On October 9th, DuPont organized the 2008 Leaders Forum, an ongoing DuPont initiative to expand thinking and foster collaboration and actions that promote safety in every corner of the world. Attended by approximately 200 delegates from international corporations, government and non-government organizations, this year’s forum focused on “Building the Future of Safety” and exploring global trends in safety and protection. Case studies and speeches were made by experts and key individuals, such as :
- Jim Weigand, President, DuPont Safety Resources
- Bertrand Piccard, Swiss Adventurer
Participants were encouraged to take part in panels that focussed on four mega trends :
- Future Trend # 1 : The Desire to Live Well
- Future Trend # 2 : The Desire to Feel Protected
- Future Trend # 3 : The Desire for Connectivity
- Future Trend # 4 : The Desire for Simple Scientific Solutions
Proceedings :
The Session was opened with a Welcome remark by Mr. Ian Hudson (President, DuPont Europe, Middle East and Africa). This portion was followed by the 2008 DuPont Safety Awards Ceremony and 2 Keynote Session Segments. Later, participants were asked to choose 2 panels to participate in, the findings were processed in an interactive session with the audience afterwards. The conference was then concluded by Mr. Koen van Neyghem (President, DuPont Safety Resources EMEA).
Keynote Sessions
“Mega trends have an impact on every aspect of business, how we manage, how materials are sourced, how we market to diverse targets, how we design new business models, how we recruit talent from different cultures in times of shifting demographics,” said Ian Hudson, president -- DuPont Europe, Middle East, Africa, in his opening remarks.
The DuPont 2008 Leaders Forum addressed four of these globally applicable mega trends in panel sessions led by speakers from international companies such as Nike and MOL, as well as insurance companies, banks and research centres. These sessions discussed the increased desire by people to live longer, healthier lives; their need to feel protected not only at home, but also while travelling or at work; the wish for connectivity; and the demand for simple scientific solutions in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.
“If there’s a bottom line from a safety perspective, it’s that we’re not dealing with isolated aspects of people’s lives, said James R. Weigand, President DuPont Safety Resources, in his keynote presentation,. We need to perceive their world in totality, without borders or barriers. People move in the world, not just in a home or an automobile or an office environment. The simple fact is that every element of today’s fast-paced world is linked -- individuals, operations, processes and the environment.”
“I view the conference as an opportunity to discuss trends, find out about best practices and innovative ideas, but most importantly to network,” said DuPont Leaders Forum Delegate, Pedro Soveral Rodrigues -- head of Health and Safety at global construction company Sonae Sierra.
The forum closed with an address by Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard, the first man to fly around the world non-stop in a hot-air balloon. He took delegates on an adventure of out-of the-box thinking and also spoke about his new area of exploration: renewable energy sources.
