Angel Serna is Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, at Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich). He leads Zurich’s advocacy efforts across the digital public policy space to support and advance public policy positions related to the digital age, which matter to Zurich and the insurance industry. Between July 2014 and June 2019, he lead the Swiss Public Affairs and from June 2016 also the International Public Affairs team. From July 2011 to June 2014, he was responsible as the Group’s Head of Communications for developing the Group’s communications strategy and managing Zurich’s Communications function. Mr Serna joined Zurich in November 2006 as Head of Media Relations responsible for the management of Zurich’s media relations activities on a global basis. Before, he had been working as an economics editor and correspondent with the Swiss daily newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), where he covered various industrial sectors and worked among other things as a foreign correspondent in Madrid, São Paulo and Washington, DC. He completed his studies at the University of Zurich with a Ph.D. in Economics.
Roundtable Room 1 (Level 2)
Manoeuvring Macro-geopolitical Dynamics
In keeping with Elevandi's commitment to developing innovation ecosystems, as considered at the Inclusive FinTech Forum and the recent report "Catalysing Disruptive Shifts for Innovation and Sustainability in Urban Environments".
More than 4 billion people can cast a vote in 2024. Two regional conflicts are jeopardising security and disrupting supply chains, with no resolution in sight. The East and the West are rising trade barriers. Against this background, how are multinationals to understand and adjust to the new normal, and where can technology help?
Operating under the theme of Manoeuvring Macro-geopolitical Dynamics, this roundtable will offer three constructs of the “new normal”:
1. The death of the Brussels Effect: Europe has a history of exporting policy thought internationally, with changes like GDPR or the Basel framework for banking. Amid geopolitical divides, will this trend carry on in the regulation of digital finance and critical technologies?
2. Crisis is the new BAU: Defence, trade, health, and ecological catastrophes are becoming so frequent that corporates need to adjust to expect crises as part of their business-as-usual. How is this changing the markets for credit or insurance? What is the role of technology in this change?
3. It’s the era of economic insecurity: The US raised trade barriers to the import and export of capital and goods, especially linked to critical technologies. China, the EU and the UK are following suit, albeit with deviations. What can we expect from the race on economic security and what does it mean for cross-border businesses?
Attendees who wish to familiarise themselves with the topic may refer to the reference materials below.
- Driving innovation for a more inclusive future