Page 8 - WBG NOV2024

Message from

1 VICE PRESIDENT
ST

Dear Colleagues and Friends from Around the World,

We look back on a very well-organized WAD Annual General Meeting in
Malaysia. The meeting in Kuala Lumpur at the Grand Hyatt Hotel has left
wonderful memories that will likely last a lifetime.

Moving forward, the Mid Term in Lisbon, Portugal, is scheduled from April
30th to May 4th, 2025. Surveys indicate that it will be a very well-attended
Mid Term in Portugal. I am already looking forward to seeing the colorful
houses, enjoying the pleasant climate, and reuniting with familiar faces.

In 2025, we will be in the association’s hundredth year, and who knows,
maybe we’ll even break the magical 1,000-member mark in this special
year.

Our anniversary event and hundred-year celebration in Chicago from
September 2nd to 7th, 2025, is sure to be a highlight. Good hotel rates
have already been negotiated at the Drake Hotel. WAD is returning to
the city where it was founded 100 years ago. Nostalgia meets modernity.
It will surely be a very special occasion in a great city with professional
colleagues from around the world.

Who knows what the future holds until then? One thing remains constant:
Our association includes members from over 80 nations. The most diverse
cultures are united in WAD. What connects us is a shared profession and
the joy and professionalism in what we do. Our meetings lead to strong
connections and sometimes even friendships that cross all national
borders.

I look forward to the upcoming WAD time.

See you soon,
Yours,
“Creativity is thinking
up new things.
Philip Ryffel
Innovation is

doing new things.” 1st Vice President

Theodore Levitt
German-American Economist

6 W.A.D Beyond Global