The 2012 Atlantic Council Annual Members’ Conference featured town hall sessions with US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Senator Chuck Hagel, EU Ambassador Vale de Almeida, and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. Prominent experts in the public and private sectors led discussions in six master classes on topics related to the conference’s main theme of “The Atlantic Community and its Global Purpose.” This year’s conference is the fourth annual gathering of Atlantic Council board directors, membership, and leadership and builds on the successes of the prior three conferences.
TOWN HALL: Implications of the 2012 US Presidential Election
Senator Chuck Hagel, ** Chairman, Atlantic Council
Moderated by Mr. Frederick Kempe, ** President and CEO, Atlantic Council
TOWN HALL: The State of the Global Economy: A Conversation with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner
The Hon. Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary, US Department of the Treasury
Moderated by Dr. Gillian Tett, * Assistant Editor and Columnist, Financial Times
MORNING MASTER CLASSES
Crisis of Capitalism: What’s Next For the West?
The Hon. Philip Lader,** Chairman, WPP plc
H.E. Ana Palacio,** former Foreign Minister of Spain
Mr. Maciej Witucki,** CEO, Polish Telecom
Moderated by Dr. Frances Burwell, Vice President and Director, Program on Transatlantic Relations, Atlantic Council
Syria: Is International Intervention Inevitable?
Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, RNA, former Head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria
Moderated by Dr. Michele Dunne, Director, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Atlantic Council
How Does Energy Impact International Security?
Gen. James L. Jones, Jr., USMC (Ret.),** former National Security Advisor
Moderated by Mr. Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, International Security Program, Atlantic Council
TOWN HALL: Navigating Economic Uncertainty
H.E. João Vale de Almeida, Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United States
Moderated by Dr. Gillian Tett,* Assistant Editor and Columnist, Financial Times
AFTERNOON MASTER CLASSES
NATO Global Partnerships: A New Approach to Security?
H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba,* Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates
H.E. Ritva Koukku-Ronde,* Ambassador of Finland
The Hon. Frank Kramer,** Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council
H.E. Peter Taksøe-Jensen,* Ambassador of Denmark
Moderated by Mr. Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council
Is Afghanistan Ready For the Transition Beyond 2014?
Dr. Ashraf Ghani,^ Chairman, Institute for State Effectiveness
Moderated by Mr. Shuja Nawaz, Director, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council
How Is Technology Shifting the Paradigm of Modern Warfare?
Gen. James Cartwright, USMC (Ret.),** Eighth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Moderated by Mr. Barry Pavel, Director, International Security Program, Atlantic Council
TOWN HALL: A More Vital West?
Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski,^ former National Security Advisor
Moderated by Mr. David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist, Washington Post
* Atlantic Council Member
** Atlantic Council Board Director
^ International Advisory Board Member