AI investment, geopolitical tensions and changing consumer expectations are forcing companies to rethink how they compete and grow. Business leaders must now connect technology decisions with financial returns, infrastructure resilience and customer trust.
Reuters NEXT New York 2026, taking place December 1–2 in New York, will bring together global executives, policymakers, investors and innovators to examine these shifts under the theme Questioning today to build a better tomorrow.
AI Investment Faces the ROI Test
One of the event’s key discussions, Show Me the Value: AI’s ROI Moment, focuses on a question companies can no longer avoid. Is AI delivering measurable financial returns, or simply adding complexity to existing operations?
Another session, Power in the Age of AI, examines the infrastructure behind enterprise AI, including data centres, energy security and resilience.
For technology and marketing leaders, the connection matters. Scaling AI requires more than deploying new tools. Businesses must justify spending, build the necessary infrastructure and connect adoption to measurable outcomes.
Also Read: Strategies for Improving Marketing Campaign Effectiveness: How Brands Can Maximize ROI in 2026
Consumer Trust Remains a Business Priority
The session The Trust Test: Brands, Buyers and the New Rules examines how inflation, AI, data and platform dynamics are changing the relationship between companies and consumers.
For marketing leaders, this raises questions about brand credibility, customer expectations, pricing and accountability. As AI changes how brands engage with audiences, maintaining trust becomes a commercial consideration rather than just a communications responsibility.
Business Leaders Bring Cross-Industry Perspectives
The confirmed speaker lineup includes Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer; Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS; Christiana Riley, President and CEO of Santander Bank US; Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of NAACP; Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew Group; David Jinfeng Huang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Yatsen Group; Noboru Saito, Representative Director, President and CEO of TDK Corporation; and Nitin Tandon, Global Chief Information Officer at Vanguard.
Their experience across healthcare, logistics, financial services, retail and technology brings different perspectives to discussions around business transformation, investment and changing global influence.
Check out the full speaker list for more details.
What Leaders Should Watch
Reuters NEXT combines executive interviews and panel discussions with invitation-only masterclasses and leadership circles. The agenda connects AI returns, investment decisions, consumer trust and the infrastructure supporting technological growth.
For executives, the value lies in understanding how these forces interact. Technology strategy increasingly depends on financial discipline, while sustainable growth requires businesses to respond to changing markets and customer expectations.
To know more about Reuters NEXT New York 2026, including the agenda and attendance details, visit the official event website.