Davos 2026

Standard Chartered and the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) co-hosted an ocean finance roundtable to mark the High Seas Treaty to protect marine conservation in international waters.

Led by our Chief Sustainability Officer, Marisa Drew, and ORRAA’s Executive Director, Karen Sack, the discussion brought together financial institutions and C-suite leaders to explore how finance can support a more sustainable ocean economy, including mobilising capital for coastal communities and advancing the conversation of marine ecosystems.

Key takeaways from the session included:

• Finance has an important role to play in supporting coastal livelihoods, climate resilience and the transition to a regenerative and sustainable ocean economy.

• Integrating ocean health into financial decision-making, including risk, strategy and board-level oversight, is becoming a priority for long-term value creation.

• Collaboration across financial institutions, insurance, philanthropy and policymakers is essential.

The ocean economy is projected to be worth more than USD3 trillion annually by 2030. At last year’s Davos, Standard Chartered signed the #BackBlue initiative as part of its ambition to support a more sustainable ocean economy and the conservation of marine ecosystems.

Learn more about how we’re helping to transition the blue economy to more sustainable practices.

Our Chief Strategy & Talent Officer Tanuj Kapilashrami hosted a breakfast roundtable at Davos to discuss AI’s role as a catalyst for organisational reinvention.

Rapid technological change and shifts in global talent markets are creating new pressures – and opportunities – for organisations.

The conversation explored:

• AI’s growing impact on business strategy and transformation.

• How leaders can deploy AI at scale, including the capabilities required to deliver sustainable change.

• The future of work in an AI-augmented world, including evolving skills, leadership expectations, organisational culture, workforce resilience and the crossover between humans and machines.

Read more from Tanuj Kapilashrami on how AI is transforming skills.

Group Chief Executive Bill Winters co-hosted a private panel discussion with Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of digital currency giant Circle, to explore how digital assets could form the rails of a new financial system.

Moderated by Alex Manson, Chief Executive Officer of SC Ventures, the panel discussed how tokenised assets, compliant digital currencies and modern settlement tools are coming together to improve the speed and resilience of global money and trade.

It also examined how programmable infrastructure can expand access to liquidity and bridge gaps between traditional institutions and digital networks.

Key takeaways:

• Digital assets are not just an investment class; they are redefining how value moves and contributing to a more inclusive, innovative financial ecosystem.

• Preventing the formation of a ‘Great Digital Wall,’ or a fragmented digital regime, is crucial. Industry players must collaborate to ensure seamless integration and avoid creating isolated ecosystems.

• Developing a “liquidity engine” that caters to both developed and dynamic markets is essential. This involves creating a system that ensures fluid capital flow and meets the diverse requirements of different market environments.

• Businesses need to adapt their operations to integrate with the latest digital infrastructure and technologies to stay competitive and efficient.

As real-world assets start to move at speed, unlocking this potential requires more than new technology: it calls for shared architecture across markets, institutions and jurisdictions.

Learn more about digital assets.

Ben Hung, our President, International, joined an FT Live discussion on Asia’s evolving role in global markets.

The conversation focused on the rewiring of the international order and global economy towards a system of multi-alignment, and explored the opportunities and risks posed for businesses in Singapore and other ASEAN markets, as well as in Hong Kong.

“Corporates and investors are all looking for ways to navigate this new landscape and find opportunities for long-term, structural growth,” said Ben.

Learn more about the future of finance in ASEAN.

We brought together clients and philanthropy leaders at Goals House in Davos for a roundtable discussion exploring pathways to facilitate skills development, jobs, and inclusion, and the partnerships needed to unlock them.

Hosted by Tanuj Kapilashrami, our Chief Strategy & Talent Officer and Trustee of the Standard Chartered Foundation, and with contributions from Judy Hsu our CEO, Wealth & Retail Banking, the conversation explored how businesses can deliver strategic, system-shaping investment in economic participation to unlock opportunities for young and under-served people. 

Key takeaways:

• New innovative financial models can address challenges like poor job availability and skills gaps, strengthening the foundations of markets and reducing instability.
• Delivering these models will require bold collaboration and asks businesses to leverage the core competencies of what we stand for. 

Tanuj highlighted the work of the Standard Chartered Foundation – including enabling over 100,000 decent jobs since 2019 – and the catalytic role that corporate philanthropy can play in delivering impact outcomes alongside high-ambition partners. 

Find out more about the Standard Chartered Foundation.