Welcome to the February 2025 edition of 'The Lookout'

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the first edition of The Lookout for 2025, bringing you a global perspective on issues that matter.

This year, we celebrate the Aspen Institute’s 75th anniversary, a milestone that highlights the Institute’s purpose - to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world - remain as relevant today as ever. We’re also very pleased to welcome Melanie Seyfort as our new Corporate Partnerships Manager, and kicked off our 2025 event calendar with Empowering Economies - A New Era of NZ–India Business Relations, in association with the High Commission of India to NZ, more below.

In this edition, In Focus examines three key takeaways from Empowering Economies, showcasing new opportunities for New Zealand businesses in India, and why a proactive, private-sector-led approach is essential.

Leadership in Action features international business consultant Nikolaus Lang, who shares his insights on global trends and five essential leadership strategies for navigating geopolitical shifts. In Depth unpacks McKinsey's latest research on AI and how organisations can unlock it's full potential to enhance creativity, efficiency, and productivity in the workplace.

Looking ahead, we're continuing to strengthen global connections in our Sister Cities Challenges series between Aspen and Queenstown. Join us online for our first panel discussion of the year: The Infrastructure Dilemma - Housing & Urban Planning. Lastly, don't miss the opportunity to be involved with Aspen Ideas: Climate Chicago as a panellist or facilitator - details below.

As always, feel free to tailor the content to your needs and share it with friends and colleagues. We hope you enjoy this edition!

Ngā mihi - Christine and the Aspen Institute NZ team