Globalization 4.0 and other exciting themes from Davos 2019

February 01, 2019 | Dan Rudisuela


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"It will be an age when data isn't just the new oil; it will be the new water, the lifeblood of everything our society will want and need." RBC CEO Dave McKay on where he sees transformative technologies and a new generation of thinking taking us.

RBC Dave McKay at Davos

Dave McKay, President and CEO of RBC, says he came away feeling encouraged and more clear about the next stage of globalization after attending Davos 2019. His report, Globalization in a digital age, highlights the challenges he sees along the way to Globalization 4.0. His list includes topics like China, 5G, Brexit and market volatility.  Big ideas that attendees grappled with this year included privacy and localization of data, the role of machines in our markets and concern over extreme weather caused by climate change. The old social contract of workplace security, decent pensions and affordable homes is giving way to a new reality shaped by automation and requiring new skills. While this shift causes anxiety across the workforce, CEO's are faced with meeting the demands of today while positioning their companies for tomorrow.

The dialogue generated at the forum was complex and multi-layered. This report does a nice job of breaking out 11 main themes and ends with an encouraging reminder on the importance of inter-generational conversation; I recommend the read.