May 15, 2025 Board of Trade

Executive Leadership Roundtable Recap: Leaders Respond to a Changing Economy

On May 9 at our Downtown D.C. office, the Greater Washington Board of Trade convened a candid Executive Leadership Roundtable with Tom Barkin, President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. This session brought together senior executives from across the region for an exchange on national economic trends, regional business conditions, and the future of our workforce and markets.

Our members brought candor, insight, and urgency to the conversation, reflecting the realities of leading through disruption. While the economic data offers mixed signals, business leaders are navigating real-time volatility in pricing, hiring, trade policy, and consumer behavior. The conversation underscored that conventional playbooks no longer apply in the same ways, and leaders must adapt to a system defined by speed, decentralization, and growing complexity.

Several recurring themes emerged:

  • Persistent labor shortages—not just in volume, but in skills alignment
  • Rising operating costs and uncertainty around tariffs, housing, and energy
  • The growing impact of AI and automation across internal operations
  • A shared desire for better federal-local alignment in economic response
  • The importance of timely, trusted data to supplement lagging indicators

The conversation reinforced a critical truth: Greater Washington cannot afford to plan for the economy of the past. Across sectors, leaders are grappling with systems and structures that were built for another era. What’s needed now is not only new solutions, but new ways of thinking.

The Board of Trade will continue to foster these executive-level dialogues, providing space for leaders to test assumptions, exchange strategies, and shape a more resilient, competitive region.

Mark your calendar: Our next Executive Leadership Roundtable with Tom Barkin will take place on October 17. Registration details will be shared soon—stay tuned.

​​Thank you to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for sponsoring this vital discussion that engages our members and partners in the region.