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.

Neeraj Bharadwaj

Managing Director, Carlyle India Advisors, India

Mr. Neeraj Bharadwaj is Managing Director of Carlyle India Advisors Private Limited, focused on large growth capital and buyout opportunities across sectors in India. Prior to joining Carlyle in 2012, Mr. Bharadwaj was a Managing Director with Accel Partners’ growth investing operation in India. Preceding that he was with Apax Partners for nearly 10 years – as a Partner in the U.S. and subsequently as Managing Director/Country Head for Apax in India.

Arjun Bhartia

Joint Managing Director, Jubilant Group, India

Arjun Bhartia is Co-Managing Director of Jubilant Pharmova and a Director of Jubilant Group Companies, which are primarily engaged in the chemical, pharmaceutical and quick-service restaurant sectors in India and the United States. Arjun helps to lead Jubilant Pharmova in its key platforms of radio-pharmaceuticals, allergy extracts and the manufacturing of sterile injectables with an additional focus on building R&D for novel drug discovery. Prior to joining Jubilant, he worked with Bain and Company and studied economics and theatre arts at Brown University.

Rwitwika Bhattacharya-Agarwal

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Swaniti Initiative, USA

Founder and CEO, Swaniti Initiative, social enterprise that delivers development solutions by working with government officials. Role focuses on issues around good governance, data-driven delivery and public services. Former Labour Economist, World Bank, focusing on issues of job creation. Has also worked for organizations such as UNFPA and FICCI. Master's in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; graduate in Political Science, Wake Forest University. Author of publications including: Frontiers in Development Policy (World Bank); A Primer on Labor Policies (World Bank); Global Business School Network (Harvard Business School).

Khaled Bin Braik

Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Arab Emirates

Mr. Khaled Bin Braik is a Partner in PwC’s Government & Public Sector consulting practice in the Middle East with a focus on public sector strategy, organisational transformation and human capital development. He serves as the first homegrown UAE National Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East. With over a decade of consulting experience, Khaled is also the firm’s Nationalisation Leader in the United Arab Emirates and spearheads the award-winning nationalisation program “Watani” to create a sustainable national workforce in the professional services sector. He partners with key government stakeholders and policymakers to drive youth engagement across economic sectors, and increase the employability and participation of nationals in the labour market. Khaled has deep expertise in shaping human capital development strategies and has led diverse large-scale civil service modernisation, institutional effectiveness and upskilling programmes to meet the long-term economic, social, and environmental aspirations of the region. During his tenure at PwC, Khaled has also advised leaders, governments and industry champions on evidence-based and purpose-driven policy reforms, strategic planning, organisational restructuring, governance and transformational leadership. Khaled is a recognised thought leader, public speaker, and author on public sector revitalisation, the future of work and sustainability. He is regularly featured in press such as Emirates News Agency (WAM), Arabian Business and multiple industry conferences, podcasts and webinars. Khaled has been felicitated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation for his leadership impact across the nation and is a recipient of the  “Leader of the Year in the Private Sector” national award. He was selected to participate in the flagship Impactful Leaders Programme, run by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development, an exclusive leadership development programme for the top-tier of public and private sector national leaders identified to advance the sustainable development of Dubai. Khaled is a graduate in Political Science and Business Administration from Concordia University in Canada and has an MBA from Cardiff University in the UK. He is also certified in strategic foresight, transformative leadership and disruptive innovation with INSEAD, Imperial College, IMD, UC Berkeley, among others.

Diane Binder

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Regenopolis, France

Diane is an experienced business executive and social entrepreneur with 20 years of international experience in corporate environments, development organizations and NGOs, mostly in the Mediterranean region and Africa, where she has been developing public-private alliances to foster solutions promoting urban resilience, climate adaptation and mitigation, and the preservation of natural capital.

Diane is the founding partner and CEO of Regenopolis, an international initiative catalyzing solutions for
regenerative cities in Africa, and supporting commercially viable value chains for land restoration and economic development mostly in the Sahel along the Great Green Wall.

Before setting up her own venture, Diane spent 10 years at SUEZ, a global leader in providing water and waste management services to populations and industries, successively as Senior Vice-President for International Development in charge of Africa, and Senior Vice-President for International Relations.

Prior to this, Diane has worked with a number of Development Fiancial Institutions and other international organizations such as the European Investment Bank, the French Development Agency, the World Bank and the OECD.

Diane is a member of the French Presidential Council for Africa since 2017, President and co-founder of Action Emploi Réfugiés (AERé), the French leading service accompanying refugees into jobs. AERé is since January 2022 a subsidiary of Groupe SOS, Europe biggest social enterprise, with activities in over 40 countries. Diane has joined SOS Group International Advisory Board in September 2022.

Diane has been honored as a « Young Global Leader » of the World Economic Forum (2019), a « European Young Leader » of the leading think-tank Friends of Europe (2018), is amongst the Choiseul 200 « Economic Leaders for Tomorrow » (2017) and a Rising Talent of the Women’s Forum (2014).

She is a graduate from E.M. Lyon with a MSc in Management, from Georgetown University with a MSc in
Foreign Service and an Honour Certificate in International Business Diplomacy and has been awarded a certificate of Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century Program from Harvard University.

H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

President and Chief Executive Officer, UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), United Arab Emirates

Business leader, social entrepreneur, and published author Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan is Executive Director of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), Founder of the Shamma bint Sultan Sustainability Initiatives social enterprise, Co-Founder of Aurora50 and Founder of Reset MENA. Sheikha Shamma holds a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership and a Master of Philosophy in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge and a degree in Business Administration from Zayed University. She is a well-respected industry expert on sustainability due to her business and academic endeavors in the field. Sheikha Shamma is Chair of Alliances for Global Sustainability and the Advisory Boards of Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy, Pure Harvest, and Bamboo Capital. She is the Honorary President of the Emirates Green Building Council and a UAE Circular Economy Council member. She was awarded the Inspirational Woman of the Year by the Arab Women’s Awards UAE in 2020 and the Academy of International Business in the Middle East and North Africa (AIBMENA) Windtower Award in 2021. In 2022, Sheikha Shamma was selected as the first woman from the GCC to participate in the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s Women Leaders in Energy and Climate Fellowship and serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Multilateral Negotiations (CEMUNE). Sheikha Shamma cites her great-grandfather, the UAE’s founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as a source of inspiration and credits his vision as why she places immense importance on sustainability, philanthropy, and female empowerment. Through her actions, Sheikha Shamma aspires to ensure that Sheikh Zayed’s legacy lives on and that his vision continues to create a positive impact globally.

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Deputy Prime Minister for Financial and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates

Alsharif Nasser bin Nasser

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ambit Advisory, Jordan

In 2022, Mr. Nasser launched Ambit Advisory, focusing on cross-sectoral and cascading risks impacting issues at the nexus of security and development in the Middle East. At the start of 2022, he was also appointed as Senior Advisor to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), where he leads research relating to the impacts of ballistic missiles, drones, disruptive weapon systems and weapons of mass destruction on Middle East security and stability.

In 2023 Mr. Nasser became a member of World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Complex Risk, an interdisciplinary invitation-only community that works to identify long term global risks for stakeholders in the World Economic Forum and develop appropriate mitigation efforts.

From 2010 until 2021, Mr. Nasser served as the Managing Director of the Middle East Scientific Institute for Security (MESIS) based in Amman, Jordan. In this position, he focused on addressing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) risks across the Middle East region. During the same period, he also headed the Middle East Regional Secretariat, the first of eight secretariats to be established globally under the European Union’s Centres of Excellence initiative on CBRN issues.

Previously, Mr. Nasser worked in the office of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, where he last served as Senior Analyst in the Foreign Affairs Directorate. During that time, he managed several bilateral and thematic files and led analytical studies on Jordan’s regional and international relations.

Mr. Nasser is also involved with numerous organizations. He served as the Chairman of a leading insurance company in Jordan and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of a public national commission offering support to injured and disabled veterans. He received his master’s degree in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University and his undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy and Business Management from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (2001). Nasser is also the chair of the Princeton alumni committee in Jordan since 2004 and mentor for Middle East alumni committees for two terms (2017-2023).

In 2015, Mr. Nasser was selected by the World Economic Forum as a “Young Global Leader,” along with 187 candidates globally and served as Member of the Advisory Group for the Forum of Young Global Leaders between 2021-2022. Between 2018-2020, he was a non-resident scholar of the Washington-based Middle East Institute and in 2021 joined the English-language daily, Jordan News Daily, as a regular columnist.

Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman

Member of Parliament, Parliament of Malaysia, Malaysia

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is minister of youth and sports and a member of parliament for Muar, Johore. He is co-founder and youth chief of BERSATU. He is known for being a impressive debater and an advocate of anti-corruption issues. His dedication to engaging youth in politics is a primary feature of his platform.

Haifa Bint Mohammed Al Saud

Vice-Minister of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia

Princess Haifa Al Saud is the Saudi Vice Minister of Tourism. HH played a leading role in the successful transformation of the tourism ecosystem, including the development and execution of the National Tourism Strategy. The tourism ecosystem now comprises of the Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Fund, Tourism Development Council, Air Connectivity Program, and Saudi Red Sea Authority. Princess Haifa is a BoD Member of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Qiddiya Investment Company, Tourism Development Fund, Taif Development Authority, AlAhsa Development Authority, and Saudi Red Sea Authority. HH is also a Member of Quality of Life Program Committee, the Tourism Development Council, an Executive Committee Member of Duyuf Al Rahman Program and Saudi Arabia’s participation at Expo, a Steering Committee Member of the Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques Scholarship Program, and Duyuf Al Rahman Program, and an Oversight and Monitoring Committee Member of the National Employment Program. During her tenure at the Ministry, HH Princess Haifa has been instrumental in delivering sector transformation through sustainability advocacy, dedication to youth and local community empowerment, and special attention to sector recovery, investment, and innovation.

Princess Haifa served as the Secretary General of Formula E Diriyah ePrix, the first major event in the Kingdom and a catalyst to the boom in events and entertainment sectors. She also chaired the Saudi-Emirati Youth Council and served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Arab Fencing Federation Women’s Committee and the Saudi Fencing Federation respectively, increasing the number of women on the official team from 0 to over 200. Her professional career started in equity sales at HSBC. HH holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Haven, USA, and a Master of Business Administration from London Business School.

Adam C. Bird

Director, McKinsey & Company, Germany

Adam Bird is a Director with McKinsey & Company and Co-Leader of the Global Media and Entertainment Practice. He advises the top management of leading global media, entertainment, technology and consumer goods companies on critical business issues and leads McKinsey's Digital Marketing Practice, as well as the firm's Global Digital Initiative. Prior to McKinsey, Bird was the youngest Senior Partner with Booz & Company (formerly Booz Allen Hamilton). He founded the European Media and Entertainment Practice and led the Global Consumer and Media Practice. He also served as a Member of Booz Allen Hamilton's and Booz & Company's Board of Directors, the firm's highest governance bodies. Bird is co-author of Customer Centricity: New Opportunities for the Media Industry. He often speaks on media topics at conferences and is cited in leading publications. Bird is a Member of the International Council of the Paley Center for Media and serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Munich International School. He is an honours graduate of Wesleyan University.

Peter Bisanz

Director, The Power of Story, USA

Peter Bisanz is a social entrepreneur, filmmaker and pioneer in the emerging field of Social Impact Entertainment (SIE), which leverages the power of entertainment to catalyze change on some of the world’s toughest challenges. He has also spearheaded social impact campaigns while Head of Communications and Development for the World Economic Forum’s think-and-do tank (the Global Agenda Councils), which is charged with tackling the world’s most pressing environmental, social and geopolitical issues.

Peter was the founding Executive Director for the Skoll Center for SIE in Hollywood — the first center of its kind — where he partnered with Participant Media in publishing The State of SIE, the first book on the topic. He also previously served as Head of Development for Paramount Pictures’ The Ladd Company, directed Entropy Films’ feature length documentary Beyond our Differences and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007.

Peter currently leads The Power of Story, a new SIE consultancy and production company. The Power of Story's current project is a documentary series and integrated social impact campaign based on The Conversation, Harvard Professor Robert Livingston’s eponymous book about a radically non-judgmental and scientific approach to ending systemic racism.

Peter earned his MBA from the University of Oxford, an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a BFA in Film and Television from NYU’s Tisch School of Arts.