Who we are

The Young Global Leaders ® Community is an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.

Our growing membership of more than 1,400 members and alumni of 120 nationalities includes civic and business innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and more.

Aligned with the World Economic Forum’s mission, we seek to drive public-private co-operation in the global public interest. We are united by the belief that today’s pressing problems present an opportunity to build a better future across sectors and boundaries.

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Meet our members

Matthew Guilford

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Common Health, Myanmar

Matthew Guilford is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Common Health, a purpose-driven business that uses digital and mobile technology to advance universal health coverage. Prior to Common Health, he worked in leadership roles across Asia and Europe for global telecoms firm Telenor Group, including as Co-Founder, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Growth Officer of Telenor Health. Over the course of five years living and working in Bangladesh he designed, launched, and scaled Telenor Health’s “Tonic” service to five million members, creating the country’s largest health insurance program and a primary care operation that has delivered over 350,000 high quality consultations. Before Telenor, Guilford served in the administrations of Chicago mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel as Assistant Commissioner for Digital Excellence and Innovation, launching the City’s digital health initiative and helping to shape national policy on healthcare information technology. He holds an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School and completed his undergraduate training in biological basis of behavior (behavioral neuroscience) at the University of Pennsylvania. Guilford was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in March 2019.

Christoph Bornschein

Chief Executive Officer, TLGG, Germany

Christoph is one of the three founders and CEO of the German agency and boutique consultancy for digital business “Torben, Lucie und die gelbe Gefahr” in short “TLGG” with offices in Berlin and New York. He and his team counsel international companies and brands in the strategic use of digital technologies, building out new organizational innovation infrastructures and the development of new business models. Even public authorities and NGOs seek the expertise of Christoph in dealing with the digital change around topics like single market integration, investment taxation, education and else. He has authored numerous essays and articles on digital change and is a renown speaker at global conferences and board meetings. Christoph is actively facilitating change as a mentor and investor to startups around the world.

Pamela Chan

Global Head and Chief Investment Officer, BlackRock Alternative Solutions, BlackRock, USA

Pamela Chan, CFA, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of the Alternative Solutions Group within BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI). As CIO, she is responsible for managing the group's multi-alternative investment portfolios and chairs the Alternative Solutions Investment Committee. She is also a member of the BAI Executive Committee, BlackRock's Operating Committee and BlackRock's Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee.

She currently co-chairs for the Harvard College Schools and Scholarship Committee of New York City and is a member of the Board of Forbright, Inc. (rebranded from Congressional Bank). She has previously served on the Boards of Home Partners of America, the Harvard Club of New York Foundation and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association.

In 2012, she was nominated as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, serving as Curator for New York City in 2014.

Vera Daves de Sousa

Minister of Finance, Ministry of Finance of Angola, Angola

Vera Esperança dos Santos Daves de Sousa, was born in Luanda and has a degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN). She is the first woman rising to the post of Minister of Finance in Angola. Before her appointment she was Secretary of State for Finance and Treasury. Her curriculum includes the Course on Banking Techniques and Practices by the Institute for Banking Training and Derivatives and Bond Markets Course in ICAP (Portugal). She started the career at Sonangol ESSA. After she worked at Banco Privado Atlântico as Head of Research and Products Office. From 2014 to 2016 she has the position of Executive Director of the Capital Market Commission (CMC) where became from September 2016 to October 2017 the Chairman of the Capital Market Commission. She was engaged in teaching Financial Markets at the Executive MBA promoted by the Catholic Business School Alliance and teacher of Public Finance and Economic Integration at Catholic University of Angola (UCAN) - Faculty of Economics. Vera Daves de Sousa also played the role of Economic commentator in various media. She was the co-author of a book on Public Finance. Her hobbies are dance, yoga and reading.

Fern Shaw

President, Southern California District, UPS, USA

Fern Shaw is president of UPS’s Southern California District, a $3.1 billion business unit serving over 72,000 customer accounts daily, and employing over 32,500 people. She oversees Finance, Sales and Marketing, Industrial and Plant Engineering, Human Resources, Automotive, Package and Transportation operations, Security, and Labor Relations in Hawaii, Southern California, and Southern Nevada.

Since beginning her UPS career as an industrial engineering management trainee in 2005, Shaw has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility in operations technology, engineering, and in package, transportation, and hub operations. Shaw played a critical role in the implementation of UPS’s package delivery route optimization software.

Shaw sponsors several of UPS’s committees (Diversity & Inclusion Steering Council, United Way, Profitable Growth, Upstarts Advisory) and business resource groups (Women’s Leadership Development, Women in Operations, Asian American, and LGBTQA).

Shaw was selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) of the World Economic Forum for class of 2018.

Outside of her professional life, Shaw is deeply committed to changing lives and transforming communities through her servant-based leadership. She is an active member of OCA (Asian Pacific American Advocates) and has taken on mentorship roles since joining the organization in 2015. She has volunteered with Junior Achievement since 2014 and most recently served as a board member of the St. Louis Chapter. She currently sits on the board of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Shaw earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and earned an MBA from University of California, Davis.

Shaw and her husband John have three children: Jasmine, Jack, and Jordan.

Gloria Fluxa Thienemann

Vice-Chairman and Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar Group, Spain

Degree in Business Administration, Villanova University, Philadelphia, USA; Accelerated Executive Development Program, IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland; Owner/President Management Program, Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. Vice-Chairman and Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar Group, a 100% family-owned Spanish multinational company based in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), operating in the tourist sector since 1956 and dating back to 1877. Its sales network covers 35 countries; it has a staff of more than 32,000 employees and handles 8 million customers a year. Hospitality is the company’s core business, with a portfolio of over 120 four- and five-star hotels located in 19 countries. The group has three further business units: travel and incoming activities, a holiday club and real estate. Advancing the company’s approach to responsible tourism with the launch of the Wave of Change movement focusing on marine and ocean preservation that evolves around: becoming single-use-plastic free, promoting responsible seafood consumption, and improving coastal health. It is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water. It is aimed at uniting employees, customers, suppliers and society to create an increasingly more responsible tourism industry. Trustee and Chairman, Iberostar Foundation; Member of the Board, Endeavor Spain. Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum.

Sangu Delle

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Africa Health Holdings, Ghana

Sangu is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of CarePoint (formerly Africa Health Holdings), a tech forward healthcare network serving over 1 million patients across 65+ facilities in Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, with a vision to "build Africa's healthcare future." He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Golden Palm Investments Corporation, whose portfolio companies, including Andela, Flutterwave and mPharma, have raised over $1.2 billion in venture financing. Sangu co-founded CleanAcwa, a water and sanitation non-profit that has worked in 160 communities in Ghana impacting over 200,000 people. Sangu serves on several boards of directors and advisory boards including Harvard University's Board of Overseers, the Peddie School, Ashesi University, Ghana International School, Harvard University's Center for African Studies, Harvard Medical School and Oxford University. Sangu graduated with highest honors in African Studies and Economics from Harvard College, a Doctor of Law from Harvard Law School, an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University and a PhD in Economic Anthropology and African Studies from the University of Birmingham (U.K.). He is the author of "Making Futures: Young Entrepreneurs in a Dynamic Africa." He is a TED Fellow, a Tutu Fellow and an Eisenhower Fellow.

Adriana Cargill

Independent Radio Journalist, USA

Adriana Cargill is an independent public radio journalist based in Los Angeles. She’s reported and produced stories for KCRW, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC), Marketplace, LAist, Latino USA, Crooked Media, Wondery, KUSC Radio, VICE News and more. She graduated with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism as a Bloomberg Scholar. She is also a fifth-generation Cargill family member. Founded in 1865, Cargill Inc. is a privately held agribusiness with over 155,000 employees in 70 countries around the world. By revenue, Cargill consistently ranks as one of the largest private companies in the U.S and in the top tier globally. Adriana has worked to support employees during the COVID crisis and advocated for the company to do business in a sustainable and more equitable way. Adriana is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Family Business Community and its Next Gen Working Group. She is also a member of The ImPact, a global membership community of families committed to aligning their assets with their values.

James Rogers

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Apeel, USA

Dr. James Rogers is Founder and CEO of Apeel, a company that’s fighting the global food waste crisis by using materials found in nature to help food last longer — a sustainable approach to enable a more abundant future for the entire supply chain. Apeel’s mission has enabled Dr. Rogers to learn from and collaborate with thought leaders from all segments of the global food system. Founded in 2012, Apeel works with a global network of suppliers to serve retail customers across the globe with longer-lasting organic and conventionally grown produce, ensuring a fresher experience for customers at home. Apeel also invests its expertise in biological and data science toward helping retailers solve their fresh challenges and securing new opportunities for growth.