Global Business Perspectives

Today, I attended an event where Tom Ridge from Ridge Global spoke.  He is now working in the private sector but has a lot of experience as Governor of Pennsylvania and was appointed the first Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security after restructuring post 9/11.  I was anxious to hear his thoughts on globalization, immigration and protecting our borders.

His speech was very interesting and did cover the following thoughts:

1. Globalization is here to stay, this brings great things and some risks.

2.  We need to manage risks as best we can by utilizing biometrics, rfids, and other important technologies.

3.  The Detroit/Windsor border is the busiest border crossing in the country with approximately $1 billion in trade going each way EVERY day. 

I thought he was well spoken and agreed that there are risks to doing business globally.  We have a responsibility to keep ourselves marketable for the changing economy and that means we need to make technology an INTEGRAL part of our local economy.  Global business is where we need to see ourselves to stay in the game. 

Please visit www.econclub.org for more information.  From the site.  “The inextricable link between security and prosperity in a progressively interdependent world has generated enormous political and economic benefits but also consequent challenges. As the interdependence grows, so grows the vulnerability. Terrorism, natural disasters, criminal acts, vendor issues, accidents and geopolitical influences can have debilitating effects on economies and thus have put issues such as supply chain security, cross-border collaborations and security investment at the forefront of every proactive business and government agenda. Secretary Ridge, the nation’s first secretary of Homeland Security and former governor Pennsylvania, will share his views of today’s risk-centric environment and how to minimize those risks in favor of greater resiliency and security across the globe. “