10 Break-Out Sessions

  • Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

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A Demographic Revolution: Young India Takes Charge (with All India Management Association)
Speaker
Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OYO Rooms
Pranjal Sharma (Topic Leader), Economic Analyst, Advisor and Author, India

India is undergoing its economic, technological and demographic transition simultaneously. An old country is becoming youthful and adventurous with the passage of time. Young Indians like OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal are quietly taking charge of Indian ethos by becoming icons of audacious aspirations and tangible proofs of its potential, spawning startups that are becoming most valuable and famous than many legacy companies. How can young revolutionaries find ways to carry the older generation of investors, regulators, workers and consumers with them and what can other economies and founders learn from India’s momentous transition?

Collaborative Advantage Across Generations: Reflecting on the SGS Experience (ISC Alumni)
Speaker
Former Members of the International Students' Comittee
Christoph Loos (Topic Leader), Chief ­Executive ­Offi­cer, Hilti AG
Vivian Bernet (Topic Leader), Head of the Organising Committe, International Students' Comittee
Watch Here

For over 50 years teams of student have volunteered to organise the St. Gallen Symposium. They have written countless invitations, met thousands of partners, and welcomed some of the most important personalities of their time on stage. Together with former members of the ISC we will reflect on the St. Gallen Symposium experience of cross-generational dialogue and collaboration, the lessons they have learned for their lives and on how the symposium has evolved. This session is organised together with ISC Alumni.

Collective Genius? Cultivating Creativity in the Arts and Beyond
Speaker
Susan Goldsworthy, Affiliate Professor of Leadership, Communications and Organizational Change, IMD Business School
Gerry Hofstetter, Light Artist & Film Producer Hofstetter Marketing
Javiera Estrada, Artist
Tatjana Rupp (Topic Leader), Member of the International Students' Committee

As the need for innovation is growing, the routinisation of well-structured creative processes within organizations is key for concurrent value creation. Prof. Susan Goldsworthy of IMD, this year's St. Gallen Symposium artist Javiera Estrada and Light Artist Gerry Hofstetter will discuss the role of collaboration in the creative process. Together, and in conversation with the audience, they’ll explore the way collaboration can drive creativity in various organisational contexts, and, on the other hand, the role of introversion and lone contemplation in creating something new.

Connecting Business with Purpose: The Potential of Skills-Based Volunteering
Speaker
Curdin Duschletta, Head Community Impact Switzerland & Foundations, UBS
Christopher Jarvis, Executive Director, RWInstitute
Prof. Amanda Shantz (Topic Leader), MBA Director and Professor of Management, University of St.Gallen

Many employee volunteering and giving programs are presented as an employee perk, similar to casual Fridays or a team-building event. But treating workplace giving and volunteering this way fails to fully capitalise on the great potential of such programs: to foster employee personal growth, and address key societal challenges. The panel will particularly explore the potential of skills-based volunteering, its benefits, and the unique challenges that arise when moving from merely transactional volunteering to something far more transformative.

Financing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Speaker
Patrick Zhong, Founding Managing Partner, M31 Capital
Makram Azar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Full Circle Capital
Prof. Julia Binder (Topic Leader), Professor of Sustainable Innovation and Business Transformation, IMD Business School

The investment landscape over the next twenty years will be radically different from previous generations. While there appears to be greater access to capital, there also appears to be much more volatility and debt with no clear dominant financing mechanism. Entrepreneurs, VC, Private Equity, and banks will have to find new ways to work together to create growth and stimulate innovation. How can investors and entrepreneurs better collaborate and find mutually beneficial agreements that balance risk and return?

Hacking the Fashion & Luxury Watchmaking Industry towards more Sustainability (with Condé Nast College)
Speaker
Martina Bonnier, Editor-In-Chief, Vogue Scandinavia
Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO, Omega S.A
Carmen Jenny, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CLOTHESfriends AG
Johannes Reponen (Topic Leader), Director of Post-Graduate Programmes; Academic Affairs; Research & Knowledge Exchange, Condé Nast College

The fashion industry accounts for 10% of humanity’s annual carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. For long, the fashion and luxury watchmaking industry drove, together with the fashion media industry, unsustainable dynamics in the sector: generating more and more demand through an artificial cycle of new collections and seasonal trends. Businesses’ marketing, media as well as influencers thereby create a constant longing and demand for their products. How can designers, fashion houses and publishers exit this vicious cycle and, collaboratively, drive the transition towards more sustainable and ethical fashion and luxury watchmaking?

M100 Sanssouci Colloquium@St. Gallen: Media’s New Power: More Impact Through Collaborative Journalism
Speaker
Mathias Müller von Blumencron, Journalist, Member of the Board, Tagesanzeiger and Advisory Board Member M100 Sanssouci Colloquium
Joanna Krawczyk, Chairwoman, Leading European Newspaper Alliance
Paul Radu, Investigative Journalist, Co-Founder OCCRP
Astrid Frohloff (Topic Leader), TV Presenter and Journalist, Advisory Board Member M100 Sanssouci Colloquium

Media diversity, freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Europe are currently under threat. Journalists and independent media companies are increasingly joining forces across borders to respond to such challenges as well as to be able to continue to offer independent quality journalism in the future. This session will identify learnings from new media partnerships such as the Leading European Newspaper Alliance (LENA) and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to identify how media can most effectively work together.

Democratizing Access to the next Generation of Technology and Innovation: Communities and Radical Transformation
Speaker
Gina Loften, Member of the Board of Trustees, TIAA
Luzius Meisser, Chairman, Bitcoin Suisse
Tycho Onnasch, General Manager, Trust Machines
Shuo Chen (Topic Leader), General Partner, IOVC

Technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship are key drivers of the modern economy and social mobility. Given their importance, we should strive to improve accessibility to tech, education and entrepreneurship across all backgrounds. Creating open and inclusive communities, especially with tech is important to accomplishing this goal, but it is easier said that done. Simultaneously, a third iteration of the internet – Web3 – has the potential to radically transform the internet of things and reduce barriers to access. How can these forces be effectively harnessed and directed for the benefit of all people and move the world forward?

Varieties of Tech Capitalism: Europe's Approach to Innovation and Regulation in a Global Context
Speaker
Julian Teicke, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, wefox
Lisa-Marie Fassl, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Female Founders
Christoph Keese (Topic Leader), Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, hy

Over the past decades, the tech sector, especially the internet of things, has become a central component of modern economies. Trying to catch up with the exponential pace of technological development, the US, China, and Europe are crafting rules of the game on digital markets. What are the emerging characteristic differences between regulatory regimes of digital markets, in the US, Europe and beyond, and how do they balance innovation and regulation? In light of strategic competition over tech dominance between the US and China, what are the opportunities and challenges for Europe in particular?

Changed for Good? Engaging with the New World of Work
Speaker
Petra von Strombeck, Chief Executive Officer, New Work SE
Jean-Christophe Deslarzes, Chair of the Board, Adecco Group
Nat Ware, Founder & CEO Forte
Prof. Heike Bruch (Topic Leader), Director, Institute for Leadership and Human Resources Management, University of St. Gallen
Watch Here

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world of work forever. The fast and widespread adoption of remote work and an ever-increasing concern of employees with purpose and meaning on their job have intensified the war for talents. Reaching out to and concurrently engaging employees is key for businesses across sectors and regions. What learnings can be drawn from the pandemic as regards our approach to work? Has the world of work changed for the better? And what role does leadership culture and a new approach to hiring play going forward?

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Participate as a student

What makes the St. Gallen Symposium unique are the students.
Get involved as an ISC-Team Member, a Volunteer or compete in our Global Essay Competition and Global Leadership Challenge.

Volunteer & Host

Only HSG students

Global Leadership
Challenge

Academic Jury

Only HSG & ETH postgraduates and postdocs

ISC Team Member

Only HSG students

Global Essay
Competition

Host

We are looking for Hosts for the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium!
Engage yourself in the dialogue and host a Leader of Tomorrow from all over the world at your home and develop exciting new friendships!

Host

During the symposium week, (29 April – 4 May 2024), the Leaders of Tomorrow will be accommodated in various shared flats and other apartments in St. Gallen. All you need to provide is a single bed, a mattress with linens or a sleeper sofa, ideally placed in a separate room (e.g. living room). If this is not available at your home, we can provide you with a mattress. As a thank you for your generous hospitality we will reward you with a unique goodie bag. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to meet some of the brightest students and young talents from over 90 countries. Whether a good friendship, a joint business idea or even a job offer, numerous success stories evolve every year during the symposium’s week. So, what are you waiting for? If you have a free spot in your apartment, fill out the form below.

Volunteer

Nothing planned for 2 and 3 May 2024 yet?
The application process for the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium is now open!

Communications

As a communication supporter you are responsible for ensuring that the 53rd  St. Gallen Symposium is well perceived from the outside. Working in a team of passionate photo- and videographers to capture the symposium’s most memorable moments or meeting leading executives and politicians for a brief interview are only some examples of possible tasks.

Food & Beverage

In the Food & Beverage Team you are responsible for the symposium’s culinary service. You will receive a service and bartender training, which is provided by our professional gastronomy staff. At the event itself, you will have the possibility to get to know international guests whilst serving at various occasions. Furthermore, you will experience our special 53rd anniversary events.

Innovation & Technology

As part of the Innovation & Technology – Team you are responsible for the technical equipment’s proper functioning during the sessions. Meanwhile, you have the exclusive chance to attend the symposium’s sessions where today’s leading executives and politicians discuss global issues with our Leaders of Tomorrow. This task also provides you with the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of this huge conference. By the end of the symposium you will have discovered all the secret backrooms of our university.

Technical Operations

Our Technical Operations Team is responsible for turning the entire university campus into the symposium site. To enable this transformation, we need a lot of strong (wo)manpower, therefore we reward this hard work with delicious snacks and other goodies. What makes every year’s TECH-Team unique beside the discovery of all secret backrooms of our university is the great team spirit which fosters during the symposium week.

Participants’ Services

First impressions count! In this area you are part of the group that first gets in touch with the symposium’s participants. Support us as a receptionist and represent the St. Gallen Symposium at our information desks, located either in St. Gallen’s finest hotels, at Zurich Airport or at the symposium venue. You also have the possibility to become a chauffeur and drive our guests safely around St. Gallen.

Testimonials

“My roommate and I had placed two mattresses provided by the International Students’ Committee in our living room. We had two incredibly interesting, very conversational guests from two completely different parts of the world (Silvia Ellena and Karine Bravo). It was particularly impressive and enriching to look at and discuss global issues from a completely different perspective.”

EDUARD ZU PUTLITZ
Host of Silvia Ellena and Karine Bravo

“We had the pleasure of providing a sofa for Angela Lim. Angela Lim was invited to the symposium for the second time. She is a very interesting aspiring young lady, who brings Technology and Social Responsibility in perfect balance with her start-up. I still firmly believe that I have met a personality who will continue to do a lot of positive work for our society in the future.”

ANDREAS NEF
Host of Angela Lim