Highlights from the 2010 CEO2CEO Summit

“People are angry,” asserted Larry Leibowitz,COO of NYSE Euronext at the start of the 12th annual CEO2CEO Summit. “Whether it’s that they can’t get jobs, or they’re not sure what role the government is going to play, people don’t feel like things are happening. And businesses feel the same way. There’s a lot of uncertainty about everything, from what tax rates will be to what the regulatory environment will look like. What’s the response? Put your hands in your pockets and let’s see what happens.”

Uncertainty paralyzes. Consumers, businesses, the economy all suffer in uncertain times. But difficult as it is to act amid the haze of ambiguity, often it’s the companies tackling the challenge head-on that position themselves to thrive when the fog clears. As Chief Executive Group CEO Marshall Cooper pointed out, “Today’s CEOs recognize the need to grow our businesses, despite the tepid economy, political dysfunction, and generally uncertain future. In good times and bad, after all, CEOs are responsible for delivering results.”

More than 100 CEOs facing that imperative gathered on Wall Street at the New York Stock Exchange to exchange ideas about four fundamental areas of growth—global competitiveness, employee engagement, innovation, technological agility—during a series of roundtable and panel discussions sponsored by FedEx, NYSE Euronext, Deloitte, APCO Worldwide, iRise, and Pelican.

The articles below offer highlights from those discussions.

• Lessons from the Engagement Frontlines by Jennifer Pellet
• Enabling the Risk Intelligent Enterprise by C.J. Prince
• Targeting Technological Agility by J.P. Donlon
• Nurturing Enterprise Innovation by J.P. Donlon
• Global Threats
• Global Competitiveness by C.J. Prince