The Scoop
Semafor today announced its first slate of speakers for the 2026 Annual Convening of Semafor World Economy, taking place this coming April 13-17 in Washington, DC. Together, they comprise a global cohort of senior leaders across technology, energy, consumer, finance, and health, underscoring the breadth and depth of perspective that will define this year’s convening.
More than 400 top global CEOs will take part in Semafor World Economy; this initial group includes a distinguished roster of chief executives, investors, and other private‑sector leaders, including:
- Cristiano Amon, President & CEO, Qualcomm Incorporated
- Bill Anderson, CEO, Bayer
- David Burritt, President & CEO, United States Steel Corporation
- Maverick Carter, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment
- Joanne Crevoiserat, CEO, Tapestry
- Thasunda Brown Duckett, President & CEO, TIAA
- Georges Elhedery, Group CEO, HSBC
- Brad Garlinghouse, CEO, Ripple
- Michelle Gass, President & CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
- Ken Griffin, Founder & CEO, Citadel
- Rene Haas, CEO, Arm Holdings
- Tom Hale, CEO, Oura
- Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder, LinkedIn & Manas AI
- Barbara Humpton, CEO, USA Rare Earth
- Jenny Johnson, CEO, Franklin Templeton
- Bob Jordan, President & CEO, Southwest Airlines
- Vimal Kapur, Chairman & CEO, Honeywell
- Ynon Kreiz, Chairman & CEO, Mattel
- Mark Lazarus, CEO, VERSANT
- Patrice Louvet, President & CEO, Ralph Lauren
- David Miliband, President & CEO, International Rescue Committee
- Henry M. Paulson Jr., Chairman, Paulson Institute; Former United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO, TotalEnergies
- Dina Powell McCormick, President & Vice Chair, Meta
- Penny S. Pritzker, Former US Secretary of Commerce
- John Rogers, Jr., Founder, Chairman & Co-CEO, Ariel Investments
- David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group
- Dan Schulman, CEO, Verizon
- Alex Soros, Chair, Open Society Foundations
- Pete Shadbolt, Co-Founder & CSO, PsiQuantum
- Scott Strazik, CEO, GE Vernova
- Bret Taylor, Co-Founder, Sierra; Chairman, Open AI
- John Waldron, President & COO, Goldman Sachs
- George Walker, Chairman & CEO, Neuberger Berman
- Kathy Warden, Chair, President, & CEO, Northrop Grumman
- Jon Winkelried, Partner & CEO, TPG
- Anne Wojcicki, Founder & CEO, 23andMe Research Institute
In this article:
About Semafor World Economy
Semafor World Economy is dedicated to empowering global decision makers to navigate extraordinary complexity by curating insights, ideas, and diverse perspectives on the new world economy. This year’s convening will span five days of on‑stage conversations and in‑depth interviews with global CEOs, government officials, and other senior decision‑makers from every major sector across the G‑20, guided by a Global Advisory Board of visionary business leaders.
Know More
This year’s speakers will be joined by an inaugural cohort of Semafor World Economy Principals, an editorially curated community of innovators, policymakers, and changemakers shaping the new world economy with front-row access to Semafor’s world-class journalism, meaningful opportunities for dialogue, and touchpoints designed for connection-building — applications are now open here.
In the coming weeks, Semafor will release additional information about the 2026 convening of Semafor World Economy, including agenda highlights, programming, dedicated topic tracks, and additional slates of speakers.
About Semafor
Semafor is the world’s fastest growing independent news media company that delivers intelligence through its reporting and live convenings. Founded in 2022 by veteran media executives Justin B. Smith and Ben Smith, Semafor provides intelligent, transparent journalism that cuts through the noise and distills complexity for leaders to navigate the new world economy. With a global sensibility, reach, and reporting hubs now spanning from Washington DC, Silicon Valley, Wall Street to sub-Saharan Africa and the Gulf, Semafor’s journalists around the world power its suite of daily first-read email briefings and signature live journalism convenings. The flagship Semafor World Economy, anchored in Washington DC, is the largest annual gathering of top global CEOs in North America, and Semafor’s convening on emerging economies, The Next Three Billion, is held annually at UNGA and expanded this year to South Africa, East Africa, and UAE. In 2024, Semafor was named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for “rewriting the story” on international reporting.