On December 16, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and ORF America hosted its 2025 Annual Dinner with partners, friends, and leaders from the public and private sectors in Menlo Park, California.
Every year, the ORF America Annual Dinner brings together high-profile leaders from the public and private sector to discuss contemporary global governance issues impacting the current world order. The 2025 edition reflected on the past year’s pivotal moments as global leaders tackled shifting geopolitics, eroding old orders, and emerging power centers, and explored what lies ahead in 2026.
Speakers:
Stephen Harper, Former Prime Minister Canada
Tadashi Maeda, Chairman of the Board, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
Marise Payne, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Australia
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director, Stanford University
Moderator: Samir Saran, President, ORF

