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World Economic Forum

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Apr 22, 2025 • 58min

‘I’ll show you a real leader’ - Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us

Platon has made over 20 Time magazine covers with his portraits of people like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George Clooney, Silvio Berlusconi, Mohammed Ali, Adele and Sinead O'Connor. But he has also photographed people who are the opposite of famous and powerful - and recently published a book called The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights - which contains work done over 15 years around the world telling the stories of refugees and other oppressed people. He tells us what makes a true leader, and how the meaning of a photograph can change over time, and depending on who is looking at it. About this episode:  Platon is a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader Transcript:    Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role:  
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Apr 17, 2025 • 31min

Happy workplaces make profitable business (and what that means for WFH)

Are you happy at work? And if so, do you think that helps you do the job better? Jan-Emmanuel de Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School thinks so - and says he has the real-world evidence - from companies and millions of employees to prove it. He also says there is evidence that companies with a happy workforce will perform better for shareholders. And he answers the question - does that mean working from home is best, or should we all go back to the office? Links: Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives: Future of Jobs Report 2025: Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: Related podcasts: : : Check out all our podcasts on :  - - : - : - : Join the :
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Apr 16, 2025 • 35min

The 'triple strength' leaders must develop to drive a sustainable future: OMV CEO

How can we live more sustainably? OMV's Alfred Stern takes us through the big innovations the Austrian energy and chemicals company has in progress, including a geothermal heating project that will help to decarbonise Vienna by 2040. But he also shares the bigger tactical pieces that must be in place for real change, from updating mundane practices like permitting to continually educating staff (from execs to those in the field) on topics like measuring methane and ways to curb emissions. This former research scientist who got his start in academia also shares what his background taught him about the difference between inventing and innovating, how he weighs evidence and honest feedback, and the mindset that leaders will need need to build nimble teams empowered to drive change for the future.  About this episode:  OMV: About OMV's climate neutral heating districts: Transcript: Related podcasts:  How one founder's design background is helping to rethink EV charging in cities: An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why:
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Apr 14, 2025 • 17min

The ‘inevitable’ caregiving cost nightmare: One young founder's story and solution

Lily Vittayarukskul was a college student at just 14 and on track for a career in aerospace engineering. However, an aunt’s cancer battle upended those plans, wreaking havoc on her family and their finances. The experience inspired her to launch the AI-powered startup Waterlily, helping people better predict expenses for getting older, including eldercare or assisted living, costs most don’t realize aren’t fully covered by either health insurance or Medicare. In this talk, Lily wades through the mounting data showing how super-ageing societies will struggle to afford long-term care needs. She also shares the tough lessons her personal story taught her and what others can do to prepare for an aging economy. This interview was recorded January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland About this episode: Waterlily:  Related World Economic Forum Initiatives: Waterlily is an Uplink Innovator About Uplink: About the Uplink / Manulife - Prosperity in Longevity Challenge World Economic Forum Longevity Economy Initiative: Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Meet The Leader - How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist:    
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Apr 10, 2025 • 44min

Can aviation ever be sustainable? Here are some paths to net zero

Aviation is growing, but its environmental impact does not have to - if the technology and policies are available to de-carbonise the sector. We hear from a company making sustainable aviation fuel with waste CO2; the head of one of the world's busiest airports, and from the body representing airports around the world. Hosts: Robin Pomeroy, Podcasts Editor, World Economic Forum; Laia Barbarà, Head, Climate Strategy - Net Zero, World Economic Forum Guests: Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports Ayesha Choudhury, Chief Commercial Officer at Infinium Justin Erbacci, Director General of Airports Council International World Links: Airports of Tomorrow: Global Aviation Sustainability Outlook 2025:  Related podcasts:   Check out all our podcasts on :  - - : - : - : Join the :
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Apr 8, 2025 • 31min

What you might get wrong about progress - lessons for leaders: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker

In this insightful discussion, Harvard professor and cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker, known for his work on human progress, uncovers surprising truths about our advancement as a species. He highlights how life expectancy and poverty rates have improved, yet warns of cognitive biases that distort our perceptions of progress. Pinker emphasizes the interplay between freedom and happiness, urging leaders to rely more on data than intuition. He advocates for a balanced understanding of history to navigate today’s global challenges and foster human well-being.
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Apr 3, 2025 • 39min

Beyond the hype, how industries are deploying AI at the heart of their operations

There was the hype, then the testing, now companies are deploying artificial intelligence at the heart of their operations. We ask one of the world's most prominent AI scientists for his advice for companies, and hear how Siemens is creating the 'brains' to run the factories of the future. Guests: Andrew Ng, managing general partner of AI FUNDS and founder of DeepLearning.AI Cedrik Neike, CEO Digital Industries, Siemens Cathy Li, Head, AI, Data and Metaverse, World Economic Forum Kiva Allgood, Head, Centre for Advanced Manufacturing & Supply Chains, World Economic Forum Links: AI in Action: Beyond Experimentation to Transform Industry: Frontier Technologies in Industrial Operations: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence Agents: Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains: Related podcasts: Check out all our podcasts on :  - - : - : - : Join the :
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Mar 31, 2025 • 28min

Ballet changed Misty Copeland’s life. How it could shape a new generation of leaders

How can we recognize potential and unlock it? Misty Copeland was the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. But as a child she almost quit after her first class – until an early teacher convinced her to return. Misty talks to Meet The Leader about the ways dance changed how she navigated life and how it taught her key skills such as resilience, empathy and curiosity. She shares how she uses her perspective and experience to found the Misty Copeland Foundation and develop a free afterschool program that reinvents how dance is taught to bridge diversity gaps while also teaching key leadership skills. She shares why these skills and approaches are vital to driving future change and what any leader can learn about elevating others.  This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. To learn more:  Misty Copeland Foundation: Special Open Forum Screening: Flower: Dancing Through Adversity: How can art drive equality for women? Two cultural trailblazers weigh in: About this episode:  Transcript: Related Podcasts:  Radio Davos: Dance or die: the ballet dancer who faced down Al Qaeda to become the voice of stateless refugees:
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Mar 27, 2025 • 30min

Happy Birthday Radio Davos! What we learned from 5 years of Forum podcasts

Space - how advances up there can help life down here:  Don't Look Up: In the age of the 'manosphere', what's the future for feminism? With Jude Kelly of the WOW Festival: The promises and perils of AI - Stuart Russell on Radio Davos: AI vs Art: Will AI rip the soul out of music, movies and art, or help express our humanity?: Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub    
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Mar 26, 2025 • 32min

Understanding spatial computing -- and how leaders can prep for the next tech shift

Spatial computing will extend computing beyond screens. In the process it could change how we communicate and interact with technology as a whole -- transforming how we work, how we learn, how we preserve memories, and even what can be owned (with issues like virtual air rights highlighting new business opportunities and regulatory challenges). Future Dynamics founder and spatial computing expert Cathy Hackl will share what to expect and what's needed to scale this field further (or what could hold it back). She'll also explain how companies and leaders should be preparing and reveal the advice she gives CEOs to help them get ready for this tech shift and the workforce that will come with it, Gen Alpha. About this episode:  Related podcast: Radio Davos: Spatial computing: why the future of the internet is 3D

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