Meet The Leader

How can organizations protect their data while staying nimble and competitive in an AI era?

Lisa Monaco, Microsoft's President of Global Affairs, explains what digital sovereignty means for businesses, governments and other organizations navigating geopolitical uncertainty, growing cyber risks and rapid technological change. She breaks down what leaders need to understand about digital sovereignty and what's easy to overlook. She also discusses the importance of having control over data, privacy, intellectual property and critical services — all while maintaining the connections and collaboration needed to respond to changing needs and evolving threats.

In this episode:

• What is digital sovereignty - and what leaders must prioritize
• Why isolation can leave organizations with less cybersecurity intelligence, not more
• Why AI security and cybersecurity need to be treated as one connected challenge
• What role digital embassies can play in an AI era

Drawing on her experience as a former US Deputy Attorney General and Homeland Security advisor, Monaco also discusses the global AI divide, digital embassies and why AI should be treated as a societal and board-level risk.

About this Episode: Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us

Related World Economic Report: AI Infrastructure in the Age of Sovereignty: https://www.weforum.org/publications/ai-infrastructure-in-the-age-of-sovereignty-requirements-strategies-and-a-trusted-framework-for-digital-embassies Related Episodes:

How to upskill for an AI Age: Workera CEO Kian Katanforoosh

• Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/7rbsu62e

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zfazz

• Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxIFpQcBCs

How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert

• Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv

• Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

How can technology solutions expand access, equity and opportunity? Barbadian tech entrepreneur and technology expert Donnya Piggot speaks to moderator Doone Roisin of podcast 'Imagine If' about AI and the future of equitable innovation. It's a conversation that explores implicit bias, diverse product teams, reverse mentorship, and the leadership challenge of asking who is missing from the room. Young Global Leaders: https://www.younggloballeaders.org/home

Key takeaways:

• Build around real user behavior, not a founder's ego or a product that only impresses investors.
• Design for inclusion intentionally by bringing people from the margins into the room.
• Stay focused in the early market, while making accessibility and belonging part of how the technology works.

This session is part of the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders theme: AI, technology and human agency and was recorded live in Dubai, 13 October, 2026. To learn more: https://events.weforum.org/en/events/annual-meeting-of-global-future-leaders-2026/home Related Episodes: Be less reactive. A buddhist monk shares practical strategies for mindful leadership Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4t6a5pz6 Listen here- Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdfkc76p This company launched with $600. How it's using data and AI today to boost yields for millions of small-scale farmers Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOu9As6J60 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bcmj6572 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdz69j65

A conversation on the relationship between sport and leadership, from teamwork and resilience to ambition and responsibility. The session explores how sporting environments shape leaders and what wider society can learn from them — and how sport, at its best, becomes a vehicle for human flourishing, unlocking potential and wellbeing far beyond the field of play.

Moderator: Mayowa Kuyoro, Partner, McKinsey Nigeria Guest: Sana Mir, former professional cricket player (and first woman cricketer from Pakistan to be named to the sports hall of fame) and current sports analyst Recorded at the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders in Dubai, 12 October, 2026. To learn more, read here: https://events.weforum.org/en/events/annual-meeting-of-global-future-leaders-2026/home Related Episodes: Be less reactive. A buddhist monk shares practical strategies for mindful leadership Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4t6a5pz6 Listen here- Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdfkc76p This company launched with $600. How it's using data and AI today to boost yields for millions of small-scale farmers Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOu9As6J60 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bcmj6572 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdz69j65

More than $150 trillion moves across borders each year through the global financial system, the vast majority of it still denominated in dollars. As geopolitical tensions fragment trade relationships and middle powers look to diversify their financial exposure, alternative currencies are gaining quiet traction, such as the recent renewal of a 200-billion-yuan swap line between the Bank of Canada and the People's Bank of China. How might a growing willingness among these economies to transact in alternative currencies reshape the structure, stability and sovereignty of the international financial system?

Speakers:

Diana Choyleva, Founder and Chief Economist, Enodo Economics, Senior Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute Robin Harding, Asia Editor, The Financial Times Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Senior Fellow, China Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Ashor Nick Sarupen, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ministry of Finance of South Africa Zhu Ning, Deputy Dean and Professor of Finance, Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance

This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China on 23-25 June, 2026. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/annual-meeting-of-the-new-champions-2026/sessions/renminbi-and-the-world/

Catch up on all the action from World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26.

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Hiring managers are struggling to find the talent they need, while job seekers face one of the toughest markets in recent memory. Jonas Prising, Chair and CEO of ManpowerGroup, explains what is driving these pressures—from the economic cycle and geopolitical shifts to major demographic changes.

He also examines AI's growing role in hiring and recruiting. While technology can make the process faster, it does not necessarily make it more accurate. For Prising, human judgment remains essential to recognizing potential, assessing fit and making better hiring decisions.

• How cyclical economic shifts, not structural AI-driven changes, are shaping employer confidence

• How big demographic shifts could push employers to tap underutilized parts of the global workforce

• How AI can increase speed of hiring but not always its accuracy

• How Manpower uses AI in hiring and recruiting and what leaders can learn

Prising also discusses ManpowerGroup's recent research on employment trends, the early boss that changed how he leads and his take on whether big predictions for the future will become a reality.

Subscribe to Meet The Leader for more conversations on AI, hiring, leadership and the future of work.

About this episode: ManpowerGroup Manpower: https://www.manpowergroup.com/en Report: Great Talent Shortage: https://www.manpowergroup.com/de/news-releases/news/global-talent-shortage-reaches-turning-point-as-ai-skills-claim-top-spot Report: Q3 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey: https://www.manpowergroup.com/en/insights/report/q3-2026-manpowergroup-employment-outlook-survey Book recommendation - True North by Bill George: https://billgeorge.org/book/true-north/ World Economic Forum: Report: Chief People Officer Outlook report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/

Related episodes: AI and Jobs series: AI and Jobs Series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3

• Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz

AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work

• Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8

AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it

• Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6

• Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y

How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert

• Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv

• Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd

In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going.

Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a "beginner's mind" and managing ego to separating signal from noise. You'll learn:

• How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management

• Why a beginner's mindset can make leaders more adaptable

• How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it's time to change course

Shogun also explores moral leadership, why values matter in the age of AI, and his belief in playing the long-term game rather than chasing short-term gains.

Subscribe to Meet The Leader for more conversations on leadership, decision-making, AI and the ideas changing how we work. About this episode: Avant Labs: https://www.avantlabs.tech/ Zenful Institute: https://zenfulinstitute.com/ About Global Shapers: Global Shapers 2024 -2025 Annual Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-shapers-community-annual-report-2024-2025/ Read - Blog: What young leaders are telling us about the future: 5 signals from the World Economic Forum's youth summit https://www.weforum.org/stories/youth/young-leaders-youth-5-signals/ Watch - Entrepreneurship for a New Era | Next Generation Now 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj5FsdSbU4&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weforum.org%2F Related Episodes: Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Read - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Listen - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x

Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgAListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w

Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4yWatch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

In this episode of Meet the Leader, five founders share books that have helped them drive sector-leading innovation and navigate uncertainty — from classics like Isaac Asimov's Foundation series to modern favorites like The Purpose Driven Life and Brotopia. Their recommendations reveal the unique challenges founders face as well as key lessons on resilience, purpose, AI, fundraising and leading through change.

What you'll learn:

• The key role books still play for top innovators, even in our AI era

• Why a learning mindset matters to shape a tech-driven future.

• How digging into purpose helps founders navigate uncertainty

Books referenced in this episode:

• Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and CEO Workera Recommendation: Asimov's Foundation series
• Sam Yang, Founder, Xandar Kardian: Recommendation: A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
• Sarah Fleischer, co-founder, tozero Recommendation: Hard Things About Hard Things, Marc Andreessen
• Emilie Bodoin, CEO and Chairman, Pure Lithium Corporation Recommendation: Brotopia by Emily Chang
• Jeremy Allaire, CEO and Founder, Circle Recommendation: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad

Related Episodes

How to upskill for an AI Age: Workera CEO Kian Katanforoosh Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/7rbsu62e Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zfazz Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxIFpQcBCs

He's building 'gas stations' in space. How it can drive the space economy - Orbit Fab Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daniel-faber-orbit-fab-space-economy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tscms

Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - Axiom Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/tejpaul-bhatia-space-economy-axiom/ Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FjNtzxmBucpgnZ4xhagxe

What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24 driven by a man she'd briefly dated. The ordeal lead her to rethink her purpose, eventually founding a burn-rehabilitation charity and helping survivors like herself reframe "Why me?" as "What now?" It's a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity.

You'll learn: -Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover -The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations -How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose -How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again -Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership

Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences.

This conversation explores resilience, purpose, trauma recovery, inclusive leadership and turning pain into purpose. Follow Meet the Leader on YouTube, Spotify or podcast apps, and subscribe for more conversations with people shaping the world This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland.

About this episode Read - Book: Beautiful, Katie Piper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0091940761?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Watch - Davos 2026 session: Scars of Survival: How I Rebuilt My Life: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/scars-of-survival-how-i-rebuilt-my-life/ Connect - Foundation: https://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/

Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgAListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4yWatch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches for leaders will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout.

Leaders will learn to:

• Rethink the first and last things you do each day to sharpen your attention
• Craft a "to-feel list" to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful
• Better appreciate the present to take control of your attention
• Think 'like an ancestor' to help you think beyond the short term

Featured voices include human flourishing expert and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt; writer and three-time cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad; blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and navigator Doug Smith; Nia Tero CEO Aulani Wilhelm; and Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto. Together, they explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and improving leadership in a distracted world.

Subscribe to Meet the Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform for more practical leadership insights.

Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY

The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - Psychologist Jonathan Haidt - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5- Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3- Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI

Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en

How can leaders move forward when pressure is high and the way is not clear? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his 'seeing eye Doug" guide Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies for leaders in taking action despite uncertainty and what's needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves.

Key takeaways:

• Courage means moving forward without waiting for 100% information.
• Find people who can solve problems, not just point them out
• How thinking in the present can prevent panic and enable decision-making

Hiro is an adventurer, keynote speaker and the first totally blind person to sail across the Pacific. Doug had no previous sailing experience but became Hiro's crewmate and navigator for that extraordinary trip. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments.

Recorded January 2026 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

About this episode: Hiro: https://hiros-choice.com/ Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/hiro-iwamoto-blind-sailor-lessons-fear-decision

Related Episodes:

Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness

• Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7

• Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w

Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait

• Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy

• Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj

• Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA