One could be forgiven for questioning the relevance of global policy conferences. Consider the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. As an institution, WEF is widely perceived as the defender of globalization, free trade, and stakeholder capitalism. After 55 years atop the international conference circuit, critics have argued that Davos had become predictable.
But Davos 2026 was—quite possibly—the most consequential conference of its kind in decades, and Visa was at the center of the action. In an era of geopolitical realignment and technological platform shifts, gathering experts from across the public and private sectors serves an important purpose. After all, solutions to global challenges require space for diverse perspectives. That’s why the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute is committed to the exchange of ideas at the intersection of payments, commerce, and regulation.
Cross-sector dialogue with meaningful stakes
Economic policy conferences can feel a lot like blockbuster movies: each sequel offers bigger set pieces, but lower stakes. In previous years, some might have claimed Davos drifted into this territory. But last week’s gathering broke the mold. Under a cloud of uncertainty about the transatlantic alliance, Davos became a forum for real-time diplomacy and robust dialogue. While business leaders offered creative recommendations on leveraging innovation and technology, political leaders presented important perspectives on diplomacy and economic growth.
Amid a rapidly changing global landscape, Visa welcomed the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to pressing conversations with policymakers and regulators. At this year’s conference, our delegation shared actionable insights on issues including promoting regulatory interoperability, enhancing cross-border trade, and facilitating agentic commerce with policymakers from more than 20 countries and international organizations.¹ Among many other impactful conversations, I had the pleasure of participating in a Global Digital Collaboration roundtable.² Co-hosted by the Swiss Confederation, this session gathered leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to discuss interoperable digital infrastructure.
Geopolitical uncertainties notwithstanding, political leaders and regulatory authorities clearly recognized and appreciated the role Visa plays in uplifting citizens, empowering entrepreneurs, and maintaining trust. And now more than ever, government officials recognize the importance of good faith dialogue with innovators in the private sector.
Real talk on scaling private sector innovation
Product drops and developer conferences have become the go-to venues for breaking business news, which is why CEO panels at big international conferences can feel less than cutting-edge. Once again, Davos 2026 was a major exception. Rather than rehashing familiar storylines, the World Economic Forum challenged business leaders to discuss the work their companies are doing to scale new innovations when the going gets tough. No session illustrated this theme better than “Scaling AI: Now Comes the Hard Part.” This panel discussion featured Visa CEO Ryan McInerney alongside thought leaders from the energy, healthcare, and professional services sectors—all at the forefront of converting the promise of AI into value for end users. The key insight from this session was clear: successfully scaling new technologies requires infrastructural, organizational, and cultural change. In other words, rewiring the global economy to harness the power of AI will require business leaders to work hard at protecting data, maintaining security, and instilling trust.
As a global network that connects billions of people and millions of merchants, trust is a core tenet of Visa’s business. Trust was paramount on the agenda when our Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer Kelly Tullier discussed the future of work with thought leaders from Anthropic, Deloitte, Forbes, Workday, Microsoft, and PwC. Meanwhile, trust took center stage at the United Arab Emirates Pavillion, where I exchanged perspectives on the future of commerce and digital trade with UAE Minister of Economy H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq and Majid Al Futtaim CEO Ahmed Galal Ismail.
Coming attractions
The Visa Economic Empowerment Institute informs public policy innovation with data and expertise on all things payments. Leveraging rich and unique data sources, our recent work includes wide-ranging topics like the global impact of stablecoin regulation, the local impact of community banks and credit unions, and the role of digital payments in driving productivity gains. Alongside producing cutting-edge research, the Institute will continue to attend the world’s foremost global policy convenings. In the months ahead, our team will present research at the Central Bank Payments Conference in Istanbul,³ World Bank and International Monetary Fund Meetings in Washington and Bangkok,⁴ as well as the Point Zero Forum in Zurich.⁵
Davos 2026 proved that multi-stakeholder dialogue matters most in times of uncertainty. To build on this momentum, the Institute will continue to deliver timely research and convene the leading experts on payments policy and innovation.
Footnotes
- Our delegation this year included CEO Ryan McInerney, Group President Oliver Jenkyn, Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer Kelly Tullier, Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jack Forestell, Global Head of Government Affairs Bobby Thomson, and me: VEEI President Todd Fox.
- Global Digital Collaboration Conference 2026
- Central Bank Payments Conference 2026
- Spring Meetings 2026 - World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund
- Point Zero Forum 2026