The Global Summit

The world has changed since we last met in Vancouver, June 2019. 

There are still a million questions out there on the long-term impact of COVID and how to build back better. These questions are compounded further by changing consumer behaviours and sentiments which continue to reflect the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis; the impact on businesses, relationships and the demands of consumers remains yet to be fully understood. Add to these the fast-approaching UN Food Systems Summit and COP26, and there is an even more heightened focus on what businesses are doing to secure sustainable food systems, protect the planet and look after both their employees and consumers.  So, Now What? 

The Global Summit aims to provide delegates, speakers and sponsors the opportunity to learn more about how our industry has worked tirelessly to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 – and promote the CEO-backed roadmaps that are being delivered by our Coalitions of Action to help our industry create the right kind of new normal. 

Over the course of four days, we will be discussing The New Normal and all its implications to businesses, consumers, supply chains and employees; where the Opportunities, Challenges & Priorities lie ahead; how we can build back better through Positive Change & Collaboration; and what should be expected from The Way Forward. 

Where are we going, as a global society? 

How can we prevent something like COVID-19 from happening again? Will consumers pursue their new habits after this crisis? What are the new business models driven by digitalisation and how sustainable can we ensure this new world to be? These are some of the questions we will be discussing, via Speaker Sessions and Panels, Special Sessions, Breakouts, Coalition Meetings, and much more.

Conscious of time differences, we have built the programme around Prime-Time Content Slots, where delegates from multiple time zones will be able to connect and participate in live sessions with high-level speakers. We will have something for everyone: wherever you are in the world, you will be able to connect at a time convenient for you and access both live broadcasts and pre-recorded sessions. 

A virtual platform, optimised for ease-of-use while ensuring delegates and top CEOs regular networking opportunities, will ensure you can effectively engage and network across the week, to foster deeper relationships and chat one-on-one around topics impacting your business. 

Your pro-active engagement will make the greatest difference in building the future of our industry, and your support is very much needed during these difficult times. Through the strong collaborative efforts of our members, we know that our industry will be able to move forward and provide an answer to the burning question: so, Now What?

Our annual Global Summit is the CGF flagship event exclusively reserved for CEOs and C-level executives from our member companies. It is the place where retailers, manufacturers and their services providers come to discuss future business trends, network and share knowledge and best-practices for overcoming today’s most pressing challenges. It is:

• the essential destination for successful business leaders in our sector;
• where CEOs talk to CEOs, with additional input from experts and specialists;
• the forum to voice the key issues and challenges facing our industry now and in the future;
• the place where the global agenda for the consumer goods sector is set;
• where the responses to previously set challenges are shared; and
• the event you must attend if your future is in this vital and global industry.

The Global Summit is the must-attend event for any C-level executive from the CGF membership. It is the only C-level forum for business leaders who want to:

• be part of an exclusive worldwide consumer goods business network at top management level;
• gain exposure to new strategic concepts, companies and thought-leaders from both inside and outside the consumer goods industry;
• bring home actionable insights for operating your business in a changed and consumer-led world;
• exert your influence over the major new issues that are having an impact on the consumer goods business worldwide
• take advantage of a truly dynamic environment in which to do business; and
• receive the latest updates and actions on The Consumer Goods Forum’s strategic initiatives.

Committee 

Chairman: Anders Svensson, ICA AB, Sweden

• Mark Batenic, IGA, USA
• Jerry Black, AEON, Japan
• Elaine Bowers Coventry, Coca-Cola, USA
• Klaus Dohle, Dohle, Germany
• Annie Murphy, WBA, UK
• Alexis Perakis-Valat, L’Oréal, France
• Kian Peng Seah, NTUC Fairprice, Singapore
• Loïc Tassel, Procter & Gamble, France
• Bjorn Timelin, McKinsey, UK

Taksforce

Chairman: Mark Batenic, IGA, USA

• Elaine Bowers Coventry, Coca-Cola, USA
• Valerie Jabbar, Kroger, USA
• Marcus Bokkerink, BCG, USA
• Jose Loaiza, Grupo Exito, Columbia