The lack of snow-capped peaks is not the only difference at this year’s World Economic Forum. This year’s gathering of political and business leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos marks the first time the meeting has been able to be held in person since the start of the pandemic.
For Sarita Nayyar, chief operating officer of the Forum, it could be the most important annual meeting in her 15 years with the organisation. Set against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, rising global inflation and the tail end of the pandemic, she says: “It really is a very important time in world history to bring people together, to be able to talk about some of these issues and develop solutions together.”
Although it is often criticised as being a meeting for out-of-touch elites, Nayyar still believes that the Forum can be a positive force for change. “The purpose of the Forum platform is very much about bringing together people who can work on these complex issues, so that we can help to develop common understandings, objectives and solutions,” she says.