Insights

October 15, 2025

We’re heading to Korea to once again support the APEC CEO Summit, one of the region’s most impactful annual gatherings at the intersection of politics, business and society. Today, we take a closer look at why it matters and what we’re watching for.

ICYMI: Our latest edition of COMPASS explores the Substack playbook — and how the platform helps communicators build direct, authentic audience connections. And, yes, we made one too (let’s connect!). Read more here.

1. World + business leaders converge at APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025

For the first time in more than a decade, APEC returns to East Asia — with Korea hosting the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju from Oct. 28-31, amid seismic shifts in trade, technology, and geopolitics.

What is the APEC CEO Summit?

• Each year, economic leaders, ministers, and senior officials from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies gather for Economic Leaders’ Week, a series of meetings, summits, and events to promote international trade and engagement within the Asia-Pacific region.
• Central to Leaders’ Week is the APEC CEO Summit, the “Board meeting of the Asia-Pacific.” On par with the World Economic Forum’s annual Davos summit and the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund, the APEC CEO Summit is the most influential meeting of business and government leaders in the region.

What stands out this year?

• Under the theme ‘Bridge, Business, Beyond’, the APEC CEO Summit will bring together business leaders such as Citi CEO Jane Fraser, Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato, and Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, with notable heads of state, government, and other representatives.
• The Summit is expected to attract approximately 1,700 delegates – primarily senior business and economic leaders – from across the region.
• Global Gateway Advisors will continue our 15-year tradition of providing international media and communications support to APEC host committees. We are thrilled to collaborate with a stellar group of top-tier media partners, including Bloomberg, Caixin Global, CGTN, CNBC, Economist Impact, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal.

The bottom line: This year’s summit comes at a pivotal moment for regional trade and cooperation, as APEC navigates new and evolving dynamics. Drawing from among the biggest names in global politics and business, the APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025 will explore ways to foster sustainable growth and unlock future prosperity in a fast-changing world.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to our APEC team at apec@gga.nyc.

2. Mental health check-in

In honor of World Mental Health Day — and this year’s theme, “Mental health is a universal human right” — we highlighted the importance of open, supportive conversations around mental well-being.

Here’s why it matters: One in seven young people live with a mental health condition. That’s a colleague, someone in your class, on your team and maybe even in your family. But most people don’t bring it up. They keep it to themselves. And that silence can feel heavy.

In partnership with AFS Youth Assembly and Youth Advisors, Global Gateway Advisors launched OK Today, a youth-driven, global collective dedicated to transforming how the world sees and talks about mental health. In support of World Mental Health Day, OK Today youth advisors created a simple discussion guide for young adults to check in with the people they care about and share it to help others do the same. The guide is designed for everyday use — to keep check-ins going year-round.

3. Events: What’s coming up in November

Technology + Innovation

• Forrester Technology & Innovation Summit North America (Austin, TX, Nov. 2-5) In an era of rapid AI disruption, global volatility, and rising costs, Forrester’s summit will explore how technology leaders can shift from reactive to strategic — harnessing AI, redefining cloud strategies, and driving measurable business outcomes. Speakers include Nathalie D’Hers, CVP, Microsoft Employee Experience, Microsoft; Michael Demissie, managing director and head of Applied AI and Practice, BNY; and Prashant Vithlani, head of division, Cloud, Network, and Security, Samsung SDS America. More here
• WSJ Tech Live (Napa Valley, CA, Nov. 4-6) Explore the ideas shaping tech’s next chapter — from the global AI race and U.S. strategy to the future of entertainment, investment, and innovation — at this Wall Street Journal gathering. Speakers include Sarah Friar, chief financial officer, OpenAI; Michael Kratsios, assistant to the president and director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Assaf Rappaport, co-founder and chief executive officer, Wiz. More here
• Financial Times Future of AI (London / Virtual, Nov. 5-6) Global leaders in technology, strategy, and policy explore real-world AI innovation — from governance and regulation to generative, predictive, and deep learning — showcasing how organizations can scale, integrate, and lead in the next era of intelligent transformation. Speakers include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web and CTO and co-founder, Inrupt; Fei-Fei Li, Sequoia Professor of Computer Science and co-director, Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute; and Yoshua Bengio, founder and scientific advisor, Mila – Quebec AI Institute. More here

Health + Biotech

• The Wall Street Journal Future of Health (Washington, D.C., Nov. 3) Wall Street Journal editors and reporters, healthcare leaders, policymakers, and investors gather to address the industry’s biggest challenges — from care disparities to regulation — and spotlight breakthroughs transforming patient care. Speakers include Mark Cuban, co-founder, Cost Plus Drugs; and Martin Makary, commissioner, Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More here
• Reuters MedTech USA 2025 (Boston, Nov. 3-4) Join 250 senior MedTech executives to explore how manufacturers can differentiate through interoperability, intuitive design, and elevated user experiences — while navigating cybersecurity risks and global supply instability — as healthcare providers become increasingly selective about the technologies they adopt and prioritize solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing systems and workflows. Speakers include Julia Strandberg, executive vice president and chief business leader, Connected Care, Philips; Felipe Rayo, senior vice president, Supply Chain, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Donny Patel, president, Connected Care, Baxter International; and Ricky Bloomfield, chief medical officer, Oura Ring. More here
• Becker’s Healthcare CEO + CFO Roundtable (Chicago, Nov. 3-6) C-suite executives will come together for candid conversations and high-level networking around the issues shaping the future — from rural healthcare and digital transformation to health equity and leadership diversity. Speakers include Tomislav Mihaljevic, president and chief executive officer, Cleveland Clinic; Dennis Dahlen, chief financial officer, Mayo Clinic; and Caitlin Clark, professional basketball player. More here

Bookmark Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

4. Media news + moves

• Trust in media has hit a new low. A Gallup poll found only 28% of Americans trust mass media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly,” down from 31% last year and 40% five years ago — the first time the measure has fallen below 30%. Among Republicans, trust is just 8%, compared to 51% for Democrats and 27% for independents. More here
• AI licensing deals pay off for publishers. Outlets with OpenAI licensing deals see ChatGPT clickthrough rates nearly seven times higher than those without agreements — and while most traffic still comes from Google, referrals from LLMs are rapidly rising. This shift positions AI platforms — which tend to partner with premium, English-language publishers — as emerging gatekeepers of the news. More here
• Paramount buys The Free Press. As part of the $150 million deal, Free Press founder Bari Weiss will take over as editor-in-chief at CBS News, where she will report directly to owner David Ellison. “The combination of the Free Press and CBS News will create a news organization that ultimately becomes one of the most trusted destinations for news in this country,” Ellison said, amid reports that staffers were “freaking out.” More here
• Rothschild family selling Economist stake. Their 26.7% holding in The Economist, which carries 20% of voting rights, is valued at roughly $537 million. More here.
• Axios Communicators Pro X Mixing Board. The two platforms are joining forces, rebranding as Mixing Board, powered by Axios, to create “a new, leading community for modern communications and corporate affairs professionals.” More here

Media moves:

• The Wall Street Journal hired Tomas Navia as a senior video journalist.
• Michael Calderone was hired by The Wrap as media editor.
• CNBC Make It hired Sarah Jackson as a reporter covering work-related issues.
• Damian Garde rejoined STAT News to work on events in addition to reporting.
• Former Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell joined The Bulwark to write a weekly economics and policy-focused newsletter.
• Brian O’Keefe was hired by The New York Times to be editor of its Dealbook section.
• Wall Street Journal deputy editor Charles Forelle will be leaving the organization.
• Aiden Reiter was hired by Politico to cover the intersection of Wall Street and D.C.
• Fast Company hired Rebecca Heilweil as a senior writer.