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