Agenda
Sessions may be updated and agenda is subject to change.
Global State of Mind
Whether you’re importing, exporting, or just keeping an eye on global trends, this day is designed to sharpen your global mindset and provide practical insights and actionable takeaways to help launch and expand your presence in global markets.
Date
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
8 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration
9 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
Harris Simmons, Chairman and CEO, Zions Bancorporation
9:10 a.m.
The State of the World
Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
Global markets are being reshaped by rising tensions and uneven economic conditions. Instability is now part of the environment, not an exception. For business leaders, that means making decisions with less certainty and higher risk. Examines what’s changing and what it means for companies operating around the world today.
9:55 a.m.
Where is Capital is Moving
Capital moves first. As policy shifts, market volatility, and trade uncertainty reshape the environment, where money is going — and how conditions are shifting — offers an early read on what companies will be able to build, finance, and scale in the months ahead.
10:25 a.m.
Trade in Practice
Lucy Knight Andre, CEO, Stadler Signalling and Chief of Staff, Stadler US
Michael Jensen, Founder, Wavetronix
Moderated by Paul Campbell, Chair, Campbell Companies
Tariffs don’t sit on paper. They move through margins, pricing, and where companies choose to operate. From sourcing to market access, this discussion tracks how that pressure is forcing decisions on cost, markets, and strategy.
11:05 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m.
Funding Global Growth
David Carlebach, COO, World Trade Center Utah
Shelby Daiek, Director, Utah Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service
Paul Duncan, Regional Director, EXIM Bank
Dan Pische, National Director of Trade Finance, U.S. Small Business Administration
Moderated by Brad Herbert, International Banking, Zions Bank
How companies actually fund global growth — from export finance to risk mitigation. This discussion focuses on what tools are available, how they are used in practice, and where companies run into constraints when expanding internationally.
11:45 a.m.
Lunch
Sponsored by Deseret Management Corporation.
12:25 p.m.
AI in Practice
Jeremy Utley, Award-Winning Teacher, Podcaster, and Author
As AI moves from pilots into day-to-day work, leaders have to decide where it truly changes costs and where it creates new risks. From forecasting and procurement to market entry, this session digs into what is actually delivering results, what is not, and how those calls are being made inside real companies.
1:10 p.m.
The Future of Energy
Peter Huntsman, President and CEO, Huntsman Corporation
Growth plans are running into a hard reality: in many places, affordable, reliable power is not available at the scale needed. Leaders are rethinking where to build, what to expand, and what to delay — reshaping cost, timing, and competitiveness.
1:40 p.m.
The Global Energy Race
Chris Hayter, Co-Founder and COO, Hi Tech Solutions
Nate Walkingshaw, Founder and CEO, Torus
Andre Zeitoun, Founder and CEO, Ionic
Moderated by Theresa Foxley, Chief of Staff, rPlus Energies
If growth depends on power, the next question is how that capacity is actually being built. From critical minerals to storage and advanced energy, the race is for capacity. This discussion focuses on what it takes to move from resource to usable power, and how global competition is shaping cost, timelines, and availability.
Closing Remarks
Jeff Flake, Board Chair, World Trade Center Utah; former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye
Global Plenary
Broaden your global perspectives with insights from international leaders in business and foreign affairs. Build valuable connections and gain strategies to drive growth and expansion into new markets.
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
8 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration
9:00 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
Nate Callister, President and CEO, Zions Bank
9:05 a.m.
The New Rules of Trade
Robert Lighthizer, Former U.S. Trade Representative (2017–2021)
Few policymakers have shaped modern trade rules as directly as Ambassador Lighthizer. As the architect of USMCA, he offers a clear view of how those rules are influencing business decisions — from sourcing and investment to market access — and what leaders should factor into strategy across North America.
9:25 a.m.
USMCA at Review
Robert Lighthizer, Former U.S. Trade Representative (2017–2021)
Mary Ng, Former Canadian Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development (2018–2025)
Jesús Seade Kuri, Mexico’s Ambassador to China and former USMCA Chief Negotiator (2018–2020)
Moderated by Jonathan Freedman, President and CEO, World Trade Center Utah
The North American trade system is about to be tested. USMCA will be formally reviewed this summer as pressure builds on costs, supply chains, and market access. This discussion brings together leaders who shaped and implemented the agreement to examine how it is holding up — and what businesses should expect as conditions tighten across the region.
10:05 a.m.
A View Across Cycles
Harris Simmons, Chairman and CEO, Zions Bancorporation
Moderated by Natalie Gochnour, Associate Dean, David Eccles School of Business; Director, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah; Board Co-Chair, World Trade Center Utah
Interest rates, regulation, and global markets are shifting again. Drawing on four decades in banking and financial markets, Simmons reflects on how this moment compares to past cycles and how leaders navigate changing conditions. This conversation focuses on how to read the current environment, separate signal from noise, and make sound decisions in a more uncertain landscape.
10:25 a.m.
Global Trade, Measured
Robert Spendlove, Chief Economist, Zions Bank
Trade data is where global shifts become visible. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s latest trade data shows how exports, markets, and industries are performing — and where changing conditions, from tariffs to demand, are starting to shift outcomes.
10:40 a.m.
Utah: Built to Compete Globally
Spencer J. Cox,18th Governor, State of Utah
Global competition is increasingly determined by where growth can be powered, built, and sustained. Governor Cox outlines what it takes to compete — from affordable energy to faster timelines and public trust — and how Utah is positioning to deliver across the full system.
10:50 a.m.
Zions Bank Global Pacesetter Award
Arthur Newell , Senior Commercial Banking Regional Director, Zions Bank
11:20 a.m.
What Makes a Brand Translate
Gordon Bowen, Founder and Global Chairman, mcgarrybowen
Expanding into new markets is one challenge. Being understood and chosen in each one is another. A 2026 American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame inductee, Bowen shares how brands translate across cultures and what it takes to build relevance and connection that hold across markets.
12:00 p.m.
Lunch
12:40 p.m.
Scaling in a Constrained World
Reed Hastings, Co-founder and Chairman, Netflix
Scaling now requires constant decisions about where to grow, where to pull back, and how to operate as conditions shift. Hastings draws on his experience building Netflix across more than 190 markets to show how those trade-offs are made — as markets, regulation, and technology continue to evolve.
1:25 p.m.
Break
1:35 p.m.
How Power Works
Walter Russell Mead, Global View Columnist, The Wall Street Journal; Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute
Beneath the headlines about wars, sanctions, and shifting alliances is a deeper logic of how power operates. Mead steps back to place this moment in a longer historical pattern, tracing how power is formed, sustained, and contested, and what today’s realignment signals about where things are heading.
2:05 p.m.
Foreign Policy Under Pressure
Bret Stephens, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
Moderated by Mark Garfield, International Banker, Zions Bancorporation
Foreign policy is now unfolding in ways that directly shape markets, risk, and global operations. Stephens offers a sharp read on a more fractured landscape, with a focus on rising tensions with Iran and what they signal for escalation, regional stability, and the global economy.
2:35 p.m.
A World Reordered
Peter Zeihan, Author and Geopolitical Leader
A fast-moving exploration of how and why the global order is being reshaped. Zeihan breaks down the demographic, energy, and geopolitical forces driving a fundamental realignment of trade, security, and global power.
Followed by a fireside conversation with Nate Callister.
Closing Remarks
Nate Callister, President and CEO, Zions Bank