16 Oct 2016

Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp, a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products, spoke at the inaugural “Private Interests, Public Issues” Symposium on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at the Harvard Club in New York City. The event was hosted by the Harvard Law School Association of New York City and the Harvard Business School Club of Greater New York.  The Symposium brought together an elite group of Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School alumni and industry and public sector leaders to discuss the major issues facing the global economy today.

Mr. Alardhi participated in the ‘Global Business and Global Crises’ panel and discussed topics including economic opportunities in the Gulf amid current oil prices, the importance of innovation, the refugee crisis and Brexit. During the panel discussion, he provided insight into key global business challenges, emphasizing the following:

–       The role GCC countries will continue to have in globalization and business transformation, specifically how the GCC countries should diversify their economies using the current challenging economic landscape opportunistically;

–       The critical need for businesses and governments globally to embrace innovation post the financial crisis in order to drive change and create a stronger business and social environment;

–       The fact that the international community is not currently living up to its values when dealing with refugees and the importance of integrating refugees into the workforce as a manner of driving  GDP growth; and

–       Investcorp’s belief that London will remain a global financial hub providing access to European markets with attractive opportunities for investors.

Immediately following Mr. Alardhi’s panel, the closing keynote address was given by United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julián Castro. In his speech, Secretary Castro called for a fix to the polarization in politics, the need for urban revitalization and the importance of revamping education across the U.S. Additional participants at the Symposium included David Bonderman, Chairman and Founding Partner of TPG Capital.