Conference Board

Conference Board
Name	Conference Board
Formation	1916
Type	Business membership and research organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	Global
Leader title	President and Chief Executive Officer

Conference Board is a global business membership and research organization that provides data, analysis, and convening services for corporations, United States Department of Commerce, European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and major multinational firms. The organization produces widely cited economic indicators and organizes executive conferences and peer networks that engage leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble as well as policymakers from United States Congress, European Parliament, Bank of England, Federal Reserve System, and central banks worldwide.

History

Founded in 1916 in Manhattan, the organization emerged amid industrial tensions involving American Federation of Labor, Committee on Public Information, and early 20th-century corporate networks such as J. P. Morgan interests and the United States Chamber of Commerce. During the interwar period it interacted with institutions like League of Nations, Federal Reserve Act architects, and finance houses including J.P. Morgan & Co. and Kuhn, Loeb & Co.. Post-1945, the institution engaged with reconstruction actors such as Marshall Plan administrators, collaborated with International Labour Organization delegates, and consulted for firms including General Electric, Ford Motor Company, and IBM. In the 1970s through the 1990s it expanded international research ties with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Asian Development Bank, World Trade Organization negotiators, and corporate members like Siemens, Sony, and Unilever. More recently it has partnered with technology and consulting firms such as Accenture, IBM Watson, Google, Amazon (company), and McKinsey & Company to develop digital research platforms.

Organization and Governance

Governance is overseen by a board of directors drawn from CEOs and senior executives of firms like JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Barclays. Executive leadership has included figures with backgrounds at Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Wharton School, Yale School of Management, and appointments from former officials at United States Treasury Department, Office of Management and Budget, and the European Central Bank. Committees span policy and practice areas with experts from BlackRock, Vanguard Group, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and legal counsel from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Regional advisory councils feature leaders representing markets such as Shanghai Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Bombay Stock Exchange, Brazilian Development Bank, and African Development Bank.

Research and Publications

The organization publishes reports, white papers, and briefs on topics relevant to corporate leaders, often citing data used by United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Statistics Canada, Office for National Statistics, and Eurostat. Major publications address labor and human capital with contributors from Society for Human Resource Management, World Economic Forum, International Labour Organization, and academic partners at London School of Economics, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, and University of California, Berkeley. Other research streams engage climate and sustainability specialists from United Nations Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Carbon Disclosure Project, and corporate sustainability teams at IKEA, Tesla, Inc., and BP plc. Sector-specific analyses have been co-authored with industry groups such as National Association of Manufacturers, American Bankers Association, Motion Picture Association, and National Retail Federation.

Economic Indicators and Indexes

The organization is best known for economic indicators used alongside releases from Federal Reserve System, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, and People's Bank of China. Flagship indexes measure consumer confidence, labor market trends, and corporate readiness, and are cited by media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg L.P., and Reuters. Methodologies for indexes draw on survey techniques similar to those used by Gallup, Pew Research Center, and statistical frameworks from International Monetary Fund staff. Data products inform investors at firms like BlackRock, State Street Corporation, Fidelity Investments, and hedge funds such as Bridgewater Associates.

Conferences and Events

The organization convenes global summits, leadership conferences, and specialized forums that attract speakers from institutions including United Nations, World Trade Organization, International Labour Organization, and corporate executives from Apple Inc., Samsung, Nestlé, BP plc, and Chevron Corporation. Regular events cover topics such as corporate governance with panels featuring representatives from Securities and Exchange Commission, Council of the European Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and labor leaders from AFL–CIO and Trades Union Congress. Executive education and peer network meetings often partner with academic programs at Harvard Kennedy School, INSEAD, Sloan School of Management, and Columbia University.

Partnerships and Global Presence

The organization maintains partnerships with intergovernmental bodies and corporate networks including United Nations Global Compact, World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and regional chambers like United States Chamber of Commerce, European Chamber of Commerce, and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Global offices and affiliates coordinate with national agencies such as Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Australian Trade and Investment Commission, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Ministry of Commerce (China), and multilateral development institutions like Inter-American Development Bank and Asian Development Bank to deliver research and events across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Category:Organizations established in 1916