The Diplomatic Council has launched a new Global SME Forum to support SMEs worldwide. SME stands for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.
Chairwoman Dr. Mirjam Ringer
Dr. Mirjam Ringer has taken over the leadership of the initiative as Chairwoman of the Global SME Forum. For more than 15 years, she has been working as a C-level executive on strategies that promote the innovative linking of marketing and sales through digitalization in order to drive transformation and make the most of companies' potential. She is currently on a certificate course to become a supervisory and advisory board member and is familiar with the concerns and needs of SMEs across numerous industries and company sizes. She is supported by a growing international team of DC members in the management circle of the new forum.
Focus on four topics
Thematically, the new SME Forum will initially focus on four areas: SME advisory boards, digitalization (including AI and CX), smarketing (sales & marketing integrated) and corporate succession (including M&A). The aim is to support member companies of the Diplomatic Council in achieving their economic goals and also to provide impetus for the global development of the SME sector.
Utilizing the global reach of the UN
To this end, the Forum, under the leadership of Dr. Mirjam Ringer, will make use of the global reach of the United Nations. Thanks to the UN Consultative Status of the Diplomatic Council, DC delegations can participate in all UN conferences and make written and oral contributions and organize their own events within the framework of the UN. In recent years, several such DC UN side events have already been organized at the three main UN locations in New York, Vienna and Geneva.
Start-ups, growth companies, family businesses
The forum's target group ranges from start-ups and growth companies to larger family businesses. In regular sessions - mainly online - the forum aims to develop the topics mentioned and prepare them for these different target groups.
The DC Global SME Forum will work closely with other programs of the Diplomatic Council. In particular, DCAPS (Diplomatic Council Advisory & Professional Services) and DCISE (Diplomatic Council Global Committee on Innovation, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Education) should be mentioned here. There are also joint projects with DC cooperation partners such as the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), ProtocolToday and Steinbeis Augsburg Business School.
A prosperous economy promotes peace
The new forum ties in with the core of the Diplomatic Council. The organization was founded over twelve years ago to bring diplomacy and business closer together. This is based on the realization that a prosperous economy as the basis for prosperity all over the world is a decisive factor for the peaceful coexistence of people. Ambassadors and consuls therefore have a strong interest in international economic relations and often act as "door openers" for DC member companies.