Davos Digest – 3 Key Takeaways from WEF 25

Davos, Switzerland, is a sleepy ski town for 51 weeks out of the year. However, for one week at the end of January, world leaders and captains of industry take over this enclave in the alps to have critical conversations that help set the agenda for the year ahead as part of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting.

Davos isn’t just about “talking the talk.” Done right, executives who attend achieve real business objectives. We help them maximize every minute of their time with strategic bilateral meetings, speaking opportunities, and executive thought leadership. While there is no shortage of branded tchotchkes, the best souvenirs that leaders bring home are ongoing partnerships and organizational pledges to support initiatives that are an outgrowth of the annual meeting.  

Davos can seem like a mystery to many, so we distilled three themes from WEF 2025:

1. AI is not cheating.

Sometimes, people treat AI as a dirty word, but Davos participants made it clear –it’s revolutionizing how we work and live. Many employees across industries already use AI daily, but their organizations haven’t established formal education. It’s time to normalize AI usage and teach employees how to utilize the tech (this includes understanding guardrails). A prevailing theme was—let’s not think about how to use AI, let’s think about how to use humans, because there are so many aspects of work that require human connection, reasoning, and organizational knowledge that AI cannot replace.  

2. Early detection is everything.

Over 4.5 billion people globally lack full access to healthcare, with a projected shortfall of  
10 million healthcare workers by 2030, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. Innovative solutions, such as AI-driven diagnostics and telemedicine, are being explored to bridge this gap, offering scalable and cost-effective healthcare delivery models. WEF presenters talked about the significant difference in outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer in stage 1 versus stage 3 or 4 and how technology can help us with early detection, especially in countries where access to healthcare is a challenge.  

3. We must bridge the women’s health gap.

A collaborative report by the WEF and the McKinsey Health Institute revealed that women endure 25% more of their lives in poor health compared to men. Addressing this gender disparity could enhance global GDP by $400 billion annually by 2040. Central to this initiative is the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform, designed to monitor and address health inequities affecting women worldwide. We can’t effectively impact health conditions if we don’t have the correct data – and we need to prioritize how we look at women’s issues, such as menopause and maternity care deserts.  

Are you considering attending a significant event like Davos in the future? We help organizations make the most of their participation before, during, and after—from managing executive visibility and logistics to providing on-the-ground as chief of staff. For more on how we can support your organization as you participate in major events like WEF’s annual meeting, contact us.