No one is immune in a recession. With economies across the globe in a steepening slide and proposals for radical revisions in government spending and taxation, theburden on private enterprise to get it right seems heavier than ever. Policymakers and pundits may lose their heads but business leaders can’t afford to.
What better time for CEOs to get together to share their understanding of risks and opportunities? Business leaders who attended the 10th annual CEO2CEO Summit held at the Mandarin Hotel in New York City exchanged ideas about how to navigate through this economic air pocket during a series of roundtable and panel discussions sponsored by FedEx, MWW and Rensselaer.
The stories that follow offer CEOs’ insights into issues ranging from global strategy and driving innovation to coping with tightening capital markets and the political and economic aftermath of the U.S. election.
CE asked Jack Devine, a 32-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency and founding partner and president of The Arkin Group LLC, to size up potential national security threats facing the incoming Administration. Devine, who served as both acting director and associate director of CIA’s operations outside the U.S., offered this assessment:
It is likely that Russia, China and Islamic terrorism will be the top three issues a new administration will have to deal with… Cyber warfare is a huge issue. If you look at Defense Department spending today, there is a sharp spike around cyber warfare and how to defend ourselves against nations that have the capacity to bring down our systems. Also, 95 percent of all our homeland national security is in the hands of the private sector. I think there will be an enhanced requirement not only for government to protect itself, but for the private sector to do so.
CE 
