Tapping Global Brains

The world needs creativity, dynamism, a complete reinvention of business models in industries from the traditional to the brand-new.

That’s the premise for Richard Attias, who helped run the Davos, Switzerland, convocation of business and political leaders for 15 years and helped launch the Clinton Global Initiative. He wants a gathering of C-level executives at large companies to come together with young entrepreneurs, regulators and financiers for the New York Forum this summer and do nothing less than reinvent the global economy.

“I am convinced that we need to reinvent all business models,” said Attias in a phone interview from Munich, Germany, earlier this week. “This change could be made only if we put together in the same room the great CEOs, but also the young entrepreneurs…those who innovate. You cannot reinvent business models if you don’t innovate.”

The invite list for the June 22-24 event at the Grand Hyatt in New York is exclusive, just 500 leaders including CEOs, regulators, money people and entrepreneurs. About 50 percent of those invited will come from the U.S., with the rest coming from around the world, Attias said.

“In response to the current global economic slowdown, now more than ever, is the time for a focused, streamlined and action-oriented forum,” Mr. Attias said. “The New York Forum will seek to restore faith in the international economy by fostering an environment of cooperative dialogue among the world’s top CEO’s, financial leaders and government regulators.”

The small number, Attias said, is so members of the group can really concentrate on each other and on changing the global economy.

“The first rule is not to have too many people,” Attias said. “I want these industries to work like task forces.”

The idea, he said, is to turn the global economy on its head by introducing innovators to major corporation CEOs, financiers and regulators.

Attias himself is a prime example of a global entrepreneur. He was born in Fez, Morocco, in 1959, and educated at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, an engineering school in France. After graduation, he worked for IBM, then in 1986 he became a manager at Econocom France and Econocom Japan, a computer leasing company.

In the 1990’s, he founded an event management company, then partnered with Klaus Schwab to form Global Event Management, which produced, among other events, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In 2009, he founded The Experience Corporation, based in New York and with offices in Paris, Dubai, and Jeddah. He lives in New York.

Attias is announcing his New York conference the same week the Davos economic forum gets under way in Switzerland.