I’m excited to represent Regent Group at the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s annual meeting of new champions in Da Lian, China from 25 to 27 June. I was proud to become a member of the Forum earlier this year, and I’m humbled that we’ve been welcomed as a new champion; the criteria mean a great deal to me as an entrepreneur who wants to make the world a better place. New champions must: have a proven commitment to positively influencing society, lead by example and influence global change, have an impeccable track record, and visionary leadership with a solid reputation.

WEF’s annual meeting of new champions – a.k.a. Summer Davos – brings together leaders from business, government, civil society, and international organisations, prominent entrepreneurs, innovators, and academics to work together to ensure a transition into a period of sustained progress.

The meeting will focus on six pillars:

• A new global economy
• China and the world
• Entrepreneurship in the age of AI
• New frontiers for industries
• Investing in people
• Connecting climate, nature, and energy

Regent works in education, impactful investment, and economy building, so I’m excited to meet with my peers and progress all of these areas. As a business that is creating jobs in less economically developed countries and helping people to access learning for free (we launched www.publiclearn.lk earlier this month), I’m interested in how we can create a future that invests in people. Having recently initiated investment in green energy in Nepal, I am also keen to explore how we can connect climate, nature, and energy. Technology has always been at the heart of what we do at Regent, and I embrace the inclusion of AI as one of the six pillars for us to focus on at this WEF meeting. 

While we’re actively looking at how AI can contribute to productivity, growth, and sustainability at Regent Global, I maintain my belief that, although technology is developing at an incredible pace, we humans have something that it cannot replace: our Natural Intelligence™. That’s why, alongside embracing the opportunities that technology presents, I will always advocate for us as individuals, focusing on our character, attitude, and mindset so we can be the best we can be.