David Axelrod
Former Senior Advisor to President Obama
PwC’s Deals Exchange
April 21-22, 2020 / 1 Hotel Brooklyn, New York, NY
PwC's partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival®
With the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation evolving rapidly, we know this issue is on everyone’s mind. In an abundance of caution, we are postponing this year’s Deals Exchange until 2021.
Plans are well underway to secure dates for next year’s program and we hope you’ll plan to join us. We will keep you informed of ongoing plans.
All of us at PwC are committed to supporting our clients and communities during this time, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Our website has more on responding to the potential business impacts of COVID-19. Please let our team know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Please let our team know if you have any questions or concerns. We hope to see you at the rescheduled event.
Beyond the moment: M&A during times of unprecedented change
The world is experiencing unprecedented, structural change—geopolitical, economic, demographic and technological. Most of us haven’t seen so many shifts at such high speeds in our lifetimes. While the natural tendency may be to hunker down and wait to see what happens before you invest, an examination of trends and history tells us that we should place our bets now. Acquirers who have acted quickly in a slower economy ultimately saw higher shareholder returns than industry peers, PwC’s research has found. Revolutionary technology, a multigenerational US labor force and historic access to capital are combining to give companies the tools and resources necessary to transform their businesses and capture growth in the years ahead. Geopolitical tensions and a potential economic downturn raise the stakes—the ensuing battle for market share will create both winners and losers. The proactive, prepared companies that take action early will outpace their competition.
This Exchange will examine the evolutionary forces creating historic change and uncertainty in the markets and offer perspectives on how to emerge stronger. We’ve designed the Exchange to provide dealmakers with a valuable network, top-tier thought leaders—and important analysis of history so we can learn from the past. There will be plenty of time to interact with your peers and speakers. As added inspiration, we combine our sessions with a relevant private film screening in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival®, complete with an exclusive Q&A afterwards with the filmmakers.
Speakers
Amy Webb
Professor of strategic foresight at the NYU Stern School of Business
Chunka Mui
Author and Managing Director, Devil’s Advocate Group
Lawrence H. Summers
Former US Treasury Secretary
Kendall O’Brien
Vice President, Finance and CFO for the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson.
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| 11:30 - 1:00 pm | Buffet lunch and registration |
| 1:00 - 1:15 pm | Welcome and future dealmaking framework Curt Moldenhauer, Deals Sales & Marketing Leader, PwC |
| 1:15 - 2:15 pm | Placing your bets: Technologies to power the future The relentless evolution of technology poses a critical question: Where should you place your investment bets for maximum payoff? Amy Webb, Founder and Quantitative Futurist of the Future Today Institute and professor of strategic foresight at NYU Stern School of Business, will share her thoughts on which technologies will have real impact versus those that are all hype or likely to fade away, and where we’ll see technologies combine to create powerful new hybrid capabilities—all of which could have significant implications for deals. |
| 2:15 - 2:30 pm | Discussion |
| 2:30 pm | Break |
| 3:00 pm | Global Economy: Finding clear wins in cloudy skies. Most economic forecasts call for a slowdown this year or next. To develop and execute a successful deals strategy, leaders need to understand how this cycle compares with previous ones and what factors most influence business investment. Renowned economist and former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers will discuss the underlying trends of today’s economy, how long the growth cycle could last and what the next downturn could look like so you can identify where opportunities may lie for your company. |
| 4:15 - 4:30 pm | Preparing for the downturn discussion & Day 1 wrap-up |
| 4:30 pm | Networking reception |
| 5:00 pm | Private screening of a Tribeca Film Festival movie |
| 7:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 - 8:30 am | Breakfast |
| 8:30 - 8:45 am | Recap and agenda for the day Curt Moldenhauer, Deals Sales & Marketing Leader, PwC |
| 8:45 - 9:45 am | US Election 2020: What will become of us? Any election year can lead companies to reassess their growth strategies and deal decisions. But 2020 could take that to another level, depending in part on which candidates emerge. David Axelrod, Senior Political Commentator, CNN, and Host, The Axe Files; Director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics; Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama (2009-2011), will share his perspective on the electoral landscape and how it could affect financial markets and business investment. |
| 9:45 - 10:10 am | Discussion |
| 10:10 - 10:30 am | Break |
10:30 - 11:30 pm |
M&A integration stories from the edge Many companies have become serial acquirers of startups to gain technology, talent, customers or scale. We’ll discuss what makes a successful integration with executives who have proven track records of preserving value while combining companies. We will also share the results of PwC's latest M&A Integration Survey. Kendall O’Brien, Vice President, Finance and CFO for the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. |
| 11:30 - 12:00 pm | Integration discussion |
| 12:00 - 1:00 pm | From the future looking back (Lunch keynote) Chunka Mui, Futurist & Author of The New Killer Apps and Billion Dollar Lessons; Managing Director, Devil’s Advocate Group, and Exchange Fellow. |
| 1:00 pm | Closing remarks Colin Wittmer, US Deals Leader, PwC Curt Moldenhauer, Deals Sales & Marketing Leader, PwC |
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At this Exchange, A digital crossroads: Balancing humans and machines to fuel growth, we examined how firms can thrive at the intersection of business, experience and technology. Among the CEOs that PwC surveyed, more than half are currently exploring the benefits of humans and machines working together. Another 39 percent are considering how AI will impact their future skill needs. We looked in-depth at the new technologies that can enable growth, how to cut costs to reinvest purposefully, and the importance of creating a strong set of values.
