Shehryar Omar

Shehryar brings extensive global management experience in Asia and North America across multiple industries and disciplines, with companies like Pakistan State Oil, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Citibank. He has delivered strong growth and financial results in large and complex organizations, both in Pakistan and globally. He has managed some of the largest and best-known brands in the world, including Coca-Cola, Citibank Visa, and Nescafe. He brings deep and wide expertise in strategy development and execution, P&L management, new business development, change management, consumer and customer marketing, and developing high performing teams. He also has extensive experience in managing large national and international customers, as well as government stakeholders and industry bodies. His experience in different countries, industries, and business environments, both public and private, has given him a deep understanding of what it takes to build businesses, motivate people, and deliver outstanding results.

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

14:10

Emerging Economies ICC Hall A 14:10 - 14:40

Strengthening resilience in emerging economies: ensuring infrastructure resilience and economic continuity

Emerging economies are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions that strain infrastructure systems, destabilise supply chains, and undermine long-term growth. As global risks intensify, resilience is becoming a central pillar of sustainable development, requiring forward-looking investments to protect both physical assets and economic continuity. Many emerging markets face weak infrastructure and limited redundancy that heighten exposure to shocks - whether environmental, economic, or logistical. The infrastructure investment gap in these economies now exceeds $450 billion annually, creating urgent pressure to build systems that are both climate-aware and disruption-ready. Compounding this challenge, over 90% of global supply chain leaders report experiencing disruptions in the past year, with nearly 60% citing infrastructure failures or weather-related impacts as contributing factors. Tackling these vulnerabilities requires rethinking infrastructure design, strengthening logistics networks, and embedding flexibility into energy, transport, and industrial systems. Emerging economies must prioritise resilience through smarter infrastructure investment, economic diversification, and coordinated planning across public and private sectors.

Attendee insights:

Gain insight into how emerging economies are building resilience through infrastructure investment, supply chain protection, and strategic planning to withstand escalating disruptions and sustain economic momentum.