These are uncomfortable times for the archetypal men of Davos — and at least one woman.

Established in 1971 to support a global, capitalist vision of the future, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year also offers a reminder of the public humbling of some of its most visible champions. Dozens of the assembled business leaders and exemplars present and past have been brought low by a wide range of misconduct allegations, including sexual harassment, mismanagement and financial misconduct.

This year, Carlos Ghosn will sit out the forum in a Tokyo detention center, accused of misusing corporate funds at Nissan Motor Co., charges he denies. Sir Martin Sorrell, another fixture of the past decade, is not on the list of attendees. He quit his WPP advertising agency in April after allegations he misused company funds.