FT Briefing and Networking
Guiding Principles for
Shaping Future Business:
Geopolitics, Talent &
Organisational Resilience
In-Person | Wednesday 22 April 2026
Financial Times, Bracken House, London
18.00 – 21:00 BST
This is an invitation-only event and designed for senior HR leaders only.
Event
What does it take to remain relevant when the rules of global business are being rewritten — by technology, by climate pressures and, increasingly, by geopolitics?
Join CRF and our partners Headspring for an exclusive evening at the Financial Times offices. Our keynote speaker, Alec Russell, the Financial Times’ foreign editor and former editor of FT Weekend, will bring his deep experience in global reporting and international affairs to examine how shifts in the world order are reshaping organisations — and placing people strategy firmly at the centre of corporate resilience.
At a time of geopolitical fragmentation, trade realignment and growing political intervention in markets, this session will explore what these forces mean for senior HR leaders charged with building sustainable, future‑ready workforces. From artificial intelligence as a structural force in the labour market to the implications of geopolitical tension for talent mobility, workforce planning and organisational culture, the people agenda is now inseparable from global politics.
The session will examine how geopolitics is reshaping leadership priorities and human capital strategy amid structural volatility and widening regulatory, social and cultural divergence. Drawing on a clear‑eyed reading of the world’s major centres of power, Russell will explore how global risk translates into local decisions on capabilities, engagement and organisational design — and what it truly means to “think globally” in a fragmenting environment.
The message for HR leaders is unambiguous: to move beyond stewardship and support, and to act as strategic partners able to turn global insight into sustained competitive advantage through people.
Agenda
| 18:00 – 18:30 | Arrival and Registration |
| 18.30 – 19:30 | Briefing Session with Alec Russell & Björn Beam |
| 19:30 – 21:00 | Networking Drinks |
Who Should Attend?
This is a by invitation-only event designed for senior HR leaders (Directors, CPOs, CHROs etc) only.
CRF members: If you would like to attend, please register interest by completing the form or contacting events@crforum.co.uk.
Non-Members: If you are not a member of CRF but are a senior HR leader working in-house then please contact events@crforum.co.uk.
To register for this event please ensure you are logged in. If you are not a member and interested in attending, please contact us below.
If you would like to amend or cancel your booking please contact events@crforum.co.uk.
About Headspring Executive
As the bespoke leadership development arm of the Financial Times, Headspring offers corporate learning solutions to accelerate transformation and help organisations navigate the future.
Learn more at headspringexecutive.com.
Keynote Speaker
Alec Russell
Foreign Editor, Financial Times
Alec Russell is the Financial Times’ foreign editor, overseeing its global network of correspondents and coverage of major international themes. From 2016 to 2023, he served as editor of FT Weekend, a period during which the publication won multiple awards, including European Weekend Newspaper of the Year and UK Weekend Newspaper of the Year. He also founded the FT Weekend Festival, first in London and later in Washington.
Previously, Russell held senior editorial roles at the FT as news editor and opinion editor. A seasoned foreign correspondent, he has reported extensively from Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Washington, earning several awards for his journalism. He is the author of three books, the most recent of which is After Mandela: The Battle for the Soul of South Africa.
Björn Beam
Director of Technology Analysis & Geopolitical Intelligence Expert
Björn spent a decade with the United States Central Intelligence Agency, serving in high‑stakes operational roles across some of the world’s most sensitive regions, including North Korea and its nuclear programme. Before joining Arcano, he served as Director of Innovation for executive education programmes at MIT, the University of Chicago and Chicago Booth. He is also the founder of an educational technology start‑up for children and the author of four books on the subject. His intelligence work has earned him eight CIA commendations for innovation.
Björn holds an MBA from IE Business School, a Master’s degree in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations from King’s College London, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Michigan.
Location
Financial Times
Bracken House
1 Friday Street
London
EC4M 9BT
