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.

Paul van Zyl

Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, The Conduit, United Kingdom

Paul van Zyl is the Chief Executive Officer of Maiyet, a luxury fashion brand that sources its products from artisans, mostly from developing economies, to empower women, alleviate poverty and promote peace. He is also Director of the New York University School of Law's Transitional Justice Program and a Professor of Law in New York and Singapore. Previously, van Zyl served as Executive Vice-President of the International Centre for Transitional Justice, a Researcher on the Goldstone Commission, Department Head at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Johannesburg, Associate at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York, and Executive Secretary for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. He has a BA and LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand, a LLM in International Law from the University of Leiden, a LLM in Corporate Law (Hauser Global Scholars Program) from New York University School of Law and an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Santa Clara University.

Leo Varadkar

Taoiseach, Government of Ireland, Ireland

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.

Vyron Vasileiadis

Chairman, V Group, Greece

Vyron Vasileiadis is Founder and Chairman of V Group, a robust Group of Companies with a strong presence and continued growth in Waste Management, Renewable Energy Sources and Financial Investments.

Vyron is a self-made entrepreneur, who began his career in 1995 as a site worker for a cleaning services company before successfully progressing to the innovative leader he is today. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American College of Greece in 1998 and completed the Executive Course on Global Leadership & Public Policy for the 21st century at Harvard Kennedy School in Boston, Massachusetts.

During his career, Vyron has received numerous achievements and awards, including the KOUROS-Development and Innovation Award by the Greek Entrepreneurship in 2014 and the nomination as a Young Global Leader (YGL) in 2017. Recognized for the performance of V Group and the added value generated to the society, he has been honored by various national, international, and global stakeholders in business, environmental, circular economy, and sustainability aspects, together with: Environmental Awards, Waste & Recycling Awards, Manufacturing Excellence Awards, Circular Economy Awards, Bravo Sustainability Awards, Diamonds of the Greek Economy, European Business Awards, and Global Business Excellence Awards.

Constantly in search of future opportunities and striving to shape advanced ideas, Vyron Vasileiadis seeks to add value to his growing business portfolio, while positively impacting the world for future generations.

In 2021 V Group’s assets approached €93m and over the next few years, plans to invest in various environmental and renewable energy assets.

Vyron’s corporate philosophy is motivated by his strong ambition to achieve net ZERO carbon footprint, adopt ZERO Waste practices, and raise new sustainable business models.

Knowing what truly matters, his vision would not be complete without his constant support for those in need and the advocacy of animal rights. Having said this, Vyron Vasileiadis has established the Deppy Vasileiadis Foundation, a philanthropic organization, whose main goal is to award grants in the areas of children’s education, fight against animal cruelty, and protection of the environment.

Arnaud Ventura

Managing Partner, Gojo & Co, France, Metropolitan

Executive Summary
Arnaud Ventura founded and led two of the leading financial inclusion group in the last 20 years active in Micro&SME finance, and digital finance before joining Gojo as its managing partner to support the development of the Group in Asia and build the Africa’s activity.
Between 1998 and 2008 Ventura cofounded and led with Mr Attali & Mr Yunus PlaNet Finance, one of the global and most successful European Financial Inclusion Group. Between 2008 and 2019, Arnaud Ventura founded & led Baobab (formerly MicroCred), the leading Micro&SME digital bank in Africa & China.
Additionally, Arnaud Ventura has been appointed Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2013 and he cofounded the French China Foundation the leading network of Young Leaders between French and China.

Diana Verde Nieto

Co-Founder, Positiveluxury.com, United Kingdom

Diana Verde Nieto is a change-maker, entrepreneur, author, and a pioneering global leader in sustainability. Diana co-founded Positive Luxury a sustainability collaboration platform that helps luxury companies adapt and transition to a new climate economy.

Diana has 25 years of international experience starting and growing profitable businesses. She holds a degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and she has been trained by Former USA Vice President, Al Gore at the Alliance of Climate Protection and subsequently being honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Diana is an advisor to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and an advocate and supporter of Grass Roots Soccer.

Martina Viarengo

Professor, International Economics, The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Switzerland

Martina Viarengo is Professor in the Department of Economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies of Geneva. She is Faculty Associate at the Harvard University, Center for International Development, and a Member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Women's Empowerment. Prior to joining the Graduate Institute's faculty, Dr. Viarengo was an Economist at the Centre for Economic Performance of the London School of Economics and a Post-doctoral Fellow at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. She was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and she was named a Newton International Fellow by the British Academy and the Royal Society. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and a Master's Degree in Economics from Northwestern University.

Christophe Villemin

Operating Partner, Searchlight Capital Partners, United Kingdom

Christophe Villemin has been Operating Partner of Apollo Global Management from 2015 to 2019. He served as the President of Constellium Aerospace & Transportation from 2011 to 2013. He joined Alcan in 1994 and held various leadership positions in different sectors in packaging and aluminum conversion in Europe and United States. In 2002, he was appointed as General Manager, Alcan Rolled Products in Switzerland (former-Alusuisse) and in 2005, President, Alcan Engineered Aluminum Products (EP), Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products. Prior to Constellium, Christophe Villemin served as President of Rio Tinto Alcan Rolled Products until 2010. In 2008, Mr. Villemin was distinguished as a “Young Global Leader” of the World Economic Forum.

Christophe Villemin is co-founder and Chairman of the ski brand Black Crows. He is Member of the board of Latécoère S.A., Jacques Marie Mage and Easymile

Felicitas von Peter

Founder and Managing Partner, Forum for Active Philanthropy GmbH, Germany

Founder (2006), Active Philanthropy, a charitable platform supporting investors to generate maximum impact with their giving and social investing; Founder (2011), Beyond Philanthropy, a social business advising multinationals, foundations and individuals on effective CSR, impact investing and philanthropy. PhD, Cambridge University. 1998-2006, Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany. Board Member of various foundations and NGO's, amongst them INDEX: Design to improve life

David Frederik von Rosen-von Hoewel

Chief Executive Officer, Von Rosen Fashion Group AG, Germany

David von Rosen-von Hoewel is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VONROSEN, a Berlin-based by-invitation-only luxury fashion label. Previously, he founded and ran CareerConcept in Munich, a market leader in Germany for higher education financing. He studied at Northwestern University in Chicago and at the European Business School in Frankfurt. He also undertook a PhD programme at the University of Economics in Prague.

Andrew Wales

Managing Director, Global Sustainability Client Value and Impact Architect, Accenture, United Kingdom

Managing Director at Accenture. Global Lead new sustainability services and sustainability integration.

Believes in driving growth through (genuinely) purpose led business strategy and has done so across telecoms and tech (BT), FMCG (ABInBev and SABMiller), utilities (Severn Trent) and manufacturing (Interface Inc).

Transforms businesses by sharpening and energising the purpose and strategy, integrating sustainability ambitions and goals into core business metrics, customer comms and brand campaigns, culture and employee engagement and the investor proposition.

Non Exec Director at Water and Sanitation for the Urbdn Poor - who have helped more than 30m people gain access to water services. Tech for good seed angel investor.

Jimmy Wales

Founder, Wikipedia.org, United Kingdom

Internet and technology entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, is founder of the online non-profit encyclopaedia Wikipedia and co-founder of the privately owned Fandom.com. Wales serves on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit charitable organisation he established to operate Wikipedia. In 2019, Jimmy launched WT Social - a news focused social network. In 2006 Jimmy was named in Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ for his role in creating Wikipedia.

Lisa Walker

Chief Executive Officer, Ecosphere+, United Kingdom

Lisa Walker recently left BG Group (now part of Royal Dutch Shell) where she served as Vice President for Environment & Climate Change to become CEO of start-up Ecosphere+. Lisa worked in the oil and gas sector for >17 years, closely involved in all aspects of climate change strategy development & implementation, public policy formation, sector coalition building and low-carbon business development. She was a driving force behind the UK Emissions Trading Group, the CCAC Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (which she Co-Chaired), the Sustainable Gas Institute and the CEO-led Oil & Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI). Lisa helped BG Group secure multiple industry awards for sustainability. Before BG Group Lisa held various roles at BP including Director of the BP Carbon Ventures corporate-VC fund. Lisa successfully secured capital for many innovative investments in sustainable land-use and forestry, low-carbon technologies and b io-energy, including first-of-their-kind deals for the private sector such as the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). Lisa is a mother of four and originally from New Zealand.