Brussels Forum Co-Chairs
On the occasion of the 10th annual Brussels Forum, GMF is honored to welcome Dr. Zbingniew Brzezinski, Frank Friedman, Herman Van Rompuy, and Dr. Dieter Zetsche as the first Co-Chairs of our annual flagship conference. GMF is grateful for their support and commitment to Brussels Forum.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Counselor and Trustee, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
From 1977 to 1981, Dr. ZbigniewBrzezinski was national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter. In 1981, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the normalization of U.S.-China relations. He received a bachelor’s and master’s from McGill University and Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, most recently the de Tocqueville Prize in 2011 for his contributions to the political science field. His many books include Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power (Basic Books, 2012); America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy (Basic Books, 2008), coauthored with Brent Scowcroft and David Ignatius; Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower (Basic Books, 2007); and The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership (Basic Books, 2004).
Frank Friedman, CEO, Deloitte LLP
Frank Friedman has served as CEO of Deloitte since 2011, and has led the development of the firm’s financial strategy, including capital, budgeting, planning, analysis, accounting, partner financial services, taxes, reporting, and operations. He is a frequent commentator on major issues impacting the U.S. economy, speaking to outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, and CNNMoney. Outside of Deloitte, Friedman has served on the boards of many philanthropic organizations, including the REACH Foundation, Starlight Theater, Health Midwest, Minority Supplier Council, and Menorah Hospital. He joined Deloitte’s Kansas City office in 1979 after graduating from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s in accounting and business administration.
Herman Van Rompuy, former President, European Council
Elected as the first full-time president of the European Council in November 2009, Herman Van Rompuy took office when the Lisbon Treaty came into force on Dec. 1, 2009. In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term, serving until November 2014. At the time of his first election, Van Rompuy was prime minister of Belgium. Prior to that, he had served as speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives (2007-08) and in several government positions, including as vice-prime minister and minister of budget (1993-99).
Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management, Daimler AG
Dr. Dieter Zetsche has been a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG since December 1998, and chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG since January 2006. He is also head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division. After attending school in Frankfurt and obtaining the Abitur (university entrance examination), he studied electrical engineering from 1971 to 1976 at the University of Karlsruhe and graduated as an engineer. He joined the research department of the then Daimler-Benz AG in 1976 and became assistant to the Development Manager in the Commercial Vehicles business unit in 1981. Zetsche completed a doctorate in engineering in 1982 at the University of Paderborn. Since 1984, as part of the Daimler-Benz Commercial Vehicles Management Development Team, he has been responsible for the coordination of international development activities.