Quotes by Klaus Schwab

“As the worlds financial capital and the site of the recent terrorist attacks, there could be no better place than New York City to confront these issues,”

“European CEOs have to act much more as business politicians ... in the vacuum left over by a world where we have less and less boundaries, less and less power of national governments.”

“In these extraordinary times, greater international cooperation is needed to reverse the global economic downturn, eradicate poverty, promote security and enhance cultural understanding,”

“By highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of an economy, policy-makers and business leaders are provided with a tool to assist them in the formulation of improved economic policies and institutional reforms,”

“All business leaders here are frustrated by the fact that (this) ... is the only region left at the end of the century where economics are kept hostage by politics.”

“We have a number of vulnerabilities in our economies.”

“The key issue is the shift of the centre of gravity from the West to the East, the rise of China and India.”

“High oil prices and the emergence of a number of new players on the world stage - not just China and India but also Russia and even Iran - have made it possible to play the major powers off against each other.”

“With great concern and pain, I just learned that Global Agenda, a publication distributed to our members at the Annual Meeting 2006, contains an article calling for a boycott of Israel.”

“I think a number of initiatives have been newly taken or enhanced during this meeting that will have a tangible impact.”

Business cycles naturally entail peaks and troughs in employment, and socially responsible businesses should follow successful examples like Coca-Cola, Alcoa, Saudi Aramco, Africa Rainbow Minerals, and Google in working toward mitigating joblessness and enhancing peoples abilities to earn a livelihood.

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been used as an effective lens through which to examine the actions business can take toward ensuring mutual long-term well-being and sustainability.

Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunities - to learn new things, to rethink tired processes, and to improve the way we work.

Corporate social responsibility is measured in terms of businesses improving conditions for their employees, shareholders, communities, and environment. But moral responsibility goes further, reflecting the need for corporations to address fundamental ethical issues such as inclusion, dignity, and equality.

We must address, individually and collectively, moral and ethical issues raised by cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and biotechnology, which will enable significant life extension, designer babies, and memory extraction.

The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production.

It was a hallmark of Nelson Mandelas leadership that being open to change made him appear not weaker, but even stronger.

Of all the many leaders I have met in the course of my life, none made a deeper impression on me than Nelson Mandela. His courage, compassion, humility and wisdom were without parallel on the world stage, and he himself was an enduring source of inspiration.

New technologies and approaches are merging the physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that will fundamentally transform humankind. The extent to which that transformation is positive will depend on how we navigate the risks and opportunities that arise along the way.

Profitability, growth, and safeguards against existential risks are crucial to strengthening a companys long-term prospects. But if these three factors constitute a companys hard power, firms also need soft power: public trust and acceptance, won by fulfilling a companys social responsibility.