Empowering The Multicultural Manager

MORGAN STANLEY CONFERENCE ARMS LEADERS OF COLOR WITH THE FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS INSIGHTS THEY NEED

- Derek T. Dingle

SCORES OF BUSINESS LEADERS RECENTLY GATHERED at the posh Pierre Hotel in midtown Manhattan to receive the equivalent of a playbook for leading in today’s fast-paced, chaotic times. The attendees, from top executives of the world’s largest corporations to BE 100s CEOs of the nation’s largest black-owned companies, came together for the third annual Senior Multicultural Leaders Conference, hosted by Morgan Stanley. In fact, the must-attend confab was described by the global financial services giant’s President Colm Kelleher as “one of its flagship events.”

Fittingly, the event included some of the world’s most celebrated leaders including former American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth I. Chenault; former Time Warner Chairman and CEO Richard D. Parsons; former US Trade Representative Ron Kirk; and CNN commentator and activist Van Jones, among others.

Under the theme, “Optimizing Growth: Risks, Returns and Riding the Cycle,” the daylong gathering presented a platform for acclaimed thought leaders and experts to dissect an array of relevant financial, business, and political topics, providing global executives with valuable information and much-needed context to help them tackle complex management challenges. For example, Kelleher and Morgan Stanley’s chief economist and head of investment and portfolio solutions, respectively, offered in separate sessions in-depth analyses of global economic and market trends.