7th Global Entrepreneurship Conference 2023 | International Bar Association (IBA) | 20 May 2023 | Kunsthaus Zürich, Heimpl. 1/5, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland

A conference presented by the IBA Closely Held Companies Committee and supported by the IBA Corporate and M&A Committee, the IBA Corporate Counsel Forum, the IBA European Regional Forum and the IBA Women Lawyers' Committee

Topics and keynote debate include:
• Keynote debate - Challenges and opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs in the current environment
• A general counsel’s view – supporting business and hedging risks in uncertain times
• Family-owned businesses - managing risks, maintaining stability?
• Energy and natural resources – doing business in dysfunctional markets
• Keynote Address – Switzerland’s economy and business environment, between tradition and innovation
• The innovators & disruptors – Back with a vengeance?

Workshops include:
• Interactive Workshop one - selected corporate governance and M&A topics
• Interactive Workshop two - selected financing topics

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2023 risk report describes the globe as facing an unprecedented combination of “old” risks that had mostly been forgotten, such as high inflation, trade wars and geopolitical upheaval, and novel issues, like de-globalization, climate change, and natural resources and energy shortage. For this situation WEF used the term “polycrisis”.

This year’s edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Conference is taking place in Switzerland, a country traditionally renowned for the stability of its political system and for a strong and resilient economy. The recent economic indicators of the country - with, among others, the lowest unemployment figures in two decades, a comparatively low inflation and a still (albeit moderate) projected GDP growth - seem to confirm this reputation, and are at odds with the global situation.

We are, thus, meeting at the right place and in the right moment to have a close look at how entrepreneurs, closely held and family owned businesses – in Switzerland and around the globe - are coping with the situation and even finding new opportunities for growth, to understand how the role of general counsel and inhouse legal departments is evolving, and to discuss how “polycrisis” is influencing legal practice in the areas of transactional, corporate and financing work.

2023 Speakers

André Hoffmann
Vice-Chairman, Roche Holding AG, Basle and Member of the Club of Rome and member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum

Andreas Rötheli
Partner, Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva

Nicole van Ranst
Corporate M&A Partner, Agio Legal

Andreas Bohrer
Group General Counsel and Secretary General of the Board of Directors, Lonza, Basle

Grégoire Bordier
Partner, Bordier & Cie and Chairman of the Association of Swiss Private Banks, Geneva

Gina Domanig
Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Emerald Technology Ventures, Zurich

Diane Bertrand
Senior Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Cooperation, Agropur, Longueil, Quebec; Corporate Counsel Liaison Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Thiemo Sturny
Partner, Dr Iur., LL.M. Lawyer

Kinga Frater
General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Hoerbiger Holding AG, Zug

Christian Müller
General Counsel, Mövenpick Holding AG, Baar

Bart Selden
Taulia, San Francisco, California; Vice Chair, IBA Corporate Counsel Forum

Kathleen Weislehner
GC Chief of Staff Office, Credit Suisse AG, Zürich

Andreas Kloyer
Luther, Frankfurt; Conference Quality Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Oliver Marc Künzler
Wenger Plattner, Küsnacht; Chair, Communications Group, IBA European Regional Forum

Sonja Kissling
Founder and Owner, Family Business Matters, Zurich

Andreas E. Mach
Founder, Alphazirkel, Munich

Dr. Konstantin Mettenheimer
Chairman PMB Capital Ltd, London

Markus Sieger
CEO, Polpharma Group, Amsterdam

Giuseppe Coco
Ughi e Nunziante, Milan; Membership Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Oliver Triebold
Schellenberg Wittmer, Zurich; Member, IBA Corporate and M&A Law Committee Advisory Board

Caroline Basdevant-Soulié
Founding Partner - M&A / Private Equity, Oyat, Paris

Massimo Calderan
Altenburger, Küsnacht; Co-Chair, IBA European Regional Forum

Peter de Ryck
Chairman, Lydian, Brussels

Pedro Fernández
Partner, Perez-Llorca, Madrid

Daniel Flühmann
Banking/Fintech Partner, Bär & Karrer, Zurich

Roman Graf
Partner, Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva

Caterina Iodice
Partner, JMW Solicitors, London

Kathleen Lemmens
Partner, Gianni & Origoni, Milan

Margrit Marti
Associate, Homburger, Zurich

Elke Napokoj
Partner, Co-Head of Corporate M&A, bpv Hügel, Vienna

Mirko Sickinger
Equity Partner, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, Cologne

Slawomir Uss
Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak, Warsaw; Vice Chair, Central Regional Group, IBA European Regional Forum

Heinrich von Bünau
Partner, METIS Rechtsanwälte, Frankfurt

Marc Walter
Partner, Wenger Vieli, Zurich

Iván Delgado
Partner, Pérez-Llorca, Madrid; Website Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Vera Naegeli
Partner, Bär & Karrer, Zürich

Michel Brunner
Group General Counsel, MET Holding AG, Baar

Friso van Harinxma
Managing Counsel Benefrux, Shell Netherlands, The Hague

Phyllis Scholl
Board Member, Alpiq/Energiedienst, Zurich

Prof. Dr. Andreas Ulbig
Chair, Active Energy Distribution Grids 1AEW, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen

Martin L. Müller
Partner; Head of Employment, Executive Compensation & Pensions, Pestalozzi, Zurich

Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch
Former State Secretary, Director of the Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate, Berne

Florian Stefan
Jörg Bratschi, Zurich; Scholarship Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Nicholas Dorsey
Cravath Swaine & Moore, New York; North American Regional Forum Liaison Officer, IBA Closely Held Companies Committee

Alexander von Jeinsen
Partner, Advestra, Zurich

Thierry Barbey
Partner, Kellerhals Carrard, Zurich

Lucina Berger
Partner, Hengeler Mueller, Munich

Edoardo Canetta Rossi Palermo
Partner, Chiomenti, Milan

Benedict Christ
Attorney at Law, Vischer, Zurich

Harvey J. Cohen
Partner and Chair of the International Business Practice Group, Dinsmore & Shohl, Cincinnati, Ohio

Henrik Dock
Partner, Mannheimer Swartling, Stockholm

Christian Hoenig
Partner, Wolf Theiss, Vienna

William Howard
Partner, Travers Smith, London

Caroline Conrad
Partner, Conrad & Partner, Baden

Mark Montanari
Attorney at Law, Partner, MLL Legal

Nina Gartmann
Former General Counsel SEBA Bank AG, Zug

Stefan A Heitmann
Founder & Executive Chairman, PriceHubble AG, San Francisco, California

Alexander Hűbner
Founder and CEO, Le Bijou Holding AG, Zug

Adela Wiener
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Aurachain,Sarnen

2023 Sponsors

HEADLINE CONFERENCE SPONSOR:
• Intertrust Group

HEADLINE SOCIAL EVENT SPONSOR:
• Barnes and Thornburg

CONFERENCE DINNER SPONSORS:
• Luther
• Lydian

CONFERENCE REFRESHMENT BREAK SPONSORS:
• Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek
• Heussen Lawyers and Civil Law Notaries Amsterdam

CONFERENCE LUNCHEON SPONSORS:
• Ughi E. Nunziante Studio Legale
• Wolf Theiss

EXHIBITOR:
• IBCF