On March 10th, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania kicked off the 55th Wharton Global Forum in Singapore. The two-day event brough together approximately 700 Wharton alumni and business leaders to explore the most critical issues facing businesses in Singapore and the world currently. This marks the first in-person Global Forum since the pandemic and since Dean Erika James began her tenure at Wharton in 2020.

“We are delighted to hold this year’s Wharton Global Forum in Singapore, one of the fastest-growing economies and a thriving financial hub in the world today. Singapore is one of the most competitive markets globally and businesses here are well-poised to attract investors and financiers around the world,” said Wharton Dean Erika James. “The Global Forum will be a great platform for businesses and academics to collaborate, exchange ideas, and create a vision for the future.”

Dean Erika James opened the Global Forum with a keynote address highlighting Wharton’s commitment to shaping the future of business through research, charting the course for the future of learning through innovation and reimagining the future of societal progress through collaboration.

On the second day the Global Forum brings keynote speeches by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Lawrence Wong, and Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Russia and Singapore (Ret) and Former Governor of Utah, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.

Attendees at the Global Forum will learn from and rub shoulders with the world’s brightest business minds, discover the latest research, and attend master classes taught by Wharton’s world-renowned faculty. The Global Forum featured keynote speeches, faculty lectures, panel and roundtable discussions by the region’s most exciting entrepreneurs, trailblazing investors, and industry experts who gathered to share deep industry knowledge and insights around key topics such as healthcare, supply chain resiliency, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), fintech and decentralized finance.

Notable speakers featured distinguished government and industry leaders including RGE Founder & Chairman Sukanto Tanoto, DBS Bank Managing Director and Group Head of Audit Derrick Goh, Temasek Holdings Executive Director & CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, Wharton Professor and Director of the Tanoto ASEAN Initiative Janice Bellace, and Dean of the Wharton School Erika James.

Since their establishment, Global Forums have been held 54 times in 31 countries around the world. The 55th Wharton Global Forum marks the second time the event has taken place in Singapore since 2005, which indicates the significance of this city to the Wharton School and the Global Forum program.