Aspen Seminar for Leaders

The Institute hosts in December the first Aspen Seminar for Leaders in 2011, at the Susai Mountain Resort. For almost sixty years, the Aspen Seminar on leadership, values, and the good society has challenged leaders in every field to think more critically and deeply about the good society. Our proven method of text-based dialogue offers participants a neutral forum in which to reflect on timeless human values, pursue common ground, and cultivate a richer understanding of the human condition. Participants emerge from the Aspen Seminar personally renewed, professionally re-focused, and better prepared to lead as they confront the difficult choices of our ever-changing world. For more impressions on the Seminar check what Aspen Members like Alexandrina Gatej (President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania), Mircea Geoana (President of the Aspen Institute Romania, President of the Romanian Senate) or Florin Pogonaru (Vice President of Aspen Romania,  President of the Romanian Businessmen's Association) have to say about it.

Criteria:

Participants range from top corporate executives to leading entrepreneurs with significant impact in the business environment of Romania and its region; high ranked public leaders from justice, administration and central government; significant civil society actors and esteemed representatives from the academic sector. Aspen Seminar participants find themselves at an inflection point in their lives and careers, ready to take even higher leadership roles in their communities at local, regional or global level.

Program:

The group of twenty participants debate a series of fundamental readings guided by Aspen US Seminars Director, Dr. Todd Breyfogle, reflecting on values and solidarity into successful and valuable action, as the main thrusts of societal progress. The readings go from classical texts from Aristotle, Plato or Hobbes to more modern thinkers like Nelson Mandela, Milton Friedman or Peter Singer, in a complex and challenging mix of discussions on liberty and equality; ethics and responsibility; faith and spirituality or freedom and dissent-just to name a few.

Participants:

Tincuta Apateanu, General Director, Dinu Patriciu Foundation
Ioana Avadani, Executive Director at Center For Independent Journalism
Christophe Esclattier, HR Director, Toshiba Systems (France) S.A.S.
Cristian Gheorghe, General Manager, Nexus Consulting
Leslie Hawke, President and Founder, The Alex Fund, Co-founder, Ovidiu Rom Association
Dan Lazea, Lecturer, West University of Timisoara and Fellow, New Europe College
Oana Marinescu, Managing Director, OMA Vision
Christian Mititelu, Member, National Audiovisual Council of Romania
Gabriel Petrescu, Executive Director, Soros Foundation Romania
Bogdan Staicu, Executive Director, Mobexpert Holding
Petre Pavel Szel, President, Muntenia Invest
Serban Toader, Senior Partner and Head of Advisory, KPMG Romania
Cornel Vintila, Managing Partner at BPM Wave International
Codru Vrabie, Member, National Integrity Council