This year’s FORTUNE Global Forum occurs during a time of unparalleled worldwide upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been cut short, millions of jobs lost, and countless businesses shuttered or idled. The damage to the workforce has reached a level that is not just a problem of the unemployed, but an existential threat to all humanity, and all business. The traditional models of how employees work and how companies operate have been turned on their heads. Populations have become more technologically connected, yet people are more separated than ever.

Inequalities in society have worsened due to the pandemic, with people of color, women, and those on the lower echelons of society more heavily affected by the crisis. The rifts between knowledge workers and manual workers, the well educated and the less-well educated, top-tier cities and the rest are likely to widen. Anti-globalization sentiment and the reshoring of U.S. manufacturing, accelerated by the U.S.–China trade war, have intensified due to disruptions in the supply chain and continued fear of virus flare-ups.

Business leaders see a long road ahead. A majority of CEOs surveyed for the Fortune 500 believe it will be the first quarter of 2022 before overall economic activity returns to levels reached before the pandemic. Another 27% don’t expect that activity to return until the first quarter of 2023. It’s a moment of great crisis and great challenge, but it is also a moment of great opportunity: the time for reset. Perhaps one of the most consequential questions is, what do companies want to look like when they emerge from the crisis?

We’ll delve into ways organizations can leverage this moment to become more resilient and agile in advance of the next big calamity, to ensure they continue to lead with purpose and embrace the notion that stakeholder capitalism is more important than ever. We’ll examine how the crisis has fast-tracked innovation across a myriad of value chains and how customers have helped advance that change. We’ll seek to identify ways to reduce inequalities in society, increase access to technology, and retrain and reskill employees for the new workplace. And we’ll drill down on sustainability and why this global pause may be the opportunity to enact a clean slate in the face of climate challenges.

The Global Forum program is developed with the guidance of FORTUNE editors, whose journalistic perspective provides unique insights into the key trends and dynamic people that are driving business. Each program is tailored to the immediate needs of its audience, with themes and speakers carefully selected to deliver maximum value.

For Speaker Suggestions:

To submit a speaker suggestion, please complete the form at the link below. There are no exact deadlines for speaker submissions.
Please click here to submit a speaker suggestion. 

For Participation:

Participation at the 2020 FORTUNE Global Forum Virtual is by invitation only. Registrations are non-transferable. 
Tel: 1-866-661-3840
E-mail: globalforum@fortune.com

For Sponsorship Opportunities:

A limited number of corporate sponsorships are available. Please contact us for more information.
Elizabeth Parks and Monica Sembler
E-mail: fortunesponsorships@fortune.com

For Press Inquiries:

Alison Klooster, Senior Manager of Brand Communications, FORTUNE
Tel: +1 212-522-3194
E-mail: alison.klooster@fortune.com