Conference programme

For those who arrive the day before the official programme commences, the Zurich Host Committee has organised an informal Sunday afternoon and evening programme.  Delegates will be able to choose between cultural and culinary options in the afternoon, stabilising either their mind or their body.  This will also be the opportunity to meet other conference attendees in an informal setting and get that special 'Closely Held' feeling. 

Further details and information regarding prices and registration are contained in the Conference Programme PDF.
 

In just a couple of years we have moved from a world of global certainties to a fragmented environment of global uncertainties. The challenges for businesses and entrepreneurs seem to be multiplying and to become more formidable by the day. Problems and threats - including inflation and economic downturn, supply chain insecurity, scarcity of energy and natural resources, wars, economic sanctions and regulatory trade barriers - join new challenges such as increased customer expectations and environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements.

A panel of renowned entrepreneurs and business leaders will share its views on how it is possible to survive, and even to be successful, in such an environment.

The role of general counsel and in-house lawyers has been rapidly evolving in the last years – and continues to do so. The Financial Times described this evolution as “in-house lawyers moving out of the shadow”. Indeed, the days where they “only” had to advise their companies on all kind of legal matters at local and global level have gone. Today, general counsels are called to manage a widening range of risk, compliance, governance, regulatory and operational issues and, at the same time, to support and promote their company’s business. Business, too, is becoming more complex, with the growing need to factor-in environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects and commitments, and to deal with the multiple challenges of the current global situation.

A panel of general counsel and in-house lawyers will discuss what this means for their day-to-day life, how they cope with their tasks and how these developments are affecting the way they work with external lawyers.

Family owned businesses account for more than 60% of companies in Europe – in Switzerland, the share is even higher. According to the 2023 EY and University of St Gallen Family Business Index, the largest family businesses grow much faster than the global economy. While some studies concur with this assessment and suggest that they outperform other businesses and generate better margins, others come to the opposite conclusion. In the current environment it is worthwhile to evoke the results of a study published in 2021 in the Harvard Business Review, according to which in times of economic recessions family-run businesses perform far better than others.

A panel of experienced business leaders of family-run companies will discuss whether and to what extent family-run companies are more resilient in difficult times, how they cope with the current challenging environment, and what makes them different from their peers with a different ownership structure.

In the first part of the workshop, delegates will work in roundtable groups to discuss corporate governance and M&A topics including:

1. Expect the unexpected! - Factoring uncertainty into the deal (strategies, structures, processes)

2. Bombshell ahead! - Most common deal breakers to be aware of

3. Stirred but not shaken - building a resilient governance in uncertain times

4. May you live in interesting times! - How to prioritise your corporate compliance targets

5. ESG for mini-me? – How relevant is ESG really for small- and medium-sized companies?

Delegates will discuss a first topic of their choice in a roundtable group, and after 30 minutes move to a second table of their choice.

In the second part of the workshop, the results of the work of the table groups will be presented and briefly discussed.

Energy and natural resources have been a given for many years in Western economies. Until early in 2021, the sector was under growing pressure from investors, customers and governments to become more sustainable and “greener” faster. The sector, and many of the related markets, have been disrupted by factors as the war in Ukraine and global inflation.

A panel of experts will discuss the challenges – and opportunities – of doing business in markets that have become dysfunctional, and how to deal with the conundrum of ensuring supply while increasing environmental sustainability.

The Host Committee Firms invite all delegates to a two-hour cocktail cruise on one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes. Enjoy the views of Zurich and the landscape while networking with fellow delegates and meeting the hosts.

The cruise and reception is open to all registered delegates.

The breakfast is open to all delegates.

In the first part of the workshop, delegates will work in roundtable groups to discuss financing topics including:

1. What are the key options to finance growth in the current market?

2. What are the alternatives to “traditional” EBITDA financings?

3. How can non-bank lenders, such as direct lenders and venture debt or credit funds, support closely held companies?

4. Experiences with non-bank lenders in the recent financial downturn?

5. Convergences in debt and equity financing

6. Pros and cons of margin loans (secured by shares in the closely held company)

7. Differences in financing of early stages vs more mature stages

8. Trends in debt and equity terms during and following COVID-19

9. Change of control clauses in enforcement scenario

10. Trends on opinions and counsel reports

11. How can corporate lawyers add value when a company pursues an alternative to new financing, such as a reduction in force?

12. Is the importance and role of due diligence changing?

13.What are new financing areas of focus for closely held companies following recent bank failures and instability?

Delegates will discuss a first topic of their choice in a roundtable group, and after 30 minutes move to a second table of their choice.

In the second part of the workshop, the themes and results of the work of the breakout groups will briefly be presented and discussed.

The 2017 edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Conference was devoted to the “disruptors” and how they were changing the economy. The perception was that traditional businesses and business models would have to adapt quickly or face extinction. Recent developments have seen a revival of non-technological businesses, and in an environment of general downturn for technology companies several scandals seem to have shaken confidence in the actual value of disruptors. Sceptics argue that the innovations brought by the tech industry in the last years have not benefited humanity. Can disruptors and innovators meet the needs of a world that seeks sustainability and to improve the quality of life?

We will ask these and other challenging questions to several entrepreneurs and representatives of innovative companies, and discuss with them what the future of disruptors looks like.