PETER VANHAM

Author, with Klaus Schwab, of Stakeholder Capitalism; He writes about the global economy and the people that shape it


  • He is Head of Communications for WEF Chairman and Founder (Klaus Schwab) and Head of its International Media Council
  • He is Executive Editor at Fortune Connect (2022)
  • Vanham developed the 21st century stakeholder model, putting not the company, but the planet and its people at the center of the global economy
  • He has worked at the World Economic Forum, publishing some of the most thought-provoking and business books of our time, including The Great Reset
  • For a decade, he has been observing and interviewing CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, listening to their stories and leadership lessons 
  • Vanham has published his findings in the world's major business publications, including Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Quartz, and Insider
  • His latest book, Stakeholder Capitalism, written with Klaus Schwab, is based on studies and field trips around the world, from Djibouti to Shenzhen to Jakarta

 


Peter Vanham is an author and business journalist, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He writes about the global economy and the people who help shape it, contributing stories to Financial Times, Business Insider, Quartz, and World Economic Forum Agenda. Peter has been working for the World Economic Forum since 2014. He has been US Media Lead, Lead Writer, and most recently Head of Chairman's Communications and the International Media Council, his current function.

As Head of the International Media Council of the World Economic Forum, Peter brings together the editors-in-chief of the world’s leading media (from the Wall Street Journal over Financial Times to Caixin) for discussions on the industry and conversations with world leaders, which have included UN Secretary General Antonio Gutterres, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Pakistan Prime Minister Imram Khan. 

As Head of Communications for Chairman Klaus Schwab, Peter aids the Chairman in communicating his views on “stakeholder capitalism” and other topics of interest. His op-eds have appeared in Time, Fortune, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Project Syndicate and 30+ other media. His interviews have appeared in FT, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Die Welt, Le Figaro, NZZ, Reuters, Bloomberg and others. He also acts as Head Writer of the World Economic Forum, and has helped define their views on “Globalization 4.0” through a series of articles on our Agenda website.

His latest book, "Stakeholder Capitalism", explores how to build a global economy that works for progress, people and planet. It includes original reporting from countries such as Singapore, Denmark, Indonesia and China, and interviews with dozens of economists and global business leaders.

His first book, "Before I Was CEO", about the life stories and lessons from leaders before they made it to the top, was published with Wiley in the US, with Nha Nam in Vietnam, and Kobo. It features the stories of 20 global leaders, including the CEOs of Heineken, Nestle, Tupperware, the Chairmen of Bain & Company and AT Kearney, and the deans of Wharton and London Business School.

Peter tailors each presentation to the needs of his audience and is not limited to the topics listed below. Please ask us about any subject that interests you;

  • Global Economy
  • Stakeholder Capitalism
  • ESG management
  • Leadership

Stakeholder Capitalism: A Global Economy that Works for Progress, People and Planet

Reimagining our global economy so it becomes more sustainable and prosperous for all.  

Our global economic system is broken. But we can replace the current picture of global upheaval, unsustainability, and uncertainty with one of an economy that works for all people, and the planet. First, we must eliminate rising income inequality within societies where productivity and wage growth has slowed. Second, we must reduce the dampening effect of monopoly market power wielded by large corporations on innovation and productivity gains. And finally, the short-sighted exploitation of natural resources that is corroding the environment and affecting the lives of many for the worse must end.

The debate over the causes of the broken economy—laissez-faire government, poorly managed globalization, the rise of technology in favor of the few, or yet another reason—is wide open. Stakeholder Capitalism: A Global Economy that Works for Progress, People and Planet argues convincingly that if we don't start with recognizing the true shape of our problems, our current system will continue to fail us. To help us see our challenges more clearly, Schwab and Vanham, look for the real causes of our system's shortcomings, and for solutions in best practices from around the world in places as diverse as China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Singapore. And in doing so, they find emerging examples of new ways of doing things that provide grounds for hope, including:

  • Individual agency: how countries and policies can make a difference against large external forces
  • A clearly defined social contract: agreement on shared values and goals allows government, business, and individuals to produce the most optimal outcomes
  • Planning for future generations: short-sighted presentism harms our shared future, and that of those yet to be born
  • Better measures of economic success: move beyond a myopic focus on GDP to more complete, human-scaled measures of societal flourishing

By accurately describing our real situation, Stakeholder Capitalism is able to pin-point achievable ways to deal with our problems. Chapter by chapter, Schwab and Vanham show us that there are ways for everyone at all levels of society to re-shape the broken pieces of the global economy and—country by country, company by company, and citizen by citizen—glue them back together in a way that benefits us all.

Before I Was CEO: Life Stories and Lessons from Leaders Before They Reached the Top

Have you always known what you wanted to be in life?
What are some “watershed moments” that made you who you are?
When did you get on track to become a successful CEO?

It started with three questions at Davos. The younger Peter Vanham looked to the answers from the elite leaders he asked to validate his own career choice, and the rich, private wisdom he received revealed more about building a career than he’d found anywhere else. He shares it all with you in Before I Was CEO.

For everyone who lays awake at night wondering if they’re heading up or down the corporate ladder, this collection of personal stories from a remarkable group of the most accomplished men and women in business today proves everyone can put themselves in the C-suite by taking a variety of different paths—it’s all how you do it. Some found opportunity through adversity and others came by their big-break moments through serendipity. A group of them walked away from corporate life and lived in other ways and all of them made calculated moves to advance their careers. In their own words, read how it all unfolded, the tough decisions they wrestled, the risks and rewards they saw, and how it all came together. You don’t need a royal pedigree or Ivy League education to reach the top as long as you:

  • Value family, leave home, and make informed decisions based on your dreams
  • Take the first thirty-five years of your life to discover what you’re interested in and don’t rush to be a CEO
  • Strategically deal with failure, remember the lessons you learned, and adapt to situations you can’t change

You aren’t the first person to be at the crossroads you’re standing in, and with the motivating and instructive stories in Before I Was CEO, you may be answering a young journalist’s questions at Davos one day.