The 2026 Global Plenary Meeting
Wed, May 13, 2026
David Rockefeller Fellow Program (May 4th draft)
Meeting Venue: The Maple Room (Prestige Tower, 7th Floor) at the Hotel Okura Tokyo
Registration: Name badges and the DRF program book will be provided at the registration desk.
* Please note that the DRF lunch session, closing session, and Excursion program are limited to DRF members and speakers only. Registered participants may attend the morning sessions.
9:00–9:10AM Welcome Remarks & Framing the Day – The Trilateral Imperative in an Age of Disruption
Opening remarks will set the context for the day, highlighting Tokyo as a strategic convening location and framing discussions around a trilateral examination of geopolitics, security, technology, and the global economic order. The session will underscore the role of David Rockefeller Fellows in linking perspectives across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific during a period of accelerating global disruption.
Daisuke Kawai, Director of Economic Security and Policy Innovation Program, RCAST, The University of Tokyo / AP DRF Representative
Levent Tuzun, Principal at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) / European DRF Representative
Claire Figel DiTondo, Sr. Strategy & Engagement Lead, Global Executive Relations, Amazon Web Services (AWS); North American DRF Co-Representative
9:10–9:55AM Digital Currencies, Dollar-Based Stablecoins, and Monetary Sovereignty
Monetary architecture is undergoing profound transformation. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), privately issued dollar-based stablecoins, and the digitization of cross-border payments are reshaping the foundations of financial sovereignty and global liquidity. As digital payment infrastructures evolve, questions emerge:
Will dollar-based stablecoins reinforce U.S. monetary dominance—or introduce a new system?
How should central banks respond to the rapid expansion of private digital money?
Can CBDCs coexist with open capital markets?
What are the implications for financial stability, sanctions effectiveness, and geopolitical leverage?
How might Europe and Japan position themselves in a dollar-centric digital system?
Scene-setting remarks by Yuga Cohler, Head of Engineering for Stablecoin Payments at Coinbase
Dr. Prof. Axel Weber, Chairman, Trilateral Commission Europe / Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, UBS Group AG, Zurich / former President of Deutsche Bundesbank
Kenichi Nishikata, Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Japan
Michael B. Greenwald, Director of Global Executive Relations, Amazon Web Services (AWS) & Deputy Director, Trilateral Commission North America
Moderator: Alessandro Piccioni, Director, Private Equity FS & Fintech Deal Team at CVC Capital Partners
10:00–10:40AM Trade, Industrial Policy, and the Rewiring of Global Economic Interdependence
The global trading system is entering a period of structural reconfiguration. Export controls, subsidy regimes, investment screening, and strategic supply-chain policies are no longer exceptional instruments—they are becoming central features of economic governance. Rather than a temporary reaction to geopolitical tensions, we may be witnessing a long-term shift from efficiency-driven globalization to resilience-centered geo-economic statecraft. This session will examine:
The future of WTO-centered trade governance
The rise of industrial policy across advanced democracies
Strategic supply chain coordination among the U.S., Europe, and Japan
Trade fragmentation versus managed interdependence
How to reconcile economic security with open markets
Felipe Morgado, Senior Advisor at United Nations Trade and Development / Europe DRF
Amb. Susan C. Schwab, Former United States Trade Representative; Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP
Takehiko Matsuo, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
Moderator: Prof. Bark Taeho, Former Korean Trade Minister; President, Lee & Ko Global Commerce Institute
10:40–11:00AM Coffee Break & A Book Launch
Mohammed Soliman, Director, McLarty Associates & American DRF
11:00–11:40AM Alliance Adaptation in a Fragmenting World: Defense Strategy and Collective Deterrence
A trilateral discussion among senior defense policymakers and strategic leaders on how alliance structures across North America, Europe, and Asia are adapting to intensifying military competition, regional flashpoints, and shifting balances of power. As traditional deterrence architectures confront new operational realities—from gray-zone tactics and hybrid warfare to advanced missile systems and space and cyber capabilities—alliances are reassessing force posture, defense integration, and burden-sharing arrangements. The focus is not only on political alignment, but on the practical coordination of military capabilities and strategic planning. The panel will examine:
How NATO and Indo-Pacific alliances are recalibrating collective deterrence
Force posture adjustments and forward deployment strategies
Defense-industrial cooperation and supply chain resilience in critical military technologies
The integration of cyber, space, and AI-enabled systems into operational planning
Escalation management and crisis coordination among allied defense establishments
Grégoire Roos, Director of Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes at Chatham House / Europe DRF
Jack McCain, Chief Executive Officer, McCain Advisory; CEO, Blue Sky
Jim Baker, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); Former Director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment, U.S. Department of War
Masataka Okano, Former National Security Advisor / Former Vice Foreign Minister of Japan
Moderator: Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury, Visiting Fellow, The University of Tokyo / PhD Student, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore/ APAC David Rockefeller Fellow
11:45–12:25PM A Fireside Chat on AI, Digital Health, and the Future of Health Care
Health systems, biomedical innovation, and AI-enabled medical technologies are rapidly becoming central to national resilience, economic competitiveness, and public-sector transformation. This session will examine how aging societies, digital infrastructure, health data governance, and innovation ecosystems are reshaping the future of care—and what Japan, North America, and Europe can learn from one another. This session will examine:
How AI is changing diagnostics, treatment pathways, and health-system efficiency
The strategic importance of digital health infrastructure in aging societies
Health data governance, public trust, and cross-border regulatory questions
Biomedical innovation, industrial policy, and competitiveness
Comparative lessons from Japan, North America, and Europe
Björn Zoëga, CEO, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
Quint Simon, Vice President of Public Policy, Asia-Pacific & Japan, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Ayako Takemi, Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo
Moderator: Dr.David Bernstein, Chief Resident and Clinical Fellow, Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School & American David Rockefeller Fellow
12:30–1:20PM Lunch and Fireside Chat: Strategic Technology and Industrial Renewal: Japan’s AI and Semiconductor Repositioning
[This Luncheon session is open to DRFs and speakers only]
In an era defined by technological sovereignty and systemic rivalry, advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence have become foundational pillars of national power. Japan’s renewed industrial strategy reflects a broader effort among advanced democracies to restore resilience, reduce strategic dependencies, and shape the norms of emerging technologies.
Special Remarks by H.E. Kimi Onoda, Minister in charge of Economic Security / Science and Technology Policy / Artificial Intelligence Strategy (TBC)
Katsuya Uenoyama, Founder and CEO, PKSHA Technology
Doug Beck, Member of the Board of Directors, Center for a New American Security (CNAS) & Former Director of Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Department of War
Moderator: Kenji Kushida, Senior Fellow, Asia Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace & Alumni of DRF
1:20–1:30PM Closing Remarks: Synthesis & Path Forward
[This session is open to DRFs and speakers only]
A concise synthesis connecting themes across political leadership, security, technology, economic order, and societal resilience — and outlining priorities for continued trilateral engagement.
Michael B. Greenwald, Director of Global Executive Relations, Amazon Web Services (AWS) & Deputy Director, Trilateral Commission North America
Levent Tuzun, Principal at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) / European DRF Representative joined by Noura Berrouba, Chief of Staff at the Daniel Sachs Foundation / European DRF
Daisuke Kawai, Director of Economic Security and Policy Innovation Program, RCAST, The University of Tokyo / APAC DRF Representative
2:00–6:00PM Excursion in Tokyo (Site-visit place to be determined)
[This Site-visit is open to DRFs and speakers only]
Ichigaya Memorial Hall, Ministry of Defense
Meiji Shrine
Shibuya Sky
Team Lab