Community

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a community of innovators from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Search current members and alumni by year awarded, sector or region.

Petra Ehmann

Group Chief Innovation and AI Officer, Ringier, Switzerland

Petra Ehmann is the Group Chief Innovation and AI Officer of the global media technology company Ringier. She ranks among the youngest board members in Switzerland. At Ringier her responsibility is to bring AI and innovation into all group companies. Ehmann worked at Google for almost nine years in international roles. Her last position was global lead of augmented reality product partnerships. Ehmann joined the board of directors of Bossard, a publicly listed technology company, at 35. In order to get young people enthused in STEM fields, she joined the Technorama Foundation as a member of the board of trustees in 2020. She advocates for more diversity in the tech industry as an Advisory Board Member at We Shape Tech and Ringier's EqualVoice initiative, which aims to improve the visibility of women in media. Her dedication and contributions have been recognized with multiple awards, including Switzerland’s Top 100 Women in Business, Top 100 Digital Shapers (Hall of Fame) as well as top 25 millennials in Europe who shape society

Ehmann holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich and a Master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. She was raised in Bolivia and has lived, studied and worked in four continents. She is fluent in four languages.

Hassan El Houry

Chairman, Menzies Aviation Inc., United Kingdom

A global executive with experience leading teams on six continents, I currently serve as full-time Board Chair of Menzies Aviation – the world’s largest aviation services company. I spearheaded the acquisition of Menzies by Agility, and its integration with National Aviation Services (NAS). I led NAS for more than 10 years and grew the company into the leading airport ground handling and cargo company in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, from our base in Kuwait.

As we strive to be the undisputed world leader in aviation services, Menzies Aviation serves the world’s highest-rated airlines in more than 250 airports, with a team of more than 35,000 staff in 56 countries on six continents. We provide comprehensive aviation services that include ground and cargo handling, warehousing and air freight, aircraft fueling, wholesale freight forwarding, airport technologies, and lounges management.

In 2014, I was honored by the World Economic Forum in Davos as a Young Global Leader for my contributions to aviation and airport services. I have participated in the meetings in Davos 9 times, and have been invited to speak about aviation policy and mobility. I was also invited to join the Global Future Council on Mobility, and serve on several boards including National Real Estate Company (NREC – listed), United Projects Company (UPAC – listed), Silk Road Mining, Royal Aviation and the Center for Leadership at the University of Colorado - Boulder.

I have an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's Degree from the American University of Beirut. I am a husband, father of three sons, and enjoy running, swimming, beach volleyball, and reading biographies.

Samuel Elia

Programme Officer, Edmond J. Safra Foundation, Switzerland

Samuel Elia is a Programme Officer for the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation, a family foundation that supports projects related to education, science and medicine, religion, culture and humanitarian relief in over 40 countries. In addition, Samuel is a member of the International Board of Directors of the ISEF Foundation, the Advisory Committee of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University and the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2012, Samuel was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Previously he was a member of the Board of Directors of ORT Brazil. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University.

Olafur Eliasson

Artist, Studio Olafur Eliasson GmbH, Germany

Practice characterized by the incessant exploration of modes of perceiving. Works, described by the artist as "experimental set-ups", span photography, installation, sculpture and film. In Berlin studio, works with craftsmen, architects, geometers and art historians to test how physical movement, sensory engagement and the interaction of body and brain influence perception of environment. Projects in public space include Green river, realized in various cities between 1998 and 2001; the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007, London, with Kjetil Thorsen; and The New York City Waterfalls, in summer 2008. Recent architectural works are Your rainbow panorama, for ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, and Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre, with Henning Larsen Architects. Creator of "Little Sun", a work of art that brings solar-powered light to off-grid areas of the world.

Jennifer Elisseeff

Professor, Johns Hopkins University, USA

Dr. Elisseeff is the Morton Goldberg Professor and Director of the Translational Tissue Engineering Center at Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Wilmer Eye Institute with appointments in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Materials Science and Orthopedic Surgery. She was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine. She is committed to the translation of regenerative biomaterials and has founded several companies and participates in several industry advisory boards including the State of Maryland’s Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).

Sofia Elizondo

Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Brightseed, USA

Sofia Elizondo is a biotech entrepreneur. She is co-founder and COO of Brightseed, an AI company that discovers bioactive molecules for health based in San Francisco. Brightseed makes proactive, precision health a reality by using pioneering advancements in machine learning to identify bioactive molecules in nature. Brightseed has commercialized novel bioactives in gut health and has a pipeline with nutritional and therapeutic applications across a dozen health areas. It been selected as a Technology Pioneer by the WEF and awarded distinctions by Forbes, Nutritional Outlook, R&D World, Rabobank, FastCompany, Nutra Ingredients and Nutritional Business Journal.

Sofia has helped build multimillion-dollar companies and brands in the consumer goods, pharmaceutical, and technology industries. Before Brightseed, Sofia led the commercialization of plant-based protein products, including the novel mung bean protein isolate. She began her career at the Boston Consulting Group and was also a founding member of the BCG Henderson Institute; the consulting firm's think tank on the future of business innovation. She also served as a Special Advisor to the United Nations supporting their work with the private sector. Her decades of leadership now enable Brightseed's mission to illuminate nature to restore human health.

Sofia's accolades include Top 40 Under 40, San Francisco Business Times; WEF Young Global Leader; 100 Women of Influence, Entrepreneur Magazine; EXTRAORDINARY leaders in Health, Newsweek; Top 100 Female Founders, Inc. Magazine; Women in AI Award, VentureBeat. She has spoken at conferences ranging from nutrition industry with the American Nutrition Association to artificial intelligence and global affairs with the Milken Global Institute and JP Morgan Tech Revolution. Sofia holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Hisham El-Khazindar

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Qalaa Holdings, Egypt

Hisham El Khazindar is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Qalaa Holdings, a leading investment company in Africa and the Middle East. Prior to co-founding Qalaa Holdings (formerly Citadel Capital), El Khazindar was Executive Director of Investment Banking at EFG Hermes where he advised on landmark M&A and IPO transactions in the region. During 1999-2000, he was on secondment to Goldman Sachs in London. El Khazindar serves on the boards of leading regional companies, including El Sewedy Electric and Magrabi Retail, and on the Advisory Committee of the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association. He also serves as a Trustee of the American University in Cairo, as a Trustee of the Cairo Children's Cancer Hospital and as a Fellow of the Aspen Institute's Middle East Leadership Initiative. He holds a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (1996) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (2003).

Brooke Ellison

Undergraduate and Master's degrees, Harvard University; PhD, Stony Brook University. Policy and ethics expert in stem cell research for over 15 years, has been committed to changing the perception of life-saving science. Currently, Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University; Director, Education and Ethics, Stony Brook Stem Cell Facility. Co-Founder, VENTure Think Tank, to provide policy and technological solutions for ventilator users. Associate Director, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development, to empower underserved communities. Former Member, Empire State Stem Cell Board, which designed New York State's stem cell policy. At age 11, was in an accident leaving her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. Author of memoir, Miracles Happen (2002), which was made into a movie, The Brooke Ellison Story, directed by Christopher Reeve.

Ilwad Elman

Chief Operating Officer, Elman Peace Centre, Somalia

Ilwad Elman is a social entrepreneur at the forefront of the Somali peace process.

•Chief Operating Officer at the Elman Peace Center.

•The Elman Peace Centre is a women lead peace building organization founded and based in Somalia. Our dynamic force comprises visionary thought leaders, fearless activists, and trailblazing social- entrepreneurs. Our young and diverse team adopts a start-up like approach to resolving the seemingly intractable conflicts and social justice issues in our community. We're bridge builders, forming potent alliances with civil society organizations and initiating public-private partnerships that fuel the greater, common good.

Nima Elmi

Head of Public Policy, Europe, Bumble Inc., United Kingdom

Bachelor of Laws (Hons), King's College, London; Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Oxford; Master of Laws (Hons), Harvard Law School, UK Fulbright Scholar. Admitted to the Supreme Court of England and Wales as a Solicitor. Public international law and policy development expert focused on international relations from peacebuilding initiatives to the governance of emerging technologies. Nima has previously worked in investment banking, at the United Nations, for international law firms in London and the Middle East, and as an adviser and strategist to senior officials in Government in East Africa and at the African Union. She is an angel investor, public speaker, lecturer and thought leader on technology governance, and sits on the Boards of start-ups in the health and venture funding spaces. Nima has been recognised for her achievements by the UK Powerlist as a Rising Star in 2012 and selected to join the Forum of Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2016.

Amal Enan

Chief Investment Officer, American University in Cairo, Egypt

Amal Enan is the Chief Investment Officer at the American University in Cairo and Partner at 500 Global. She places her expertise to invest at the forefront of technology and global sustainability across asset classes. With a commitment to intergenerational equity and inclusion, Enan applies herself as a catalyst for allocating capital to invest in growth and climate sustainability.

Ken Endo

Chief Executive Officer, Xiborg, Japan

BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Keio University in Japan; 2012, PhD, MIT. 2005, started to work on human biomechanics and development of transtibial prosthesis as a PhD student, Biomechatronics group, MIT Media Lab; concurrently, taught a course to develop orthopaedic devices for developing countries as an instructor of MIT D-lab. Currently Associate Researcher, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, working on human physical augmentation with robotic technology. Director, D-Leg, targeting design and dissemination of appropriate orthopaedic technology; President, See-D, which organizes an appropriate technology business workshop and contest. Named one of the world's most outstanding innovators under the age of 35, Technology Review, TR35 (2012).