American Swiss Foundation takes Swiss leaders to Northwest Arkansas

The American Swiss Foundation brought Swiss and U.S. business, government and civic leaders to Northwest Arkansas on Oct. 27-28 to study the region’s growth model and its lessons for workforce, education, healthcare and entrepreneurship. The program also aimed to deepen U.S.-Swiss exchange around shared priorities in economic development and talent building.

Why it matters: - The program spotlighted Northwest Arkansas as a model for how regions outside major political and financial capitals can attract global investment. - The delegation examined how entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships and talent development can support economic growth. - The visit also created a forum for Swiss and American leaders to compare approaches to workforce development, education, healthcare and community building.

What happened: - The American Swiss Foundation convened a delegation of Swiss and American business, government and civic leaders in Northwest Arkansas on Oct. 27-28, 2026. - The two-day program included visits to institutions, discussions with regional leaders and tours tied to the area’s economic and cultural development. - The agenda focused on Northwest Arkansas’s entrepreneurial legacy and its investments in innovation, education, workforce development, healthcare, culture and community.

The details: - The program opened Oct. 27 with a tour of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. - Brandom Gengelbach of the Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Ron Maloney of the Northwest Arkansas Council and Krista Cupp of Heartland Forward introduced the region in a discussion moderated by Philip Ryan of the ASF Advisory Council. - The delegation visited the Bentonville Institute of Technology to look at the future of technical education. - Laura MacDonald and Michael Reksulak, founding faculty members of the Bentonville Institute of Technology, discussed education innovation. - The delegation then visited the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. - Sharmila Makhija, Founding Dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, and Claude Pirtle, President of the Heartland Whole Health Institute, discussed medical education and whole-person health. - The day also covered agriculture, international trade and the future of food. - Kimberly Reed, former chairman, president and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward joined that discussion. - The Oct. 27 program ended with a private visit to Crystal Bridges, including an art trail tour at Skyspace. - On Oct. 28, the delegation examined Walmart’s evolution and its effect on the region. - Fritz Steiger, founding executive of the Walmart Foundation, presented on Walmart philanthropy and Bentonville in a session moderated by Vanessa E. Beary, executive director of the American Swiss Foundation. - A discussion on global supply chains and the future of work featured Nathan Hill of Walmart and Sam's Club at Nestlé USA Inc. and Seth Levey of Glencore. - Nathan George of the ASF Alumni Committee moderated that supply chain discussion. - The delegation also toured The Walmart Museum and Walmart’s Home Office campus. - Workforce development remained a major theme on the second day. - Arkansas Chief Workforce Officer Mike Rodgers took part in a fireside chat moderated by Joyce Giuffra of Dartmouth’s Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy. - Bentonville Mayor Stephanie Orman joined a conversation on civic leadership and the region’s transformation, moderated by Steven Hoch, chair emeritus of the American Swiss Foundation. - Alison Mathieu of ABB’s NEMA Motors Division and Dr. Ken Warden, Arkansas Commissioner of Higher Education, discussed apprenticeships, higher education, manufacturing and talent development. - Tom Fetters of The Adecco Group North America joined another discussion on workforce solutions for a changing economy. - Alison R. Williams of Willco consulting moderated both workforce sessions. - The program concluded with a dinner hosted by Gregory Field Price, ASF board member and chair of the ASF Programs Committee. - H.E. Dr. Ralf Heckner, Switzerland’s ambassador to the United States, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson delivered remarks at the dinner.

Between the lines: - The visit showed how ASF uses place-based programs to turn policy themes into on-the-ground conversations. - Northwest Arkansas offered a practical case study for Swiss leaders because the region combines corporate power, civic investment and talent pipelines. - The mix of topics suggests ASF sees economic competitiveness and social infrastructure as linked, not separate. - The program also reinforced Bentonville’s role as more than a Walmart headquarters town, with health, education and culture now part of the region’s broader identity.

What's next: - ASF said programs like this will continue to connect Swiss and American leaders through dialogue and shared learning. - The foundation aims to use those exchanges to identify new opportunities for collaboration between the United States and Switzerland. - ASF said its broader mission remains strengthening shared values of liberty, the rule of law and free enterprise.

The bottom line: - The Northwest Arkansas trip was both a study tour and a relationship-building exercise, designed to turn regional lessons into cross-border cooperation.