The World Affairs Council of Charlotte is pleased to welcome Vimal Kumar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell Technologies, as a featured speaker in WACC’s CEO Series on October 8th, 2026.

Kapur spent the last three years orchestrating Honeywell’s division into three public companies: Honeywell Technologies (automation and industrial controls), Honeywell Aerospace (aviation and satellite technology), and Solstice Advanced Materials (specialty chemicals and materials).

Today, he leads Honeywell Technologies, which employs a global workforce of over 50,000, including approximately 1,100 employees in Charlotte. Under Kapur’s leadership, the company focuses on systems and platforms that execute automation processes, make decisions, and operate autonomously, positioning him to offer a unique perspective on U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, global industrial strategy, and leading a company at the center of the automation, aerospace, and energy transition megatrends.

In this conversation, Kapur will discuss:

• Leading a global industrial company through major portfolio transformation and separation
• The role of automation, AI, and innovation in U.S. manufacturing competitiveness
• Navigating complex global supply chains, regulatory environments, and economic uncertainty

This WACC CEO Series program offers business leaders, policymakers, and globally minded professionals the opportunity to engage directly with one of the executives shaping the future of global industrial strategy and American manufacturing leadership.

 

 

• WACC Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK
• WACC CEO Series Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK

Program Information: 

Date:
Tuesday, October 8th, 2026
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking: 
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation: 
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location:
Hilton Charlotte Uptown (222 E. Third St., Charlotte, NC 28202)
Cost:
$75 (WACC Member Rate) | $95 (Non-Member Rate) | $55 (Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte — YPWACC) | $40 (WACC Student Member / WACC Educator Member)

 

 

 

 

WACC Private Dinner

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte for an exclusive private dinner on Wednesday, October 14 with Ralph Lopez Massas, Senior Vice President of CLT Hub Operations, and Michael Wanner, Vice President of CLT Hub Operations.

Over dinner, and global reach and what’s ahead for the operation that connects Charlotte to the world and the world to Charlotte.

 

 

• WACC Private Dinner Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK 

Program Information: 

Date: Wednesday, October 14th, 2026
Check-In & Networking: 6:00 – 6:30 PM
Dinner & Discussion: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Location: TBA
Cost: $140 (WACC Member Rate) | $160 (Non-Member Rate) — limited to 24 people
*Includes pre-dinner wine, salad, entrée, dessert, wine during dinner, and coffee service

 

 

 

 

Connecting the Carolinas  to  the World: The  Power of  the CLT  Hub

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on Thursday, October 15 for a conversation with Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network Planning for American Airlines. Brian oversees the strategy behind American’s global network, including the growth we’ve seen right here in CLT. 

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is one of the world’s busiest airports and one of the Carolinas’ strongest international connections. Airports Council International’s 2025 rankings put it 7th busiest worldwide for total aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) and 11th in North Carolina for passengers. It’s also the 35th worldwide in passenger traffic. Last year alone, CLT handled approximately 53.6 million passengers and more than 570,000 aircraft operations, each one a direct connection linking the Charlotte region to the rest of the globe.

For the Queen City, CLT is more than an airport: it’s a gem. It’s how Charlotte does business internationally, how the region keeps growing by leaps and bounds, and how our own residents get out into the world. And right at the heart of it is American Airlines.

American runs its second-largest hub here (Dallas-Fort Worth is first), operating around 90% of CLT’s flights and connecting to over 170 destinations. Most recently, American announced a new nonstop route to Barcelona launching in May 2027, plus increased seasonal service to Paris, the latest expansion of a hub that keeps bringing the world closer to home.

American Airlines and CLT have grown up together, and that partnership shows no signs of slowing down. Come learn more about what’s driving the next chapter.

DIPLOMAT SPONSOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• WACC Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK
• WACC Global Business Series Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK

Program Information: 

Date:
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking: 
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation: 
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location:
Charlotte Marriott City Center
Cost:
$70 (WACC Member Rate) | $90 (Non-Member Rate) | $50 (Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte — YPWACC) | $40 (WACC Student Member / WACC Educator Member)

 

 

 

 

WACC Drink About It: Cybersecurity for the Modern Professional

Join us for a casual, engaging conversation about the evolving world of cybersecurity and what today’s professionals need to know to stay informed, secure, and prepared.

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Lost Worlds Brewing (1100 Metropolitan Ave #165, Charlotte, NC 28204)
Cost: Free

 

On Thursday, November 12, the World Affairs Council of Charlotte will gather at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown for a joint evening of Academic WorldQuest and WorldQuest as high school students and adult teams play side by side, testing what they know about the world.

The year’s competition is held in memory of Pierre Lipton, who lived that very arc: first as an Academic WorldQuest competitor for Myers Park High School, and later as a WorldQuest player with “The Charlottans” (a community team in Charlotte).

The trophies now carry his name, and with it a reminder of why we play at all: because learning about the world is worth celebrating, cultivating, and passing on to the next generation of leaders. 

Joint 2026 WorldQuest & Academic WorldQuest Categories: 

1. World Flags
2. Geography of Spain
3. History of the Panama Canal
4. The Arctic: Geopolitics of a Melting Region
5. International Film and Literature
6. Current Events
7. Anything and All Things Trivia

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
Check-In: 5:30-6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (*light pasta dinner served)
Welcome & Introductions: 7:00 – 7:15 p.m.
Competition & Awards: 7:15 – 9:00 p.m.

Team Registration Information:

Academic WorldQuest (Team of 4 High School Students): $40 Per Student Team

• Each school may have a maximum of 2 teams each playing in Academic WorldQuest

WorldQuest Team: $600 (up to 8 team members)
Non-Profit WorldQuest Team: $500 (up to 8 team members)
Individual Registration: $75 (*You will be assigned with other individuals or fill in tables that need players)

 

 

 

Education Sponsors