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The Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy

The future of diplomacy depends on greater cooperation between the private sector, government and civil society. Companies have emerged as new, powerful diplomatic actors. Business is shaping how the world works through their decisions on supply chains and investments, innovations and stances on environmental and social issues. They have the power - and responsibility - to contribute and add value to society, in addition to their shareholders and customers.

At the same time, our global challenges are too big and technically complex for governments to solve alone, given their fiscal, political and long-term strategic planning limitations. However, the private sector needs support and resources to take on this new role successfully. Business leaders need deeper geopolitical insights, robust networks, diplomatic resources and a platform to bridge the gaps between business, government and diplomatic leaders.

Mission The Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy advances diplomacy and international collaboration through effective engagement of the private sector and by equipping business leaders with the tools, insights and networks needed to: Accelerate collaboration on shared global challenges to strengthen American leadership Preparing business leaders to navigate an increasingly complex global environment ripe with risks and opportunities Augment American business competitiveness to strengthen the U.S. competitive edge internationally Our Approach For over 60 years, Meridian International Center has worked at the intersection of business and diplomacy to strengthen U.S. engagement worldwide and equip companies with the tools they need to conduct business internationally.

The Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy convenes and trains corporate leaders with the diplomatic skills, strategies, and insights to succeed in a competitive global business environment. Meridian’s signature offerings include the Meridian Corporate Council and the Corporate Diplomacy Global Leaders Program , which serve alongside longstanding programs like Global Business Briefings and the Meridian Ball and Summit , which are the backbone of the Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy.

Why Corporate Diplomacy Matters Meridian believes that corporate diplomacy is advancing global security and innovation through effective leadership and engagement of the private sector . Our work within the Center for Corporate Diplomacy focuses around these three principles: Business leaders need diplomatic skills and insight to navigate new geopolitical risks and opportunities effectively. The private sector must rewire for a world where the geopolitical landscape is increasingly complex, and businesses or governments are inextricably linked.

Leaders at all levels within a company must have diplomatic skills, geopolitical context and networks to navigate the risks and opportunities of these new dynamics. Companies are new diplomatic actors central to addressing shared global challenges. Companies are now at the center of the most challenging issues of our time – climate change and the energy transition, disruptive technologies and global health emergencies.

They have the power – and responsibility – to collaborate with the government and civil society to address these issues. Companies must better understand their role and resources in the diplomatic ecosystem to fully leverage their power. Stronger companies lead to stronger nations and international relationships. The strength of a country’s private sector is directly tied to its economic prosperity, security and standing in the world.

Companies are now expected to have more significant value propositions – creating value for society and their shareholders and customers. In turn, governments must approach businesses as a partner to strengthen international relationships and collaborate on complex policy challenges. Our Programs and Offerings The Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy platform allows business leaders to navigate an increasingly complex and volatile global business environment.

Our programs deepen understanding of geopolitical issues to protect companies from risk better, leverage new opportunities, strengthen relationships with leaders in the government and diplomatic community and empower companies to collaborate on shared global challenges. Our four program pillars include the following: Geopolitical Insights + Networks Trainings + Exchanges Public-Private Partnerships Thought Leadership Curated convenings provide leaders with timely insights and exchange with Ambassadors, high-level U.S. government officials and industry leaders to better forecast risks and opportunities for their companies.

These programs connect decision-makers in government and the diplomatic corps to build deeper relationships in a neutral, non-partisan environment. Global Business Briefings: Global Business Briefings connect members of the diplomatic community with the private sector by providing a platform for dialogue on key global issues. Attendees gain unique insights from policy leaders and international representatives and learn about effective leadership in global environments through the Corporate Council’s customized programs.

Meridian Huddles: The Meridian Huddle provides a platform for participants and relevant thought leaders to convene and discuss critical issues. Restricted to a small number of participants, the Meridian Huddle cultivates nonpartisan thought leadership and partnership. Global Dialogue Series : Featuring “salon style," off-the-record conversations, the small audience format facilitates thoughtful conversation and encourages audience participation on central policy challenges facing the U.S. and world leaders.

Participants include representatives from the public and diplomatic sectors, Meridian trustees and corporate council members. Dive beyond the headlines to understand the top issues in the United States. Meet the policy- and thought leaders shaping politics and economics in Washington and beyond. Our training program equips leaders with greater geopolitical insight and diplomatic skills, including cross-cultural intelligence, geopolitical risk analysis, protocol, negotiations and more.

These skills and insights are necessary to inform strategic and operational decision-making on complex and uncertain business issues. We work with companies to co-create international exchange programs to help with their international regulatory stakeholder engagement, market access and ESG goals. Corporate Diplomacy Trainings : Meridian leverages its experience in diplomacy, cross-cultural expertise and global affairs to train corporate leaders and staff to Think Like a Diplomat, enabling private sector partners to cultivate a workforce with the skills and insights to operate in a rapidly globalizing business environment.

Customized Exchanges: Meridian helps companies and organizations create custom exchanges for your strategic talent and network that provides the unique opportunity to share and expand market understanding and grow your international presence to better navigate market expansion, cross-border transactions, government relationships, international talent acquisition, workforce development, and geopolitical/economic instability.