Global Speakers Summit 2018 ‘From Leader to Legacy

Summit positions New Zealand to champion global shift towards more purposeful business

Global Speakers Summit 2018 ‘From Leader to Legacy: A Global Journey’

Following on the heels of an international American Express survey that confirms the vast majority of millennials want to change the business landscape to one that does good, New Zealand is well positioned to champion yet another political and social sea-change on the world stage when this country hosts a diverse gathering of 200 international thought leaders on the subject (including 72 actual speakers).

The theme of the Global Speakers Summit (GSS) to be hosted at Sky City in Auckland in late February –also possibly the biggest gathering of high profile influencers in 2018 – will tackle the subject “From Leader to Legacy: A Global Journey”, which deals with how business can find meaning beyond just money.

The GSS follows the just released American Express report, Redefining the C-Suite: Business the Millennial Way, which surveyed 1,363 Millennials and 1,062 Gen Xers in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany. The report found that millennials overwhelmingly want a double bottom line (profit and purpose) – and they’re prepared to make career and income sacrifices to achieve it.

Susan Sobbott, president of American Express Global Commercial Payments said in a release: “Millennials are seeking work with meaning beyond just making money, and they’re willing to make trade-offs to achieve their own definition of success”.

The GSS is brought to Auckland by The National Speakers Association of New Zealand (NSANZ) to help kick-start the discussion locally about how businesses can make a positive difference for people and the planet, while also being well-run and profitable.

NSANZ's Elias Kanaris, who is also the President-Elect of the Global Speakers Federation, said he has just returned from a meeting in South Africa about diversity intelligence and reconciliation, where it became clear to him that New Zealand can help lead much needed social transformation ¬– this time in the workplace.

“New Zealand was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid and anti-nuclear movements, and we championed the right of women to vote. We can do the same for leading a change in business attitudes from one that is focussed on profit at all costs, to one that places equal importance and investment in staff and purposeful business.

“In a major Dropbox survey of workers in the UK, researchers found that 68% of employees reported ‘feeling out of depth’ at work and more than half of employees said they were not functioning at their best at least one day a week – disengagement has serious implications for health and safety and bottom line results. A more purposeful mission can help change that,” said Mr Kanaris.

The GSS will bring some of the world’s leading thinkers together with local businesses to discuss how global business can leave a legacy for generations to come.

New Zealand’s only Global Speaking Fellow Mike Handcock will chair GSS 2018, which will feature speakers such as female Black Hawk pilot and combat veteran, bestselling author Elizabeth McCormick, Australia’s ‘The Relationship Guy’ Lindsay Adams (CSP) and author and speaker on business creativity Fredrik Härén who, Forbes magazine writes, owns multiple islands where he lets people stay for free.

The 2018 Global Speakers Summit in Auckland is only the 5th worldwide event to be held since 2000 and is expected to earn the city more than $2m in revenue – a considerable achievement because Auckland had to be beat out Monaco, the USA, Germany, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia for the rights.

Part of New Zealand’s business case was the opportunity for corporate companies to purchase a table at GSS 2018, where those attending will be treated to stories about triumph over adversity, meet high profile thought leaders and learn how to tell their own compelling stories, write a book or succeed in online marketing, or unravel the mysteries of science, spirituality and entrepreneurship.

For more information visit https://gss2018.com

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