QI Group is a proud and long-time Partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is actively engaged in its various meetings and relevant initiatives to improve the state of the world.

Mr Vijay Poonoosamy, QI Group’s Director, International & Public Affairs, participated in the 50th WEF’s Annual Summit in Davos from 20 to 24 January 2020 and had a packed schedule of meetings, sessions, discussions, networking and events in Davos.

On the opening night itself Mr Poonoosamy was welcomed to the Davos Circle by Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and received the special pin marking his 10th participation in the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

Mr Poonoosamy also actively participated in various sessions on Sustainability, single-use plastics and Corporate Values.

In the sessions on Sustainability and single-use plastics, Mr Poonoosamy explained the underlying health, environmental and animal care reasons for QI Group’s ban on single-use plastics from our offices worldwide. WEF pointed out that short-term economics make plastic cheaper, but companies that resist regulations or ignore public pressure may risk causing permanent damage to their brand value in the public eye. For more details please see this link.

Mr Vijay Poonoosamy with HE Sultan Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy

Mr Poonoosamy also actively participated in sessions on Corporate Values and Purpose as well as in a panel discussion on “Shareholders for a sustainable world: Maximizing purpose and profit”, which explored how brands should combine business growth strategies with an ethical purpose and how CEOs should celebrate stakeholder engagement and create a shared vision for a sustainable future. In the session on “Aligning Shared Values in Stakeholder Capitalism”, moderated by Azza Karam, Secretary General-Elect of Religions for Peace, the conclusion was that purpose-based companies must embody shared societal values throughout their business models and operations. In all these sessions Mr Poonoosamy spoke about QI Group’s RYTHM ethos, our Corporate Values, having Mahatma Gandhi as our Corporate Icon and on the need to remain firm on Ethics and Values.

Mr Vijay Poonoosamy with Ms Azza Karam, Secretary General-Elect of Religions for Peace

Mr Poonoosamy was also invited as a Contributor to a session on Smart/Innovative cities and to a most fascinating session in the main Congress Centre with 15 Global Shapers (inspiring young people under the age of 30) on « Generation Risk: what worries today’s youth? ». Mr Poonoosamy advised the Global Shapers on the need for challenging targets and deadlines to be set in order to help secure necessary changes and on the need for the youth to retain their impatience, impertinence and scepticism in order to help secure these changes.

WEF also launched a new Davos Manifesto which proclaims that the purpose of a company is to engage all its stakeholders in shared and sustained value creation. In creating such value, a company must serve not only its shareholders, but all its stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, local communities and society at large – and must pay its fair share of taxes, treat customers, suppliers and employees well and have zero tolerance for corruption.Mr Poonoosamy was able to share that the QI Group seeks to strengthen our business practices and responsibly manage our operations and supply chain through our Social Impact and Sustainability initiative and actively engages with our employees on our vision and values to create a sustainable business and future that we can all be proud of.

Mr Vijay Poonoosamy with Mr Richard Quest

 

Mr Vijay Poonoosamy with Sadhguru.

 

With Former US Vice President Al Gore

 

With Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès

 

With Mr Anant Singh, the celebrated producer of the most profound anti-apartheid films, including Long Walk To Freedom, and who is currently working on a film on Gandhi – AHIMSA

 

With Mr Chandrajit Banerjee Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry


Key outcomes from the Annual Meeting can be found
here.