According to the ILO the global job gap is projected at 453 million people in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for trends such as remote and hybrid work. But the topic is much broader – especially since many workers are not able to work off-site. The future of work involves thinking about leadership, culture, customers, talent, training, reskilling, and more. How have employers responded to new challenges when it comes to the future of work? What impact will generative Artificial Intelligence have on the workplace? How will the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations get back on track? 

1014 and the American Council on Germany hosted a discussion about the future of work with representatives from two organizations representing employers. We enjoyed a lively discussion with Steffen Kampeter, Chief Executive Officer of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Confederation of German Employers‘ Associations (BDA), and Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

Biographies

Steffen Kampeter is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Confederation of German Employers‘ Associations (BDA)). Previously, he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance and was also a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2016. An economist by training, he was the majority leader in the Budget, Appropriations, and Ways and Means Committee and chaired the working group on budget policy of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group. In his Westphalian constituency MindenLübbecke, Mr. Kampeter serves as Chairman of the local CDU.

Roberto Suárez Santos is a highly regarded leader with a profound impact on the global landscape of employment and labor-related issues. Since his appointment as Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) in October 2018, he has been at the forefront of shaping the future of labor policies and advocating for small, medium, and large employers worldwide. Under his guidance, IOE has grown into the largest private sector network globally, comprising 159 business and employer organization members across 150 countries. Some of his major achievements as Secretary-General include expanding IOE’s participation in the B20, broadening the scope of the organization’s work on gender, climate and employment, digitalization, human rights and business as well as assuring the continued expertise on industrial relations, labor migration and sustainable enterprises. He has also spearheaded vital skilling and capacity-building initiatives in Africa and Latin America.