Shaping Tomorrow Through Leadership Dialogues
/ Sneak Preview World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026: The Magic Mountain is Calling
Each January, the snow settles quietly over the rooftops of Europe’s highest town, while the ridgelines of the mountains glow beneath a pale winter sun. This alpine setting becomes the backdrop for one of the world’s most concentrated gatherings of global leadership: the Annual Meeting in Davos. The week offers far more than formal sessions or official programs. It is shaped by serendipitous encounters and purposeful conversations, exchanged along the Promenade, sparked during early breakfasts, shared between receptions, or unfolding on snow-covered paths between venues. Leaders from across industries and regions come not only for what is scheduled, but for the insights that emerge in quiet moments. Many leaders will tell you that the most important conversations are not the ones held on stage, but the ones sparked on the train ride up to Davos, or in quiet moments between sessions.
These are the moments that give Davos its particular rhythm, encounters that shift perspectives and quietly move grand agendas forward. It is in this spirit of shaping an innovative and meaningful future together that bluegain continues its tradition of hosting the CxO Luncheon during the Annual Meeting. Each year, we bring together a select group of senior executives for a focused conversation rooted in the realities of transformation under this year’s theme:
What meaningful tomorrow can we shape with the courage to leave yesterday’s recipes behind?
The theme is the result of our longer crystallization process after having talked to many CxOs and builds on the idea that transformation requires more than incremental improvement. We need to consider what should be redefined and what should be left behind in order to remain meaningful in a fast-changing environment. It offers a moment to consider what’s next? And how relevance can be designed through purpose, not inherited through routine. As this requires courage, we have taken the freedom to connect it with the idea of “Mut”, the German word for courage. It is not about bold gestures or loud declarations, but about a calm and steady strength. The kind of strength that allows leaders to pause, re-evaluate what they carry forward, and step into new directions with clarity and intent to change the world for the better.
As in previous years, the CxO Luncheon will take place on Tuesday during the Davos week, on January 21, 2026, at the Heimatmuseum in the center of town. This venue offers more than just a location. With its quiet elegance and connection to alpine history, it creates an atmosphere that invites honest dialogue and thoughtful exchange. The setting encourages depth over display, drawing inspiration from the traditions of 17th and 18th-century French salons, where ideas were exchanged, and intellectual movements flourished. The format is simple and intentional. Every guest contributes to the conversation, not through formal speeches, but through real stories and shared experiences. Discussions unfold around the leadership decisions that carry weight, the models that are being reimagined, and the role of executives in shaping business with purpose and consequence.
This moment also marks the opportunity to honor those shaping transformation with depth, clarity, and measurable impact. In 2025, bluegain presented the Transformation Excellence Award to Peter Sarlin, co-founder of Silo AI, Europe’s largest private AI lab. His leadership in building the company’s strategic capabilities and advancing the region’s largest AI acquisition valued at $665 million reflects a rare combination of technological expertise and systemic foresight. Peter Sarlin exemplifies transformation not only through outcomes but through vision and integrity. He stands as a clear example of innovation in transformation, introducing tools and models that expand the possibilities of applied AI. His ability to serve as a catalyst for change across both public and private sectors, paired with a consistent commitment to ethical leadership, highlights the values this award seeks to celebrate. Who will be next in 2026?
With only 120 days to go until Davos, the world continues to shift, and the need for spaces that hold clarity, courage, and shared purpose becomes more vital than ever. The CxO Luncheon offers such a space. We look forward to welcoming those who resonate with this intent. If this theme speaks to you, we invite you to be in touch. The conversation begins here.
/ About the Author
- Arjun Aditya is a Digital Marketing Associate at bluegain, where he focuses on digital branding and communications. Before joining bluegain, Arjun worked at Adidas AG on a global transformation project, leading user-centric change initiatives that impacted over 1,000 employees. He also gained experience at Pollup Data Services and A2A Digital Transformation Consulting. Arjun holds a Master’s degree in Digital Business Innovation from Politecnico di Milano.
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