Page 12 - Informed 2018 Issue 2

ICSC CEO Forum Stronger voice in Brussels
Each year, ICSC brings together some of the industry’s most influential CEOs to participate
in ICSC CEO Forum. With Brussels as a backdrop, this year’s event led with a determination to have a more powerful voice in Europe
Peter Wilhelm
This year’s annual ICSC CEO Forum brought together over 30 of the industry’s most important leaders
in Brussels to discuss key topics across the world of retail and exchange ideas about strategic direction in open debate.
ICSC chairman Peter Wilhelm, CEO of Wilhelm & Co., hosted the event which was chaired by Josip Kardun. It took place on 18-19 June at Egmont Palace, home
to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum location was selected to reflect a broader, corporate ICSC drive to increase its influence in Brussels, starting with the appointment of a permanent represent-
ative in the Belgian capital to lobby the European Parliament (Joost Koomen, see column right).
Wilhelm is no stranger to he European Parliament, after representing ICSC since 2014 as chair of the ICSC European Public Affairs Committee (EPAC).
‘ICSC has a lot of members and represents billions of euros of turnover that has a real impact on national governments and the EU as a whole,’ Wilhelm said. ‘We should have a strong voice in Europe.’
This year’s forum tackled the industry’s future in all its aspects, with discussions
on e-commerce addressing what might
be the most successful parallel physical formats. For attendee Massimo Saletti, managing director and global co-head real estate, gaming and lodging at JP Morgan
it proved to be a unique stage, inspiring open dialogue.
‘This was a very open and constructive forum where senior people with differ-
ent backgrounds shared thoughts on the shopping centres market, trying to identify
12 | ICSC INFORMED | NOVEMBER 2018