Leaders in Islamabad Conference concludes with attendance of global leaders from more than 35 countries

The extensive, two-day long ‘Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit’ successfully concluded at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad with notable attendance of national and international leaders.

Over 50 international delegates participated in the event, and through various panel discussions, shared their ideas on a wide range of subjects, including, “The geopolitical backdrop”, “The future of work”, “The future of diversity and inclusion”, “Future world, through responsive leadership”. Apart from the reputable national names, a large number of international speakers were also in attendance like Ping Liu, VP at Huawei Technologies and Kimihide Ando, SVP for Mitsubishi Corporation in Japan.

More than 700 delegates attended the two-day conference, including CEOs, Ministers and journalists from international media. The national delegates and honorable guests included Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Federal Minister for Finance & Economic Affairs, Asad Umar, Federal Minister & Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Investment and Industries & Production, Abdul Razak Dawood, and the Minister of State for HRD & Overseas Pakistanis, Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari.

Digital Conference

Although the whole summit was mapped around discussions on businesses, industries and economy, a dedicated Islamabad Digital Conference was also one of an integral part of the program. The conference invited the global tech leaders at one platform and gave them the dais as they talked on cutting-edge technologies.

There were different topics under discussion as like Blockchain, IoT in Digital Economies, and Leadership in the Age of Disruption. The conference was buzzed with tech leaders like the Same Lee, Founder and CEO, Blockchain Global, and Managing Directors of SAP, S&P Global and many others. The knowledge-rich discussions enlightened the attendees about cutting-edge technologies and how things were taking shape in the technology arena.

Abacus Consulting, Pakistan’s leading advisory and technology consultancy, partnered with Nutshell Forum to present the third edition of the ‘Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit’ as part of its ambition to align itself as the industry leader in executive leadership development. In line with this goal, earlier this year, Abacus entered a partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a US-based global executive development institution that develops leaders and helps them make the journey to top management positions.

During the Summit, Fatima Asad Said, Regional Director, Abacus Consulting participated in a panel discussion on ‘The Future of Diversity and Inclusion’. “Organizations have now adopted an approach of diversity and inclusion which nurtures the skills and abilities of individuals regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, education, and national origin, transforming them into the leaders for tomorrow,” said Fatima Asad Said. “Organizations today need to attract the right talent with the best minds and skills through continuous training”, she added.

Federal Minister for Finance & Economic Affairs, Asad Umar clarified to the international delegates that the meritocracy is given utmost preference even in the public offices of today. “There is no shortcut to induct talent into the system. Even in the public offices now, the policymakers are appointed solely on the basis of merit, skills and abilities to perform well in their domain,” he mentioned.

Being an attendee myself, I witnessed that the conferences which invite international leaders shed light on how the economic and security systems of the country have improved over time and how this is the best time to make investments in Pakistani industrial space. Inviting political leaders to talk with international moderators on national policies surrounding transparency and ease-of-doing business increases the confidence of international investors.