NBCUniversal at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos

January 30, 2024

NBCUniversal returned with a presence in Davos, Switzerland for our leaders to participate in global discussions and to report on the annual global financial conference, the World Economic Forum on Monday, January 15 – Friday, January 19. CNBC anchors and reporters from across the globe spoke with more than 150 high-profile business and political leaders, diving into key topics including inflation, the 2024 presidential election, the future of AI, and more.  

As business and political leaders gathered for this year’s Forum, CNBC curated an insightful agenda of fireside chats and panels throughout the week to address this year’s theme of ‘Rebuilding Trust.’ 

On The Ground Coverage

In the U.S., CNBC’s “Squawk Box” with Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin broadcasted live from Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, January 16 – Thursday, January 18. The co-anchors sat down with an array of CEOs, high-profile investors, politicians and other officials including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Bank of America Chairman & CEO Brian Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase Chairman & CEO Jamie Dimon, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, DVF Founder Diane Von Furstenberg and others to discuss the path ahead for 2024.   

CNBC’s Sara Eisen conducted interviews with Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga for upcoming primetime specials that will air on CNBC Leaders beginning Monday, January 22. On the digital side, CNBC.com Media Reporter Alex Sherman and Technology Reporter MacKenzie Sigalos teamed up on the ground, speaking to a number of business leaders, high-profile investors and industry experts about the likelihood of a recession in 2024, the potential of a Trump victory and generative AI dominating the conversation at this year’s event. 

CNBC International’s live coverage began with special programming on Monday, January 15 and “Capital Connection,” “Squawk Box Europe” and “Street Signs Europe” all broadcasted live from the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, January 16 – Friday, January 19. Throughout the week, Steve Sedgwick, Karen Tso, Mandy Drury, Dan Murphy, Tania Bryer and Silvia Amaro heard insights from heads of states, government officials and key policy makers including Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, ECB and Governor of the National Bank of Austria Robert Holzmann, and President of Poland Andrzej Duda as well as prominent business leaders including Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing, Barclays Group CEO C.S. Venkatakrishnan and UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti. 

Fireside Chats and Panels at Davos

In addition to key interviews, CNBC U.S. and CNBC International led various events and hosted several panel discussions moderated by Sara Eisen, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Tania Bryer, Silvia Amaro, Arjun Kharpal, Karen Tso, Mandy Drury, Dan Murphy and Steve Sedgwick. 

Panel discussions included:  

The High Rate Reality  
Panelists: Adena Friedman, Nasdaq; Gita Gopinath, IMF First Deputy Managing Director; Chuck Robbins, Cisco Chairman & CEO; Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Central Bank of France Governor   
Moderator: Steve Sedgwick 

AI: The Great Equaliser?  
Panelists: Abdullah AlSwaha, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology; Han Duck-soo, Prime Minister of Republic of Korea; Paula Ingabire, Rwanda Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Innovation; Ruth Porat, Google CFO   
Moderator: Karen Tso 

Are Banks Ready for the Future?  
Panelists: Sergio Ermotti, UBS CEO; Gita Gopinath, IMF First Deputy Managing Director; Mary Callahan Erdoes, JPMAM CEO; Slawomir Krupa, Societe Generale CEO   
Moderator: Sara Eisen 

Beyond the Sustainability Metrics: The Burden of Proof  
Panelists: Carmine Di Sibio, EY CEO; Emmanuel Faber; Laura Cha, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Chairman    
Moderator: Mandy Drury  

Hard Power of AI 
Panelists: Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach, Government of Ireland; Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta, USA; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC; Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Inflection AI, USA 
Moderator: Andrew Ross Sorkin 

Events at Davos

On the eve of the World Economic Forum, CNBC’s Sara Eisen led an annual roundtable dinner and discussion to address economic and political uncertainties, seek pathways to navigate crises, and uncover hidden opportunities for greater productivity, sustainability, and growth. 

On Monday, January 15, Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, hosted a private dinner, led by CNBC’s Tania Bryer, for marketing leaders from a breadth of industries and organizations on the role of the CMO in making a positive impact on business, society, and culture, worldwide.    

NBCUniversal’s Catalyst team partnered with the CNBC International editorial team to once again produce a thoughtfully curated schedule of panels and fireside chats at the Davos Sanctuary, hosted by sponsor Filecoin Foundation on Tuesday, January 16 – Thursday, January 18. Open to the public throughout the week, CNBC International anchors and reporters Tania Bryer, Steve Sedgwick, Silvia Amaro and Arjun Kharpal sat down for in-depth conversations with business, political and cultural leaders, including United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Dame Jane Goodall DBE, HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales, and Google DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim. 

On Tuesday January 16, CNBC welcomed hundreds of guests for its annual Nightcap party at the Grandhotel Belvédère in partnership with the Financial Times. Among those in attendance were will.i.am, Princess Beatrice and numerous CEOs and executives.   

CNBC President KC Sullivan hosted an intimate dinner and engaging discussion with NBCU News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, CNBC “Squawk Box” anchors Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin and top executives from tech, banking and retail at Willy’s Bar on Wednesday, January 17.  

On Thursday, January 18, Kate McVeigh, Vice President, Global Client Development, partnered with the Women in Work organization, and their co-founder Mariella Frostrup to host a breakfast for senior women executives from the world of technology and finance on the topic of diversity in leadership and the workplace. 

Across the week, NBCUniversal also hosted over 200 senior executives and industry influencers in the CNBC dining suite – where Chantelle Nicholson, multi-award winning chef and owner of Apricity Restaurant (Michelin Green Star 2023) served up locally sourced, sustainable meals - in keeping with one of the biggest themes in Davos.