The agenda included a set of high-caliber meetings to provide the NextGens with an opportunity to discuss issues of current relevance to the transatlantic partnership with leaders from politics, business, and AmCham Germany.
The morning was kicked off with a workshop centering on the presidential election in the U.S., crucial debates concerning the political climates in both Germany and the U.S., as well as the larger geopolitical shifts and how transatlantic business and stakeholders can implement and foster a democratic dialogue. The role of businesses and corporations in an ever-connected world was discussed in terms of their potential to shape the local and global economy and enforce the underlying values of economic success.
The NextGens then had an exchange with Theresa Monaghan, Senior Policy Advisor to the Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation, Michael Link from German Federal Foreign Office. The round gained insights to the priorities of the Foreign Office with its role in strengthening transatlantic relations. A major point of the round was the importance of cultural exchange as means to enforce stronger bonds between both countries and ways how to attract more visibility and funding for these opportunities.
James Monroe, Co-Chair of AmCham Germany’s Aerospace & Defense Policy Committee joined the participants over lunch and gave insights to his long-standing dedication to transatlantic relations . Hediscussed important priorities for the committee surrounding the transatlantic debates on defense topics and how the subject has been shaped throughout the past decades.
At the U.S. Embassy at Pariser Platz, the program continued with meeting William Czajkowski, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Central Europe, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Stephen Anderson, Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Department of State,and Christin Mechler, Senior Regional Investment Specialist. The informal exchange ranged from commerce, trade, and education initiatives to priorities of the current Ambassador to Germany. Topics included, but were not limited to trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, the overall sentiment of cooperation between the U.S., EU, and Germany, the aim to make the role of academic and educational formats more efficient and flexible in the U.S. to secure workforce and finally, strategies to enforce even stronger economic ties across the Atlantic.
The last meeting of the day took place at Pfizer Germany, at which the NextGens had the opportunity to learn about the exciting projects at Pfizer centering on AI and healthcare developments. The discussions also touched upon larger discussions centering on the potential of AI and the challenges concerning the development of such technology, data collection, and regulation.
The Leadership Day concluded with gathering at Microsoft for AmCham Germany’s signature event, the Female Founders Award ceremony.
We would like to thank all speakers for welcoming us and providing valuable insights to our NextGens and making this Leadership Day in Berlin a success!
