Adapting Governance

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Conference

As the world deals with the pandemic and eventually transitions into a post-COVID reality, can the city remain a key instrument and platform for addressing global challenges?

View from the ground of four modern skyscrapers

Micah Boswell

Event Date

October 15, 2020

About This Event

Cities and mayors have taken a leading role in addressing challenges that transcend national boundaries: climate change, migration, and, most recently, a global health emergency. The frequent disconnect between national and local governments, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, has made it increasingly necessary for cities to assume non-traditional leadership roles and shape city-focused dialogues on global governance.

Event Schedule

Time	Agenda
10:00 - 10:15am CST	Welcome remarks
10:15 - 10:35am	Fireside Chat \| The Balancing Act: A European Perspective
10:35 - 10:45am	Keynote Interview \| A Global Perspective on the Pandemic Response
10:45 - 11:05am	A National Perspective from the US
11:05 - 11:50am	Panel \| A Local Perspective: On the Ground in US Cities
11:50 - 11:55am	Closing remarks

Speakers: Welcome remarks

Ivo H. Daalder

CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013 and took on the new role of CEO in 2023. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. He is the author or editor of 10 books.

Peter Spiegel

US Managing Editor, Financial Times

Peter Spiegel is currently the US managing editor of the Financial Times. Prior to that, he worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Lori Lightfoot

Mayor, Chicago

Lori Lightfoot is the 56th Mayor of Chicago. She's the first Black woman to serve as Chicago's Mayor and has undertaken an ambitious agenda of expanding equity and inclusion across the city. Most recently, Mayor Lightfoot served as a senior equity partner at Mayer Brown, president of the Chicago Police Board, and chair of the Police Accountability Task Force.

Speakers: Fireside Chat

Hazel Chu

Lord Mayor, Dublin

Hazel Chu is the Lord Mayor of Dublin and the 9th woman to hold the office. In 2019, she became the first Green Party councilor to be elected in the local elections, topping the poll with over 4,000 first preference votes, and was also elected chair of the Party. She studied politics and history at University College Dublin and trained to be a barrister at Kings Inns.

Leoluca Orlando

Mayor, Palermo

Leoluca Orlando has been the Mayor of Palermo since 2012. Previously, he also held the Office of the Mayor from 1985 to 1990 and 1993 to 2000. Throughout his career, Mayor Orlando has championed the anti-mafia movements, denouncing the mafia's hold on the local economy, culture, and politics. Through various initiatives, he has effectively removed the political power of the mafia in Palermo.

Leyla Boulton

Executive Editor and Editor of Special Reports, Financial Times

Leyla Boulton is an executive editor at the Financial Times and the editor of FT special reports. She joined the FT as a correspondent in Moscow in 1990 covering the fall of the Soviet Union and the birth of 15 independent states. As the global environment correspondent, she reported on the Kyoto protocol negotiations, the world’s first attempt to limit carbon emissions.

Speakers: Keynote Interview

Helen Clark

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand

Helen Clark is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and the former administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). She was the first woman to lead the UNDP and simultaneously chaired the UN Development Group. She continues to be a strong voice for sustainable development, climate action, gender equality, women’s leadership, peace and justice, and action on pressing global health issues.

Jamil Anderlini

Editor-in-Chief, POLITICO Europe

Jamil Anderlini is POLITICO Europe’s Editor-in-Chief. An award-winning journalist, editor, and published author, he joined POLITICO Europe from the Financial Times where he worked as Asia Editor, Assistant Editor, and member of the Editorial Board.

Speakers: A National Perspective from the US

Eric D. Hargan

Deputy Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services

In his current role, Eric D. Hargan is the chief operating officer and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and management of the Department in addition to leading policy and strategy development. Hargan was sworn into office as deputy secretary of the HHS on October 6, 2017. He immediately served as acting secretary of HHS from October 2017 to January 2018.

Suzanne Clark

President, US Chamber of Commerce

Suzanne Clark is president of the US Chamber of Commerce, the largest business federation in the world. Clark focuses on strategy, government relations, and market innovation, working in support of the Chamber’s more than 3 million member companies internationally. She leads a wide range of policy and operational initiatives at the quarter-billion-dollar organization.

Speakers: Panel

Jenny Durkan

Mayor, Seattle

Mayor Jenny Durkan has delivered on the promise of two years of free college for Seattle high school students, expanded access to affordable pre-k, and provided free transit to students. Before becoming mayor, Durkan was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the US Attorney for the Western District of Washington, becoming the first openly gay US Attorney in the country’s history.

Bill Peduto

Mayor, Pittsburgh

Bill Peduto has been the Mayor of Pittsburgh since 2014. Previously, he has worked at the Pittsburgh City Council for nineteen years: seven years as a staffer and twelve years as a member of the Council. The Peduto administration is committed to modernizing the city by providing taxpayers with an efficient, transparent, and accountable government.

Francis X. Suarez

Mayor, Miami

Francis X. Suarez is the 33rd mayor of Miami. As part of his Miami Forever Plan, Mayor Suarez has championed the integration of climate adaptive technologies and economic policies across all facets of government. Under his leadership, Miami has seen lower crime, an economic resurgence, and increased access to affordable housing for working people and communities of color.

Gillian Tett

Chair of the Editorial Board and Editor-at-Large, US, Financial Times

Gillian Tett is chair of the editorial board and editor-at-large, US of the Financial Times. She writes weekly columns covering a range of economic, financial, political, and social issues. In 2014 she was named Columnist of the Year in the British Press Awards. In addition, Tett’s past roles include US managing editor, assistant editor, and capital markets editor.