Events

CEO Club London recently co-hosted a pivotal conference, "On the Road to NATO Washington Summit", which was a standout event of the first half-year of 2024. The conference's theme, particularly pertinent as we approach the NATO Washington Summit in July 2024, was discussed at the prestigious British Academy in collaboration with the Ukrainian Student Union, Centre for Defence Strategies, CEO Club Ukraine, Centre for Geopolitics, and The International Renaissance Foundation (IRF). 

 

“We’ve become drunk on peace and its dividends. We have to be rational about the consequences.” - Sir Liam Fox

Yesterday’s grand event brought insights from Sir Liam Fox, Former Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet of David Cameron, on pressing global issues, including NATO defence budgets, the situation in Ukraine, geopolitical dynamics involving the EU, the US, Russia, Iran, and China.

Sir Liam Fox emphasised the importance of scrutinising NATO’s defence spending. It’s not just about raising budgets; it’s about spending wisely to ensure our collective security. He reaffirmed his support for arming Ukraine, stressing the need for NATO to have brutally honest discussions about each member state’s contributions to the defence budget.

Reflecting on the West’s stance in conflicts in Europe, Sir Liam Fox stated, «The West overslept multiple times, first in 2008 with Georgia, then in 2014 with Crimea and the Eastern Ukraine.» This serves as a reminder of the importance of proactive and decisive action.

Sir Liam Fox also discussed the UK’s special relationship with Ukraine, emphasising the importance of shared long-term goals and values. Both nations believe in law and democracy, standing in stark contrast to Russia’s vision. He underscored the need to support countries like Georgia and Moldova, aligning them with our values and moving them out of the grey zone.

Sir Liam Fox highlighted the interconnectedness of the British and US economies and stressed that mutual prosperity is in our best interest. While trade is essential, stable investments are the foundation of a lasting relationship.

Sir Liam Fox’s closing message was clear: “The West, bound by four-year political cycles, unlike Russia, must understand that Ukraine’s frontline is our frontline. Ukraine’s existential battle is our existential battle.” It’s time for a unified, strategic response to these global challenges.

Special thanks to Aliona Hlivco for being a moderator and to Sir Liam Fox MP for being our speaker!

Inspiring discussion with Baroness Catherine Meyer, Head of Ukraine Reconstruction, Trade & Industry at the Department for Business and Trade Jack Banks, Lord James Wharton, and Serhiy Haydaychuk, Dmytro Tretiakov, Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska on the future of Ukraine's economy.

The resilience and growth of Ukraine's economy are pivotal, especially during modern challenging times. From restoring critical infrastructure and enhancing EU connectivity to transforming into a green, technological powerhouse, Ukraine's potential is immense. It's crucial to attract investments now for a sustainable and prosperous future.

Let's support Ukraine in its journey towards energy independence, reduced carbon footprint, and robust food security, ensuring a competitive and green economy for the long term.

 
CEO Club London in collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine to the UK and Ukrainian researchers in UK analytical structures, had an insightful meeting with three distinguished ministers - Stephen Doughty MP, Luke Pollard MP, and Gareth Thomas MP. Our discussions focused on strategies to deepen and expand UK-Ukraine relations in both the political and economic spheres, covering areas such as military technology, critical materials, energy, and B2B. Key topics included expanding military cooperation, enhancing Britain's leadership and industrial support for Ukraine's Armed Services, and fortifying the role of women in the defence sector through training and rehabilitation.

We also emphasized the importance of cooperation along the Britain-Europe-Ukraine axis and discussed strengthening the UK's trade mission to Ukraine. Visits from British political forces to Ukraine were highlighted as a significant step towards fostering closer ties. One of the crucial aspects of our dialogue was the need to align British defence and foreign policy with a unified vision.

This meeting underscored the role of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships in navigating the present geopolitical landscape. We, as a CEO Club paving the way to a stronger UK-Ukraine partnership, more resilient future, reinforcing the bonds between the UK and Ukraine in both political and economic domains.

Thank you for advocating for Ukraine-UK partnership!
 

“Never get big headed as fruit doesn’t grow on tall trees” told self-made billionaire Surinder Arora his mother when he was a kid. Mr. Arora grew up in India. He later moved to London. At first he worked simple jobs, later made a successful career in finance. 

However, he didn’t stop there and began developing hotel business. His first hotels were operating in the Heathrow airport for British Airways. After 9/11 the network expanded to other airports and other airlines. When Heathrow didn’t want to include Mr. Arora’s business in the tender claiming it to be too small, he ended up winning a different tender for the Accor Sofitel brand and created one of the best hotel businesses in the world. 

Mr. Arora shared not only his business success story, but also some life advice as he is married successfully for 40 years. 
Thank you to all who attended yesterday! We also extend a special gratitude to Andrii Gorokhov who moderated the event.

On the 26th of March CEO Club London and Bob Seely MP co-hosted a VIP Dinner at the Houses of Parliament in support of Ukraine. Among the guests from the UK side there were such high-ranking officials as Ministers, Lords, MPs and business representatives. We were happy to welcome Lord Martin John Callanan who serves as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. There also were representatives of the Ukrainian government and large business corporations. The event was made possible thanks to the support of BGV Group. We successfully bridged UK-Ukraine businesses and governments giving the guests a unique opportunity to network and discuss potential cooperation.
The guests engaged in a fruitful discussion on UK-Ukraine cooperation on energy infrastructure, critical materials and defence technologies.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to Bob Seely MP who co-organised this event with the CEO Club London!

On the 19th of March we hosted an event “Crossroads 2024: Navigating New Horizons in Tax and Immigration Law for Ukrainians in the UK”. This was a well-requested by our members topic that we successfully brought to life. 

The panel discussion featured Dmitry Zapol and Ruslan Kosarenko. We discussed the changes that happened to the Ukrainian Schemes in the UK and the changes to the UK Tax regulations that are yet to come. 

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On the 14th of March, we hosted Jonathan Fenby CBA at the event « China and the World: Return of the Empire? ». Mr Fenby is one of the UK’s leading experts on all aspects of China and Chinese affairs. Olyana Gordiyenko moderated the talk. 

Mr. Fenby highlighted China's rapid economic growth and its transformation into a global economic powerhouse and touched upon the possibility of escalation of the US-China trade war in the near future. Additionally, the geopolitical implications of China's rise, including shifts in power dynamics and challenges to the existing world order were discussed. 

As the rise of China raises concerns the potential strategic responses from other nations to China's rise, including cooperation, competition, or containment strategies were also mentioned. Later the talk delved into the role of China in the Russo-Ukraine war and that China does not view Putin either as an equal or reliable ally.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and Mr. Jonathan Fenby for the insightful discussion!