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.
Sanna Marin
The first in her family to attend university, Sanna Marin became the youngest Prime Minister in Finnish history and the world’s youngest female state leader. She has encouraged new approaches to the future of work, social services and gender equity in her country and the world.
H.R.H. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Master's in Management, BI Norwegian Business School; studies in Development Issues, School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Dedicated to youth health and youth empowerment nationally and internationally. 2006, appointed Special Representative for UNAIDS. 2008, invited by UNAIDS to participate in strategic planning of the future AIDS response, and also focused on HIV/AIDS at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. 2015, co-founded the Maverick Collective with Kate Roberts (Senior Vice-President, Population Services International); Melinda Gates joined as co-chair. The Maverick Collective aims to engage other women to use their voice, intellectual and financial resources, to improve women's health worldwide and help end extreme poverty. Patron, Norwegian Red Cross. Member, Global Agenda Council on Healthy New Generation, World Economic Forum. Involved with developing and supporting new models of health interventions to address the most critical health issues for youth, specifically for girls. Also focused on strengthening youth leadership, through participation as Member of the Board, The Crown Prince and Crown Princess' Fund, which aims to empower youth in Norway. Member of the Board, Global Shapers, World Economic Forum. Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum. Named: Leading Global Thinker, Foreign Policy Magazine (2016); one of the Most Creative People in Business, Fast Company (2016).
H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
As heir to the Norwegian throne, has a broad range of national and international engagements. Youth leadership, global development and the oceans are issues particularly close to heart. United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador since 2003, focusing in particular on the Sustainable Development Goals. Co-Founder of Global Dignity and actively engaged in The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s Humanitarian Fund, which supports projects for young people at risk and aims to strengthen youth leadership. Every year, leads Norwegian delegations abroad to strengthen bilateral relations within trade and industry, science and humanitarian fields. Has also represented Norway in the United Nations. Over several years, has had a special interest in the role of technology and how innovation can contribute to move the world forward. Graduate from Norwegian Naval Academy; BA in Political Science from Berkeley; Master’s in Development Studies from LSE. Passionate surfer, kiter and music lover.
Şafak Pavey
Background embracing international and national public policymaking and UN diplomacy. Expertise in strategic public sector engagement & philanthropy in humanitarian affairs, peacebuilding, social & ecological policy, cities & cultural diplomacy, 'UN Women, Peace & Security' Agenda. Formerly; Deputy Speaker and Member of the Turkish Parliament representing Istanbul. Served as the Vice-Chair of Turkey-EU Accession Committee, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Vice-Chair of CHP Party for Nature Rights and Social Policy. UN Independent Expert & Head of Secretariat, UN Human Rights and on appointments with the UN Refugee Agency at Geneva HQs and Middle East, SouthWest Asia and Central Europe. Bachelor's in International Relations in Westminster University, post-grad in London School of Economics and Harvard Kennedy School of executive education. Board member of Women Political Leaders, 2015 Young Global Leader /World Economic Forum, 2016 Munich Young Leader/Munich Security Conference. Selected Awards: 2012 International Woman of Courage Award by US State Department, 2012 Izmir City EXPO Ambassador & Izmir City Human Rights Memorial Award, 2014 Izmir City Şafak Pavey Youth Centre, 2011 Ten Outstanding Young Person of the World Award (Children, World Peace &/ Human Rights) by Junior Chamber International.
Bjarte Reve
CEO/Kommunedirektør of Hemsedal municipality in Norway.
Co-founder of Nordic School of Health Innovation, UIO, NTNU, Karolinska Institutet and Copenhagen University. More info here: https://www.med.uio.no/english/research/school-of-health-innovation/
Expertise: innovation, entrepreneurship, government, neuroscience, mental health, non-communicable disease. Alumni - Young Global Leaders, World Economic Forum. Master's in Mgmt, Norwegian School of Mgmt; Exec. MBA in Strategy, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Admin. Formerly: Political Adviser, Conservative Party, Norwegian Parliament; External Affairs, Merck & Company; Director, Strategy, Southern Norway Regional Health Authority; headed national health practice, Ernst & Young Advisory, Norway, Chief Executive Officer, Oslo Cancer Cluster; Chief Communications Officer and Member, Mgmt Cttee, Akershus Univ. Hospital.
Virginijus Sinkevicius
Virginijus Sinkevičius has been the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries since 2019. He was formerly the Minister of Economy of Lithuania (2017-2019). Before becoming the Minister of Economy, Sinkevičius led the Economic Committee of the Parliament of Lithuania. Sinkevičius was elected to Parliament in October 2016. Before that, he was a Team Lead for Regulatory Affairs at Invest Lithuania. Prior to joining Invest Lithuania, Sinkevičius was Managing Editor at the US Office of The Lithuanian Tribune in Washington D.C. Sinkevičius holds a BA in International Relations and Affairs from Aberystwyth University and a Master’s degree in European International Affairs from Maastricht University.
David Skilling
Dr David Skilling is the founding Director of Landfall Strategy Group, an economic and policy advisory firm based in the Netherlands and Singapore. David advises governments, companies, and financial institutions in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe on the impact of global macro, globalisation, and geopolitics, from a small advanced economy perspective. David writes regularly on global economic and political issues, including in a column in Singapore's Straits Times as well as in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Project Syndicate, and Nikkei Asian Review. David has recently served as a Senior Advisor to the McKinsey Centre for Government; as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs & Trade in New Zealand; and as a Fellow at Singapore’s Civil Service College. Previously, David was an Associate Principal with McKinsey & Company in Singapore, as well as being a Senior Fellow with the McKinsey Global Institute. Prior to joining McKinsey at the start of 2009, David was the founding Chief Executive of the New Zealand Institute, a privately funded, non-partisan think-tank. Until 2003, he was a Principal Advisor at the New Zealand Treasury, where he worked primarily on economic growth issues. David has a PhD in Public Policy and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, as well as a Master's of Commerce (Hons) in Economics from the University of Auckland.
Alexander Stubb
President of the Republic of Finland 2024-ongoing. PhD in International Politics, London School of Economics. Formerly: 2004-08, Member of the European Parliament; 2008-11, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland; 2008-14, Minister of Foreign Affairs; 2014-15, Prime Minister of Finland; 2015-16, Minister of Finance; Adviser to the President of the European Commission; Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges; Counsellor and Researcher, Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union; Researcher, Academy of Finland and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Since March 2011, Member of the Finnish Parliament. Since June 2011, Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland. Since August 2017, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank. Has participated in several EU intergovernmental conferences as Member of the Finnish government's delegation. Has published 11 books and numerous academic articles on the European Union; regular columnist for several papers.
Irene Tinagli
Irene Tinagli is an economist, serving as an advisor for firms and governments on innovation and labor policies. From Feb 2013 to March 2018 she was a member of the Italian Parliament and of the permanent Committee on Labor and Employment. Previously she was an Academic, teaching and conducting research at the University Carlos III in Madrid. Her research focused on policies for innovation, creativity and regional development, studying and benchmarking hundreds of cities and regions worldwide. Her work on the creative potential of cities and regions has been featured in international journals such as Harvard Business Review and the Financial Times. She served as an Expert on Creativity and Innovation for the European Commission and consulted for the United Nations (UNDESA) as well as for several national and regional governments. She has been a columnist for the Italian newspaper La Stampa and is a published author. She received her PhD and Master's of Science in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Iliyana Tsanova
Iliyana is Deputy Director-General and Chief Risk Officer at DG Budget of the European Commission. Prior to that, she was Deputy Managing Director of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), an EUR 26 billion-guarantee facility launched jointly by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group to boost and support investments in the European Union. She has over ten years of experience in development finance with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, UK. Iliyana has held several board positions in international infrastructure companies and investment funds. In 2013 and 2014, Iliyana was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in two consecutive caretaker governments in Bulgaria. She holds MSc in Finance from the University for National and World Economy, Bulgaria and a postgraduate diploma in Financial Management from George Washington University, USA.
Karien van Gennip
Minister Van Gennip serves as the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands since January 2022; and also as Deputy Prime Minister since September 2023. Her portfolio includes labour market policy, purchasing power, working conditions, labour migration, civic integration, labour market discrimination, childcare and child benefit schemes, international policy and inspection.
Equitable opportunities and inclusion have been a common thread throughout her career. Until January 2022 she served as the CEO of VGZ, the second largest health care insurer in the Netherlands. She has been board member of the OranjeFonds & INSEAD. Chair of the supervisory board of children’s charity SOS Kinderdorpen Nederland. Vice-chair of the supervisory board of emergency development charity Cordaid & the International Chamber of Commerce.
Van Gennip has broad experience in politics and business. After studying applied physics at the Technical University of Delft, followed by an MBA at INSEAD, she worked at management consultancy McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam and San Francisco. In 2002 she joined the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets. She was appointed State Secretary of Economic Affairs and Minister for Foreign Trade in 2003. In 2006 she became a member of parliament for the Christian Democrats. Van Gennip joined ING in 2008 and became CEO ING France in 2015.
Van Gennip is a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands and a Knight of the Legion of Honour in France. In her spare time she is a field hockey coach and enjoys running. She is married and has four daughters.
Leo Varadkar
Studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin and qualified as a General Practitioner. Former Member and Deputy Mayor of Fingal County Council. 2007, first elected to Dáil Eireann, Ireland (House of Representatives) as the TD (Member of the House of Representatives) for Dublin West. 2011-14, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. 2014-16, Minister for Health. 2016-17, Minister for Social Protection. Since June 2017, Leader of the Fine Gael Party and Taoiseach.