THE Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is set to convene the Asian Forum on Enterprise for Society (AFES) 2025 on November 11–12, gathering top leaders at the Makati Shangri-La to confront the era's accelerating disruptions: climate instability, fractured geopolitics, and the rapid advance of artificial intelligence.
Under the theme “Navigating Disruption: Enterprise Priorities for a Resilient Future,” the forum will focus on the urgent responsibilities of businesses in building resilience and purpose amid global volatility.
In an emailed statement today, Nov. 12, framing the discussions will be two high-profile keynote speakers.
Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, renowned for spearheading the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation, a leading advocate for sustainability-driven corporate transformation in Asia.
Their participation underscores the critical need for a united front, merging international diplomacy and private enterprise to address immediate global demands.
“Discussions at AFES 2025 will delve into the most pressing issues for business and society, including:
Climate Solutions rooted in nature-based approaches; The ethical integration of artificial intelligence into enterprise; The imperatives of diversity and inclusion; The role of education in preparing the next generation for resilience; and Empowering communities through and inclusive finance.
“Closing sessions will examine strategies to strengthen global supply chains and reinforce collaborative commitments that successfully balance profitability with broader social responsibility,” AIM’s statement reads.
For AIM, which has trained Asian leaders for over fifty years, hosting AFES extends its mission beyond traditional management education.
The forum asserts that enterprises — especially in a region characterized by both high growth and high volatility — must serve as engines of social progress as well as economic development.
AFES, launched in 2002 and convened by AIM’s Ramon V. Del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Responsibility, has become a premier regional platform for dialogue between business and society.
Its longstanding purpose is to align corporate, political, and civic power with the imperatives of a sustainable future.
