A view of Toronto. Image by Tim Sandle
Global leaders, decision makers and experts are set to convene over three days at the prestigious annual economic conference to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the world today.
The event in question is the Toronto Global Forum. This event is intended to unite world leaders and decision makers for a timely discussion titled ‘Leading in Times of Transformation’. The goal is to construct a framework to enable leaders to navigate what is an increasingly challenging economic and geopolitical climate. In addition, The Forum aims to foster dialogue on national and global issues, in the context of changing dynamics in the economy.
The Forum is in its 19th year and the 2025 edition of the Toronto Global Forum will be presented by Cogeco, with the event running from October 1517 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
Each day has a different theme:
- Wednesday, October 15 – Finance, Trade, Supply Chain, Food Security
- Thursday, October 16 – Energy, Infrastructure & Critical Resources
- Friday, October 17 – Geopolitics, Innovation, Technology
The conference is organised by the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA), which is an organization created to encourage connection, collaboration and innovation to address the world’s challenges.
The programme features indepth discussions on major topics including finance, energy security, the future of trade, critical minerals, infrastructure, defence and geopolitics, technology and artificial intelligence (where the sessions will be livestreamed and available to a global audience).
While not primarily political, given that the conferences focus on the intersection of global economic challenges and policy decisions, it invariably attracts heads of state, central bank governors, ministers, and other highlevel economic decisionmakers.
The economic worldview, whilst representative of most economies follows global orthodoxy. As a counter charge, some consider the worldview to be offering a globalist agenda that does not focus sufficiently on local communities. Other criticisms include to heavy a focus on profit over alternative, less market orientated solutions.
Among the speakers for 2025 is Boitumelo Mosako, CEO, Development Bank of South Africa, together with Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, and Bowei Lee, Group Chairman, LCY Chemical.
Speaking about the event, Nicholas Rémillard, CEO of the IEFA says: “It is a privilege to welcome this delegation of thought leaders and industry experts to this year’s Toronto Global Forum. This year’s theme reflects the increasingly challenging landscape our global leaders find themselves navigating and the opportunities to foster a future where our economies can thrive.”
