Globinar Cross-Metro Meetup: Global Chamber® NYC and Global Chamber® London

Globinar Cross-Metro Meetup: Global Chamber® NYC and Global Chamber® London 

Be AI-Ready – Strategizing for the Future of Global Business

Thursday, June 5th at 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm London 

The Global Chamber London & Global Chamber New York are joining forces to bring together senior business leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from both metros for a high-impact cross-border event focused on AI and its role in shaping international business strategies.

As AI continues to disrupt industries, organizations must adapt to new technologies, global trends, and strategic opportunities to stay competitive. This event will provide a dynamic platform for cross-metro collaboration, where professionals can:

Explore AI adoption and best practices across industries.
Strategize AI implementation in business models through peer-led discussions.
Forge meaningful global partnerships between the London and New York business communities.

This interactive, strategy-driven event will foster thought leadership, industry insights, and cross-border networking, ensuring participants walk away with actionable takeaways for leveraging AI in their businesses.

Key Themes:

The Distinct AI Landscapes

• New York's Wall Street-influenced ecosystem vs London's approach across finance, healthcare, and creative industries
• Complementary research strengths: NYC's applied solutions vs. London's fundamental research (DeepMind, Alan Turing Institute)

Comparative Advantages

• Sectoral focus of both cities
• Regulatory approaches: Market-driven frameworks vs. comprehensive national AI strategy
• Talent cultivation: Engineering practicality vs. research-application balance

The Transatlantic Opportunity

• Creating a NY-London AI corridor with dual-center operations
• Developing joint ethical standards and regulatory harmonization
• Establishing 24-hour development cycles across time zones

Vision 2030 Roadmap

• Joint AI summits, research funds, and exchange programs
• Setting global AI governance standards with Anglo-American perspective
• Leading responsible AI development for economic growth and human benefit

Takeaways:

Attendees will gain insights into how businesses can leverage the complementary strengths of both ecosystems, understand emerging regulatory frameworks, and identify strategic opportunities in the evolving transatlantic AI partnership.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for senior professionals, executives, and decision-makers in financial services, professional services, technology, marketing, real estate, and other key industries looking to integrate AI into their global business strategy.

Keynote Speaker

Hande Ocak Basev, AI Thought Leader, Managing Partner, WSI Digital Consulting

Hande Ocak Başev is a seasoned expert in AI-driven business strategies, management consulting, and digital transformation, with 25 years of experience. She has successfully managed more than 350 strategic, operational, and technological transformation projects and led over 50 business development initiatives. As a board member, she has provided strategic consultancy to various organizations, enabling them to achieve sustainable growth and strengthen their future trajectories.

Hande is the Managing Partner of WSI Digital Consulting's London and Istanbul offices, leading global digital marketing and AI strategies for a network operating in 750 locations across 82 countries. Hande is an active member of WSI’s Global AI Leadership Board, where she advises on the strategic use of AI in business.

She is a Forbes Türkiye contributor, regularly sharing insights on AI trends, governance, and business applications. Beyond Forbes, she contributes thought leadership to various global publications and platforms. She collaborates with Oxford University, co-developing the AI Leadership Readiness Index, an AI Use Case Factory, and a Business AI Strategy curriculum.

Moderators

Katie Keith, Moderator, Executive Director Global Chamber London and Founder of KK Collective

As a Business Growth & Change Strategist, Katie supports leaders and organizations in building effective relationships, expanding market reach, and increasing visibility in global markets. Originally from a small colonial town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, she is now firmly rooted in the UK and passionate about fostering global business connections.

With over 25 years of experience in corporate leadership, business growth, and change management strategies, Katie has worked extensively across international markets. She holds an MSc from Henley Business School in Executive Coaching and Behavioural Change, equipping her with deep expertise in leadership development and transformation.

In addition to leading Global Chamber London as Executive Director, Katie is the Founder of KK Collective a bold and empowering leadership platform designed to elevate senior women leaders, founders, and entrepreneurs. Through transformational coaching, strategic leadership development, and her signature KK Collective framework, she helps leaders break barriers and achieve extraordinary success.

Katie’s mission is to challenge outdated leadership norms, inspire bold action, and empower leaders to step into their full potential with confidence and impact. She believes leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach—it’s about authenticity, influence, and taking daring action to shape the future of business.  

Susan Assadi,  Executive Director, Global Chamber NYC and Founder, GAPR

Susan leads GAPR, a PR firm with an emphasis on expert and thought leadership campaigns. She is a highly respected national media strategist who helps her clients to be promoted to the national media, weaving in compelling stories that resonate with top media outlets. Her campaigns have enabled her clients to have features and recurring citations in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Reuters and Bloomberg.  As a result of her campaigns, her clients have been boosted into leaders of their respective fields. Susan has over four decades representing public and private companies in the financial services, corporate governance and the proxy industry, alternative energy, and those with an emphasis on responsible business practices such as ESG. Most recently she has been working with disruptors who are helping to build the domestic supply chain of rare earth materials.  Susan also has represented some leading non-profits. She also co-founded Safed House, a non-profit, that provides a welcoming place for refugees and recent immigrants to share their stories.

Her firm’s campaigns are fresh, creative, tech savvy, and innovative, a cocktail that engenders powerful results.

Prior to founding her own PR firm, Susan was the publicist for PBS MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.   She received a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from New York University, and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Panelists

Charles Bernard, Advisory Board Chair NYC, CEO of Criteria for Success and Collavia

Charles Bernard is a renowned sales improvement expert, keynote speaker, and founder of two transformative organizations that are reshaping the way businesses approach growth and client engagement. With over 20 years of experience in direct sales, sales leadership, and management consulting, Charles has dedicated his career to helping companies exceed revenue goals while aligning their strategies with modern buyer behavior. As the highest-performing regional manager for strategic accounts at General Electric, Charles consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver exceptional revenue and business growth.

In 2004, he founded Criteria for Sales Success (CFS), a Manhattan-based management consultancy specializing in strategic revenue planning and cross-departmental collaboration to achieve measurable results. Charles is also the founder of Collavia, an AI-driven sales enablement platform designed to transform how companies empower their teams. Collavia is built around Charles’ philosophy of Enabling Buying rather than Enabling Selling.

This approach shifts the focus from pushing products and services onto potential clients to understanding and addressing their needs, challenges, and goals. By fostering genuine engagement, Collavia helps companies create buyer-centric solutions, optimize resources, and achieve sustainable growth. His core expertise includes: Revenue Growth Strategies, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Sales and Marketing Optimization, Strategic Planning & Execution, Leadership and Team Building.

Charles combines a passion for implementing best practices with a deep understanding of adjusting strategies that harmonize short-term wins with long-term success. His work bridges sales, marketing, operations, client success, and finance to provide holistic solutions that drive measurable outcomes. Born in Madrid, Spain, and educated at Salesians College in Surrey, England, Charles is also an author, world traveler, triathlete, avid scuba diver, hiker, and racquetball enthusiast. His dynamic approach to business and his relentless drive to improve client outcomes make him a trusted voice in sales improvement, leadership, and innovative buyer-focused strategies.

Pouya Lavian, Managing Director Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors

Pouya Lavian operates at the intersection of finance, law, technology and international markets and is a trusted advisor to sophisticated clients on matters relating to their personal wealth, business issues and legacy positioning. His clients include company founders, family offices, financial sponsors, sports and entertainment professionals and executives, providing in-depth familiarity with clients’ needs for cogent and actionable financial advice and insight into the non-financial aspects of governing and managing wealth. Pouya’s comprehensive approach to wealth management draws on his knowledge of global financial markets, tax planning, public and private investments, family governance and next generation technology (Cyber, AI, Quantum). He brings a determined commitment to advocacy on behalf of his clients and their interests.

Pouya began his wealth management career at JPMorgan Private Bank and was also a Senior Banker at Credit Suisse. Prior to focusing on wealth management, Pouya practiced law at Mayer Brown LLP and Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP, advising clients on matters related to capital markets, finance and trust and estate/tax planning. Pouya also served as law clerk to the Honorable Renee R. Roth at the New York County Surrogate’s Court. From 2009–2011, Pouya worked as a consultant to a consortium of prominent international families and organizations on issues related to asset/force protection, capital flight and direct investments, focusing his clients’ efforts in jurisdictions throughout Western Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Pouya has served as an advisor to policy makers on financial regulations, foreign affairs and emerging technologies.

Pouya received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the Fordham International Law Journal, and holds a Masters in Science from NYU Tandon School of Engineering/NYU School of Law. He is a graduate of the honors program at The George Washington University with a degree in cognitive neuroscience/political science. Pouya is a previous member of the New York City Bar Association’s Estate and Gift Taxation Committee and a former Board Member and National Vice President of the Iranian-American Bar Association (IABA). From 2011–2013, Pouya was a contributor to the Forecasting World Events Project at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Pouya is a member of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), the Banking and Finance Leadership of UJA Federation of New York, and is a designated Ambassador of Wells Fargo & Co., representing the firm on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF). Pouya sits on the Investment Committee of Golda Och Academy and is a member of Newark Academy’s Task Force on Anti-Semitism.

Anne-Sophie Mahle, Director of International Partnerships, NYCEDC

Anne-Sophie Mahle is NYCEDC's Director of International Partnerships and works closely with international trade offices, Consulates, and foreign businesses to help them expand their NYC footprint and implement public-private partnerships. Prior to her work at EDC, Anne-Sophie worked at the Swiss and German Consulates in NYC, supporting businesses from both countries to expand to NYC. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Georgetown University with a certificate in International Business Diplomacy and a B.A. in Philosophy & Economics from Bayreuth University, Germany.