Hand in Hand co-founder to speak during World Economic Forum

18 Jan 2019

Percy Barnevik

Hand in Hand Co-founder Percy Barnevik is arriving in Davos, Switzerland next week to deliver an urgent message during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, a gathering of the world’s foremost political, business and other leaders.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Swiss Arab Network (SAN), a a non-profit association working to deepen economic and social ties between Switzerland and the Arab world, Barnevik will draw on decades of experience at the helm of Europe’s biggest companies, as well as his own philanthropic journey, to make an impassioned case for the role of grassroots entrepreneurship in eradicating global poverty. As the Swiss Arab Network’s charity partner, Hand in Hand will be raising funds for our programmes in Afghanistan on the night.

Omar Lahyani, the SAN president and co-founder, said: “We were absolutely amazed by the impact Hand in Hand has with its extremely efficient, cost-effective and sustainable model to fight poverty with jobs. It’s a great honour to welcome Percy Barnevik and learn, how he was able to build up his organisation to create over 1000 jobs per week. The Swiss Arab Nights will be an exclusive charity reception in our winterland oasis that is fully dedicated to Hand in Hand to create even more sustainable micro-enterprises and empower women to change the world.”

Held at the Rixos Flüela Hotel on Wednesday 23 January, the event will be attended by top CEOs, thought leaders, board members, public figures and members of the Swiss Arab Network, the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Swiss Business Council in Dubai, the Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce, and Switzerland Global Enterprise.