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.

James Gifford

Head of Sustainable and Impact Advisory, Credit Suisse, Switzerland

Dr James Gifford is the Head of Impact Advisory for Credit Suisse. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth at the University of Zurich, where he teaches a joint program with Harvard on impact investing for the next generation of ultra high net worth family members. He was the founding Executive Director of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and led the organisation from inception in 2003 until 2013. Other roles include Head of Impact Investing at UBS and Director of Impact at TAU Investment Management. James has published numerous articles and book chapters on responsible investment, and has a PhD from the University of Sydney on the effectiveness of shareholder engagement in improving corporate sustainability performance.

Mack Gill

Chief Operating Officer and Board Member, Torstone Technology, United Kingdom

Mack Gill is COO & Board Member, Torstone Technology, a leading global cloud platform for financial markets. Previously he was CEO of MillenniumIT, a capital markets software company and subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange Group. Previously, he was President of SunGard Global Technology, responsible for managing SunGard's technology strategy and operations with more than 5,000 employees worldwide. Joining SunGard in 1994, Gill was also President of SunGard Global Services, where he managed SunGard's consulting business worldwide. Additionally, he served as Corporate Vice-President of Alliances, responsible for developing SunGard's business and technology partnerships. Gill serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Quantitative Finance (IAQF). Before joining SunGard, he worked at the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. He holds a BA from the University of British Columbia and a Master's degree from Yale University.

Sadiq Gillani

Chairman, Condor, United Kingdom

Sadiq is Chairman of the advisory board for Condor, the second airline of Germany and also sits on the board of eTraveli, a large online travel agency. He is also an executive coach, applying the tools of Carl Jung. He was formerly a Senior Vice President with Emirates Group and a Lecturer in Management at Stanford, where he started an MBA course on the Travel & Airline Industry in 2014. He was also previously a Senior Vice President with Lufthansa Group, serving as Chief Strategy Officer. He began his career with Bain & Co. in London. He is a Young Global Leader and on the WEF's Global Future Council for Sustainable Tourism. He graduated from Cambridge University with First Class honours and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Liliana Gil Valletta

Chief Executive Officer, CULTURE+ GROUP, USA

Liliana Gil Valletta is an entrepreneur and Co-Founder of CIEN+ and CulturIntel, a big data analytics, consulting and marketing firm, specialized in understanding and tapping the full power of diverse-growing markets. She is also a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader since 2012. She's the creator of published methodologies of Cultural Intelligence and has developed a novel platform to use machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data tools to turn global digital discussions into actionable insights, particularly applied to solve social, health and equity gaps by mapping decisions journeys across segments, globally. Prior, she held a number of positions in global corporations, including at Johnson & Johnson where she founded the Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Achievement (HOLA) and pioneered multicultural marketing. Gil Valletta is an independent TV contributor seen weekly on CNN en Español, Fox News, and Fox Business, among others analyzing today's economic trends, data insights and minority affairs. She is an independent director/ board member for Zumiez (NASQD: ZUMZ), she also serves as Member of the Harvard Kennedy's School Women's Leadership Board, YMCA USA Board of Directors and mentor to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program. She has received numerous awards, including 2018 Hispanic Businessperson of the Year by the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 2018 Top Innovation Catalyst by MM&M, 2017 Top 50 Most Influential in Healthcare, 2017 Latina Trailblazer of the Year, New York's 25 Top Rising Latinos, Latino Leaders Magazine (2013); Outstanding Business Woman, National Association of Professional Women (2009-10); Latina Leadership Award, League of United Latin American Citizens (2009); and Top 20 Under 40 by PODER (2008). Gil Valletta holds a BA from Southwestern Adventist University, an MBA from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and an executive degree from the Harvard Kennedy School in Global Leadership and Public Policy.

Marissa Giustina

Research Scientist and Quantum Electronics Engineer, Google, USA

Marissa Giustina is a staff research scientist and quantum electronics engineer. She developed and deployed superconducting device packaging that enabled Google’s unprecedentedly capable “quantum supreme” Sycamore processor. As head of device packaging and co-author of the team’s roadmap, Giustina is responsible for both research and engineering developments in the device integration that lies at the heart of the quantum computing hardware system. Giustina studied engineering at Dartmouth College with a focus on electrical and materials engineering, moving to foundational research in experimental quantum physics at Uni of Vienna. For her PhD (advised by quantum pioneer Anton Zeilinger), she designed and built a 60-meter-long precision apparatus, leading a local team and collaborating with senior scientists at five institutions to settle a 50-year outstanding challenge in the foundations of quantum mechanics. Giustina joined Google in 2016. As Google Quantum AI’s first female scientist, she helped grow the team to ~150 members. She is a highly sought-after speaker: as Senior Technical Spokesperson for Policy Engagements, she represents Google to prominent global academic, government, and media audiences. She prioritizes meeting students, especially from underrepresented backgrounds, undertaking one-on-one mentorships. Giustina featured in Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and Future 50. She served on US National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee as its youngest member (2020-22)

Ian Glasner

Group Head of Innovation, Ventures, and Digital Partnerships, HSBC, United Kingdom

Ian Glasner is Group Head of Venture Investment, Innovation, and Digital Partnerships at HSBC, where he leads the global teams covering AI, digital assets, quantum, venture capital, product incubation and digital partnerships. Previously he served as Managing Director and Chief of Staff for the Global Technology and Operations division at HSBC. Glasner has also held key product and sales roles at Google Cloud, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Apple. Early in his career, he founded a technology company in the restaurant space. Outside work, Glasner is dedicated to philanthropy and has launched two non-profit efforts in Haiti. He currently serves as a Board Member for Global Fund for Children. He holds two BSc degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Business Administration.

Shashwat Goenka

Vice-Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, India

Shashwat Goenka is the Vice Chairman of the 7-billion-dollar RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, one of India's leading business conglomerates, with businesses in Power, Green Energy, Chemicals, Information Technology, Retail, FMCG & Consumer Goods, Education, Entertainment, Sports, Agriculture and Media. The RPSG Group has a legacy of over 220 years, and is one of India's fastest growing conglomerates with a significant global presence.

Shashwat has led many of the Group's acquisitions and diversifications over the last decade, while at the same time turning around businesses for profitability, valuations and growth. In the Power sector, he spearheads the renewable energy business for the Group (Solar, Wind, Green Hydrogen and Ammonia). In the Chemicals sector, he was the instrumental in acquisition of Aquapharm Chemicals, a move to venture into the global speciality chemical segment.

Shashwat is the Vice Chairman for CII Eastern Regional Council and also part of CII's National Council, where he chair's CII’s Committees on Retail, E-Commerce, and Ayurveda. Shashwat is the Chairman for FICCI's Young Leaders Forum. He has also been the youngest ever President of Indian Chamber of Commerce. FICCI, CII and ICC are India's leading business associations that work closely with Government and industry to create a conducive policy environment for development of India.

He was the Founding Chairperson for YPO Next Generation in Kolkata, and is a member of Entrepreneur's Organisation (EO). A graduate from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, he is also the Honorary Consul of Finland in Kolkata.

Recognised as a Young Global Leader by WEF in 2024, he has received numerous prestigious awards like Management Excellence Award for Emerging Leader by CMA, ‘Young Retail Professional of the Year’ by India Retail Forum, ‘Pride of India’ in 2017, ‘The Most Influential Young Indians’ by GQ, Economic Times 40 Under 40 India's Hottest Business Leaders Award, Times of India Business Award for ‘Most Young & Dynamic Leader’, ‘The Most Promising Scion Award’ at the ET Family Business Awards, ‘Emerging Business Leader Award’ by HELLO! , ‘Young Achiever in Family Business’ at ASEAN – Indian Youth Awards, and 'Young Achiever - The Next 100' by India Today. In 2023, he was awarded Fortune's 40 under 40, and featured in '100 Most Influential' by Hello! in 2023.

Ayla Göksel

Chief Executive Officer, Ozyegin Social Investments, Türkiye

Ayla Goksel is CEO of Özyegin Social Investments, a network of non-profit organisations, including ACEV (Mother Child Education Foundation), Hüsnü M. Özyegin Foundation and Iz Child. These organisations work in the fields of education (infrastructure, programs and policy), early childhood and parenting, womens empowerment, rural livelihoods and post-disaster rehabilitation. The programs and investments have reached 1,4 milion people across Turkey. ACEV’s award winning programs have also been implemented in fourteen other countries in the Middle East, Europe and most recently Asia and Latin America. Goksel is also Trustee of Ozyegin University and serves on the boards of the Education Reform Initiative and Tohum Foundation for Autism. She has been selected a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Senior Fellow of the Synergos Institute, Qatar Foundation WISE Laureate and World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council member. She holds a BSc from University of Bath, MSc from London School of Economics and has conducted fellowships on civil society and non profit organisations at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University.

Yair Goldfinger

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AppCard Inc., USA

Yair Goldfinger is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AppCard, a loyalty 3.0 platform. Previously, he co-founded and was Chief Technology Officer of Dotomi, an on-line advertising company which focuses on creating personal, relevant and timely one-to-one messaging between marketers and their customers; Dotomi was acquired by ValueClick at 2011. At 26, Goldfinger co-founded ICQ, the world's first Internet-wide instant messaging service, which was acquired by AOL in 1998. He holds several patents in the area of instant messaging. Goldfinger is an active investor in several Israeli start-up companies. He is also a co-founder and sits on the management committee of the Friends of Raveh Ravid Fund, dedicated to the creation and formation of a new generation of young educated leaders who will take a part in management and leadership roles. Goldfinger holds a BA in Math and Computer Science from Tel Aviv University and was granted the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award in 2005.

Neal Goldman

Managing Member, Idyllwild Ventures LLC, Spain

Neal Goldman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Connectivity Data Systems. He is also Co-Founder of Goode Holdings, an investment holding company with interests in the information technology and financial services sectors that is the sponsor of a US$ 225 million private capital fund focused on investing in middle market consumer companies. Prior to Goode, Goldman was Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capital IQ until its sale to McGrawHill/Standard & Poor's. Previously, he was a Managing Partner at Uhuru Capital Management and an investment banker in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Lehman Brothers and a private equity investor at Lincolnshire Management. Goldman received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School, where he also served as an Adjunct Faculty Member. He is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a Member at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Member of the Young Presidents Organization and a Board Member of Hatzalah and the Jerusalem Foundation.

Ellen Gonda

Communications Adviser, EDG Consulting, USA

Ellen Gonda counsels public and private companies and individuals in various capacities, particularly during critical inflection points. She is a passionate and strategic communications professional with global experience across industries and disciplines. Ellen's clients have included The Rise Fund, Innit, and Overture Partners. Ellen has held top communications roles at Etsy, where she led Communications, Values and Alignment, at Hilton Worldwide, as the Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Communications and Corporate Responsibility, and at The Carlyle Group, where she was the Vice President and Director of Communications for the Americas. She began her career in the agency world, with positions at Brunswick Group, Gavin Anderson & Company, and Abernathy MacGregor Frank. Ellen graduated with high honours from the University of California, Berkeley.

Gong Yingying

Founder and Chairlady, Yidu Tech, People's Republic of China

Chairlady of the Board, and Founder of Yidu Tech Inc. Ms Gong is responsible for the overall strategy, business direction and management of the Company.

She has previously worked for Credit Suisse First Boston, Global Infrastructure Partners LLP, Deutsche Bank AG and other well-known investment banks and institutions, where she accumulated extensive investment experience and industry insights. Ms. Gong also founded Guizhou Province Xiao Yingying Charity Foundation (贵州省笑盈盈慈善基金会) in March 2019, a charitable foundation focusing on the support of children with rare or major illnesses.

In 2019, she was elected as one of the nine Young Global Leaders from the Greater China region by the World Economic Forum. She holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.