The Paley International Council Summit Returned to Europe; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Officially Opened the 23rd Annual Paley International Council Summit

The Paley Center for Media held its 23rd Paley International Council Summit in London on November 30, marking the Summit’s return to Europe.

For more than twenty years the Paley International Council Summit has brought together world dignitaries and CEOs from today’s top media and technology companies to advance the exchange of ideas and foster a sense of community. This year’s theme Rethinking the Game: Moving Media Forward in 2019 and Beyond, tackled the most vital issues facing today’s media landscape, featuring the most significant leaders in media, government, and technology.

“We were honored to return to London for very timely and informative conversations on the issues facing the global media landscape,” said Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Chairman of The Paley Center for Media and Executive Vice Chairman of Hearst. “The Paley International Council Summit is unique in providing a neutral platform to open discussions at the highest level in times of transformation, disruption, and opportunity, with leaders who have shaped the industry and its future.”

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“This year’s Paley International Council Summit not only addressed the pressing issues facing the media industry, but also explored the global issues facing all organizations including safeguarding national and cyber security, maintaining trust and transparency, and developing brands that align with the core values of today’s consumers,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s President & CEO. “We are pleased to have convened this distinguished group of leaders during such an exciting and transformative time in media.”

The many distinguished speakers that presented included Robert M. Gates, former United States Secretary of Defense, who delivered the opening keynote interview with Frank A. Bennack, Jr. about the political landscape covering global affairs, policy and perspective.

Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, Secretary of State for the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport presented Maintaining a Healthy Media Sector in the Digital Age. “The Paley Center for Media has done so much to set the agenda for developments in US and international media, and continues to support the growth of creative industries on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Wright. “Over decades and centuries, our nations have joined forces to address some of the world’s biggest challenges and to smash creative boundaries. We are facing new challenges, that threaten the nature of liberal democracies and the civil society that underpins any healthy community. High quality media and broadcasting remain some of our strongest defenses against these dark forces.”

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Featured discussions included: 

• Political Landscape: Global Affairs, Policy, and Perspective: Robert Gates in a Dialogue with Paley Chair Frank A. Bennack, Jr. with Robert M. Gates, 22nd Secretary of Defense of the United States; Principal, RiceHadleyGates LLC and Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman, Hearst; Chairman, The Paley Center for Media
• The Future of Advertising with Mark Read, CEO, WPP and Michael Kassan, Chairman & CEO, MediaLink
• Building a Global Brand on a Commitment to Community: A Conversation with Faiza J. Saeed & Howard Schultz with Faiza J. Saeed, Presiding Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Howard Schultz, Chairman Emeritus, Starbucks Coffee Company
• Snapchat: Reimagining Communications and Content on Mobile: A Conversation with Evan Spiegel with Evan Spiegel, Cofounder & CEO, Snap Inc. and Thorold Barker, Wall Street Journal Europe, Middle East, and Africa
• A View from the Top: Navigating New Terrain in Mass Media Today: A Conversation with Arnaud de Puyfontaine with Arnaud de Puyfontaine, President & CEO, Vivendi and Adam Bird, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
• Maintaining a Healthy Media Sector in the Digital Age with Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, Secretary of State for the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
• The Case for Trust & Transparency with Megan Clarken, Global President of Watch, Nielsen
• Cybersecurity & Mitigating Risk: Protecting Your Privacy, Content, Clients, and Users with Robert Hannigan, European Executive Chairman, BlueVoyant Cyber Security; Sir Julian King, Commissioner for the Security Union, European Commission; Jim Richberg, National Intelligence Manager for Cyber, U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Sir John Sawers, Chairman & Partner, Macro Advisory Partners; and Matthew Gould, Director General for Digital and Media Policy, UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

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• From Studios to Stadiums: Where Business Models of the Past Meet Technology of the Future: A Conversation with Aryeh B. Bourkoff & Strauss Zelnick, with Aryeh B. Bourkoff, Founder & CEO, LionTree and Strauss Zelnick, Chairman & CEO, Take-Two Interactive Software
• Blockchain & Cryptocurrency: Modern Solutions to Age-Old Problems with Zeeshan Feroz, UK, CEO, Coinbase; Jason Kelley, General Manager, Blockchain Services, IBM Global Business Services; Amber Nystrom, Cofounder, 5^th Element Group PBC; Brock Pierce, Chairman, Bitcoin Foundation; and Cristiana Falcone, CEO, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation
• Aligning Your Brand in a Cause-Driven World with Marc Mathieu, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics America; Roxane Philson, Chief Marketing Officer, ONE; Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and President for Healthcare, Mastercard; Dara Treseder, former Chief Marketing Officer, GE Business Innovations and GE Ventures; and Joe Marchese, President, Advertising Revenue, Fox Networks Group
• Silicon Europe: A New Tech and Entrepreneurship Generation with Pascal Cagni, France’s Ambassador for International Investment & Chairman of Business France and Nate Lanxon, Technology Editor, Bloomberg News
• Telecom in the Modern Media Landscape with Dexter Goei, CEO, Altice USA; Ben Verwaayen, General Partner, Keen Venture Partners; and Jonathan Miller, CEO, Integrated Media Company
• State of News 2018: Polarization, Propaganda, and Partisanship with Jamie Angus, Director, BBC World Service Group; Thorold Barker, Editor, Wall Street Journal Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Thomas Evans,  Vice President, EMEA Newsgathering & London Bureau Chief, CNN; James Harding, Cofounder & Editor, Tortoise Media; and Stewart Purvis, Board Director, Channel Four, UK

The Paley International Council Summit 2018 is sponsored by: Hearst; McKinsey & Company, the Official Knowledge Partner; Nielsen; and Xandr; with additional support by Virgin Atlantic Airways and Delta Air Lines.