What do the president of the Czech Republic, an astronaut, the head of Disney, a network anchor, the Tour de France winner, a leading futurist, half a dozen Nobel laureates, the FDA chief and a former NATO commander have in common? They′re among 325 movers and shakers who will thrash out the world′s biggest challenges as panelists at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles next month.
An annual gathering, held this year at the Beverly Hilton April 24-26, the Global Conference is unlike the typical gathering of VIPs. The trade publication Conferenza described it this way in a 2005 report:
"Like the World Economic Forum at Davos, it was impossible to walk away from the Global Conference without a better understanding of the problems plaguing our world. Unlike Davos, however, there was a strong focus at the event on actually trying to come up with ways that many of these problems can be solved ... The Global Conference is today a must-attend event."
This three-day gathering provides unparalleled access to senior leaders from business, finance, government, education, health care and the news media, who meet to discuss, debate and find solutions to some of the world′s most pressing policy challenges.
This year′s lineup of panelists includes:
- Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France
- Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group
- Peter Chernin, President and Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation
- Wesley Clark, General (ret.), U.S. Army, and former NATO Commander
- Joe Hogan, Senior Vice President and CEO of GE Healthcare
- Robert Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company
- Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic
- Jonathan Miller, Chairman and CEO of America Online, Inc.
- Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education
- Boone Pickens, entrepreneur and philanthropist
- Sally Ride, former astronaut and President and CEO of Sally Ride Science
- David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Manager Director of The Carlyle Group
- Andrew von Eschenbach, Acting Commissioner of the FDA
- And several Nobel laureates
The Global Conference is the site of passionate and often contentious debate on issues like job creation, finance, energy, education and more, as well as "big picture" issues such as the future of health care and China′s growing global presence. The event draws more than 2,500 attendees, including scores of journalists, who choose from some 100 sessions.
"These are decision makers from a variety of disciplines who you ordinarily wouldn′t have together in one room," said Institute President and CEO Michael Klowden.
Invitation-only events begin Saturday night, April 22nd prior to the formal conference launch on Monday morning, April 24th. Sessions include:
- "The Future of Health Care," with acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, AMA President J. Edward Hill, GE Healthcare CEO Joe Hogan, BIO President and CEO James Greenwood, and National Health Council President Myrl Weinberg.
- "Global Overview" with Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus, Nobel laureate Gary Becker and Carlyle Group founder David Rubenstein.
- "The New Philanthropists and the Future of Medical Research Funding," featuring Lance Armstrong, philanthropist Eli Broad, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation President/CEO Carl Schramm and Institute Chairman Michael Milken.
- "Global Risk: What Should Be Keeping You Up at Night," with former NATO Commander and presidential candidate Wesley Clark and David Gordon, Vice Chairman of the National Intelligence Council.
- "Pension Obligations and Corporate Restructuring Opportunities" with Frederick Brace, COO and Chief Restructuring Officer of the UAL Corporation, and Bradley Belt, Executive Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
- "Baby Boom — Baby Bomb? A Jeremy Siegel-Michael Milken Debate," which asks the question: Will baby boomers devastate the economy as they retire, or will they prove to be the most vital group of seniors in history?
- "The Future of Education," with former Education Secretary Rod Paige and other leading educators talking about what reforms are necessary to improve schools.
- "Sally Ride: Engaging Girls in Science," with the former astronaut talking about how we can increase the number of women scientists.
Under the theme "Expanding Opportunities in the Global Marketplace," the conference also examines the growing clout of China and India; biotechnology and the promise of medical breakthroughs; alternative energy sources; the global investment climate; healthy aging; the rapidly changing media/entertainment industry; the economic impact of a flu pandemic; global competitiveness; and the future of political parties and civic dialogue.
The Global Conference Underwriters are AOL, BNP Paribas, Guggenheim and SBI Group.
Go to the 2006 Global Conference web site.
Note to media: Accredited journalists must register. For details, contact: Skip Rimer, Director of Communications.