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TRICONTINENTAL DIALOGUE
2025 / 2026 EDITION
Geopolitics Meets The Boardroom: Businesses Navigating US-China Rivalry
ABOUT THE TRICONTINENTAL DIALOGUE
Each Academic Year since 2025, the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business runs a Tricontinental Dialogue, drawing on ESSEC’s unique footprint in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This initiative fosters a cross-continental conversation between business leaders, policymakers, and academics, offering a comparative and forward-looking perspective on how companies can navigate a fractured global order.
THE 2025 - 2026 THEME
Geopolitics Meets The Boardroom: European Businesses Navigating US-China Rivalry
Today, the rivalry between the United States and China is reshaping the foundations of international relations and the global economy. From contested supply chains to divergent technological standards and mounting security concerns, the competition between the world’s two largest powers is no longer confined to diplomacy and defense—it directly affects corporate strategies, investment flows, and business resilience. For companies operating in this fragmented world, understanding the implications of this rivalry has become a strategic necessity.
It is for this reason that the first edition of the Tricontinental Dialogue covered the cross-cutting topic “Geopolitics Meets the Boardroom: Businesses Navigating US–China Rivalry in a Fragmented World”, through:
- A European Conference, held on ESSEC’s Cergy campus on September 17, 2025
- An African Conference, hosted at ESSEC Africa in Rabat on April 2, 2026
- An Asian Conference, curated on June 10, 2026 at ESSEC Asia Pacific in Singapore
Through this tricontinental approach, the Institute seeks to provide economic leaders with rigorous insights and actionable perspectives on navigating geopolitical disruptions reshaping the global business environment.
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE 2025
« Geopolitics Meets The Boardroom: European Businesses Navigating US-China Rivalry »
September 17, 2025 | ESSEC Business School - Cergy Campus
Negotiating under Pressure: Shifting Business Environment Amid Sanctions, Tech Controls and National Security Screens
Dorothée ROUZET, Chief Economist of the Treasury – French Republic
Geopolitics of AI: European Firms Navigating Tech Crossfire and Twin Disruptions from Silicon Valley and Zhongguancun
Henri VERDIER, Ambassador for Digital Affairs – French Republic
Strategic Squeeze: Europe’s Economic Repositioning in the Age of US–China Rivalry
Clarisse MAGNIN-MALLEZ, Senior Partner and Managing Partner for France – McKinsey & Company
Navigating US–China Rivalry: Geostrategy in Practice for European Businesses
Famke KRUMBMÜLLER, Partner & EMEIA Leader of the Geostrategic Business Group – EY Parthenon
Geopolitics of the Backlash: How Business Navigates Disruptions and Power Plays — Five Years into the 2030 Agenda
Nils PEDERSEN, Executive Director – UN Global Compact Network France
Geopolitics of Currencies: Europe's Way Amid Power Shifts and Financial Instability
Jean-Patrick YANITCH, Partner & EMEA Lead for Public Sector – Oliver Wyman
Energy, Power and Rivalry: Why the Energy Transition Is Now a Strategic Battlefield for Business
Erkki MAILLARD, Senior Vice-President for Public and International Affairs – EDF
AFRICAN CONFERENCE 2026
« Geopolitics Meets The Boardroom: African Businesses Navigating US-China Rivalry »
April 2, 2026 | ESSEC Business School - Rabat Campus
Navigating Between Giants: African CEOs' Path to Growth in a Fragmented World
H.E. Assia BENSALAH ALAOUI, Ambassador-at-Large of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco
Building Africa’s Economic Sovereignty: Balancing Global Partnerships and Local Priorities
Amine BOUABID, Chairman & CEO of Bank of Africa Group
Africa’s CEO Playbook for a Fragmented World: Competing, Partnering, and Leading Through Uncertainty
Yassir ZOUAOUI, Partner at McKinsey & Company Morocco and French-speaking Africa Lead for Global Economic Development Practice
ASIAN CONFERENCE 2026
« Geopolitics Meets The Boardroom: Asian Businesses Navigating US-China Rivalry »
June 10, 2026, from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm | ESSEC Business School - Asia Pacific Campus in Singapore
Economic Resilience in a Fragmented World: Singapore's Perspective on Geoeconomic Shift
H.E. Bilahari KAUSIKAN, Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore
From Risk Management to Corporate Strategy: How Geopolitics Is Rewriting the Global Playbook for Business Leaders
Bruce DELTEIL, Managing Partner for Vietnam and Asia Lead for Strategy Practice at McKinsey & Company
Financial Institutions in a Fragmented World: Rethinking Risk, Operational Resilience, and Settlement Systems
Timothy COLYER, Partner, Climate & Sustainability Lead for APAC, Head of Financial Services for South East Asia at Oliver Wyman
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