1. the times | Monday June 15 2015
CEO Summit 2015
3
Have
your
say
Tweet or email us your questions to put to business leaders
at The Times CEO Summit
hoping for (or not) in the emergency
budget in July? Here is a chance to
put your questions to Britain’s
business leaders.
Simply tweet us at
@TimesBusiness using the hashtag
#TimesCEOSummit, or email
rebecca.clancy@thetimes.co.uk
and we will put your questions to
the business bosses during their
panel discussions.
The fifth Times CEO Summit will
bring together leading figures in
British business in the hope of
making an original and constructive
contribution to the national debate
on the economy.
With the uncertainty of a general
election now removed following the
Conservative’s majority win,
businesses are starting to increase
their investment.
However, the long-running saga
surrounding Greece continues, and
with Europe our largest trading
partner, how are companies
preparing for a potential “Grexit”?
Exporters are also being hit by the
strong pound.
So what next for business? Is
the government going far enough
to cut red tape for smaller
companies? What are the bosses
Contents
pages 4-5:
Britain and Europe
The arguments for and against
remaining in the European Union
The balance of trade
What can we learn from the
Scottish referendum?
pages 6-7:
The key issues
Five years ago The Times held its
inaugural CEO Summit
How the world has changed since
2010
How have priorities changed for
business leaders?
pages 8-9:
Disrupters
Are we heading for another
dot.com burst?
Party like it’s 1999
Where are the stars of the
dot.com boom now?
Ten disrupters to watch
page 10:
Infrastructure
An architect of the Northern
Powerhouse speaks out
How Britain compares
from the editor 1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
United Kingdom
In four weeks, more than 75 business leaders and
politicians will gather in London for the fifth Times CEO
summit.
The first Times CEO summit was held in June 2010, weeks
after the creation of the first coalition government in a
generation. This year’s summit will be held just days after
the first Conservative budget since 1997.
The economy is on an upward curve, with a solid
2.4 per cent rise in gross domestic product in the first quarter.
Wages are growing in real terms and, with 202,000 more
people in employment in the first three months of the year,
there are now 31.1 million people in work in the UK.
But challenges remain. On many measures Britain is
less productive than it was in 2007 before the financial crisis
and in the coming year business will have to grapple with
the uncertainty created by a referendum on our membership of
the European Union.
There is also a new generation of entrepreneurs using
technology to challenge long-established businesses and turn
economic models upside down, and there is an ongoing debate
about how we build the infrastructure needed to deliver future
growth.
All of these issues will be top of the agenda at the Times
CEO summit.
Six weeks after David Cameron confounded the pollsters
and commentators, sweeping to power with an overall
majority, the Times CEO summit will be an opportunity for
business to help to set the agenda for the new government.
John Witherow