Global Business Futures Initiative (GBFI)

Global Business Futures Initiative (GBFI)

The Global Business Futures Initiative (GBFI) is an emerging thought leadership centre at the Haskayne School of Business. GBFI's strategic mission is to prepare established businesses to thrive on disruption in the global marketplace. The approach is to mobilize ideas and provide practical tools and frameworks that allow business leaders to better understand global disruptions and their subsequent value-creation opportunities. This initiative is launching an annual global business summit, serving managers, directors, investors, and policymakers on the issues related to achieving corporate longevity and prosperity. 

Mobilization of business leaders adapting to the ever-changing world

Well-established large and medium companies are the foundation of the national economy, providing stability, employment, retirement benefits, investment in innovations and tax revenues. However, the longevity of these organizations is threatened by the global pandemic and looming recession. A rising concern for business leaders, institutional investors and government. How will national companies adjust to accelerating environmental turbulence in the global marketplace? What will it take to embrace emerging and disruptive technologies and business models? Will there be a digital transformation of industry value chains? How will challenges to international trade and misbalances in global capital markets play out in the coming years?

The first step is to support and mobilize the rigorous management research that is already being conducted and to use that to determine best management practices. The GBFI will also generate original, evidence-based insights and guidance for managers, directors, investors and policymakers. The practical management tools from the initiative are intended to help identify global disruptions early on and help transform these threats into value-creating opportunities.

Image shows thought leadership plus mobilizing ideas leads to management practices impacted by global insights.

The GBFI will host an annual, global forum (“GBFI Summit”) to bring business leaders, institutional investors and policymakers together to encourage robust discussions of key ideas and approaches to help achieve corporate longevity and long-term prosperity in a turbulent business environment. This forum provides a safe space to learn and explore what business leaders need to do to compete in a new and changing world, with the intention of building better policies and stronger countries.

Image of the annual forum and all it’s components.