Custom Seminar – Aspen Seminar for Zurich on “Sustainability”
Aspen Institute España held the custom Aspen Seminar for Zurich on “Sustainability” on 7-8 November 2022 in Barcelona. Through Socratic dialogue, the Seminar was moderated by María Sicilia, State Economist, Strategy Director of ENAGÁS and Luis Villa, Independent Consultant Stratrgy and Design. Both Aspen España Fellows.
This custom seminar organized for Zurich, Partner of Aspen Institute España, aims to reflect on and discuss sustainability challenges. A diverse and varied group of 22 managers selected by Zurich Spain will gather to debate and share their thoughts and ideas through a selection of classic and contemporary texts from political philosophy and literature.
Some of the issues addressed were climate change, the future of capitalism, energy transition and biodiversity, the geopolitics of sustainability, the role of sustainable business and finance, reforms and technology, the future of democracy and leadership. The Seminar, moderated through the Socratic method used in other Aspen programs, does not aim to reach conclusions or agreements, but rather to improve the quality of our questions and raise the level of debate on the great challenges of today and the great timeless issues surrounding human values.
Maria Sicilia
Director of Strategy of Enagas, member of the Board of Directors of Soltec, as well as a director of the French renewable gas company DualMetha. She has previously developed her professional career in the field of energy policy and the fight against climate change in leading organizations, both in the public sector (Spanish Government, OECD/IEA, Ofgem) and the private sector (Iberdrola). María holds a Master’s degree in Economic Policy from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a specialisation in Industrial Organisation, and has completed management development programs at Harvard Business School. María Sicilia was appointed Fellow of Aspen Institute España in January 2017.
Luis Villa
He is an independent advisor on digital strategy and transformation, focusing on responsible business. He advises investors and executives in large companies and international start-ups on their digital strategy processes. He also gives talks and conferences and shares his experience as a professor of Customer Experience at the Instituto de Empresa and as a mentor to young professionals. For more than twenty years, the work of his teams has impacted millions of people every day. This experience has made him aware of the scale and impact of technology on business and society. From design, Luis has brought a humanistic and creative approach to technology, helping to build companies such as The Cocktail (acquired by WPP), Fjord (acquired by Accenture) and the creation of Accenture Interactive, traveling the world, opening studios and launching projects. Luis believes in the importance of hybrid profiles to connect people and generate changes that last. He breaks down silos and designs different ways of doing things, more inclusive, collaborative, productive, and, why not, fun. Luis is an Aspen Spain Fellow. In addition, Luis has collaborated and published with the World Economic Forum in the Digital Transformation of Industries initiative, he also collaborates with the Real Instituto Elcano, in its Technological Transformations group.
Aspen Institute España
Aspen Institute España was established in 2010 to promote leadership inspired by civic values and to address issues critical to the future of society. It organizes more than seventy debates, seminars and conferences on leadership and values, the digital future, sustainability, democracy, geopolitics and economics. The President of Aspen Spain is Javier Solana and its Secretary General is José M. de Areilza. The project is supported by fifteen Spanish companies and an extensive network of alumni. It is part of the international network of Aspen Institutes, present in more than twelve countries, and collaborates in a special way with The Aspen Institute in the United States. This philanthropic institution was founded in 1950, among others by José Ortega y Gasset, to train leaders in all sectors of society with a humanistic vision and a connection to civic and democratic values. Today it is recognized as one of the most influential think tanks in the world, with more than fifty ongoing programs in the fields of public policy and leadership.
Zurich
Zurich España is a company in the Spanish insurance market with a history of more than 130 years in Spain. It has commercial agreements with Professional Associations and Associations to develop insurance offers specifically adapted to their needs. It also has business agreements with large entities in different sectors in our country, such as the automobile and financial sectors; entities with the capacity to access a large customer base and with a defined distribution structure. Currently, the CEO of the Zurich Spain Management Committee is Vicente Cancio, Alumni of the Aspen Institute España Sustainability Seminar.
