Geneva, Switzerland, March 16, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Economic Forum has announced the induction of the newest members of its Young Global Leaders Class of 2023. This year’s cohort includes nearly 100 promising political leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, game-changing researchers and visionary activists who are accelerating positive and lasting change in their communities, countries and the world.
Since its establishment in 2004, the Forum of Young Global Leaders has cultivated a diverse community of outstanding people addressing the world’s most pressing problems – today made up of over 1,400 members and alumni from more than 120 countries. In a turbulent and polarized world, committed, conscientious and inspired leaders are needed to create real-world change for the benefit of all. YGLs have demonstrated their commitment to improving the state of the world by unlocking the potential of technology for the common good, unveiling a plan to revolutionize health services in rural and refugee communities and galvanizing private sector action on pollution.
YGLs are renowned for their groundbreaking contributions to dynamic and exciting fields. Notable community members include Olympian Lewis Pugh and Paralympian Susannah Rodgers, Prime Minister Sanna Marin, entrepreneurs Jimmy Wales and Rhea Mazumdar Singhal, disability activist Sinéad Burke, computer scientist Joy Buolamwini, and professional racing driver Nico Rosberg.
As part of their three-year leadership development programme, YGLs will have access to a range of executive education courses, learning journeys and opportunities to collaborate with trusted peers, helping them achieve their goals and make an even more significant impact on society. We are excited to welcome the 2023 class of Young Global Leaders and are confident in their ability to bridge divides to create real-world change for the benefit of all.
“Celebrating these exceptional leaders, we commend the YGLs for their outstanding commitment to addressing pressing global issues. Their extraordinary achievements inspire us all and we are confident that their leadership will pave the way for a better future,” said Wadia Ait Hamza, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.
“The World Economic Forum is honoured to welcome the latest group of Young Global Leaders, whose exceptional achievements and commitment to improving the world come at a time when cooperation, partnerships and responsible leadership are more critical than ever,” said Nicole Schwab, Board Member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.
Meet the 2023 YGL Class
Academia/Think-tank
- Shinjini Kundu, Physician-Scientist, Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA
- Tanvi Ratna, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Policy 4.0. Research Foundation, India
- Vukosi Marivate, Chair of Data Science, Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Arts, Culture & Sports
- Fagun Thakrar, Founder, The Purpose Movie Studio, United Kingdom
- Noura Bint Faisal Al Saud, Founder and Managing Director, Global Culture House, Saudi Arabia
- Paolo Petrocelli, Head, Dubai Opera, United Arab Emirates
- Peace Hyde, Creator and Executive Producer, Netflix Inc., Ghana
- Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ART X Collective, Nigeria
- Yuchun Li, Artist, Beijing Yellow Stone Media Co.,Ltd, People’s Republic of China
Business
- Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jio Haptik Technologies Limited, India
- Abdigani Diriye, Co-Founder, Bloom Financial Technologies, Kenya
- Adam Lou, Chief Executive Officer, Lollipop Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd, People’s Republic of China
- Agon Gashi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Meridian Express, Kosovo
- Alejo Czerwonko, Chief Investment Officer Emerging Markets Americas, UBS AG, USA
- Ali Akhai, Chairman, Martin Dow Limited, Pakistan
- Aron Schwarzkopf, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kushki, Ecuador
- Barbara Garza, Former Country Manager, Director of Operations, Buenbit, Mexico
- Charles Zhaoxuan YANG, Chief Financial Officer, NetEase.com Inc., People’s Republic of China
- Claire Tsui, Managing Director, North Asia Head of Strategic Advisory and Private Asset Group, Credit Suisse AG Hong Kong Branch, Hong Kong SAR, China
- David Upton, Managing Director, Chief of Staff for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility, Barclays PLC, United Kingdom
- Devina Pasta, Head of Strategy, Digital & Technology, Siemens AG, Germany
- Felipe Valencia-Dongo, Managing Partner, Grupo Estrategia Consultores, Peru
- Florian DELMAS, Chairman, Andros & Cie, France
- Fridtjof Berge, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Antler Innovation Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Gregory Rockson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, mPharma, Ghana
- Hussain Hanbazazah, Director of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
- Hussam Hammo, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Tamatem Inc., Jordan
- Isabelle Yap, Executive Director and Vice President, East West Banking Corporation, Philippines
- Juan Pablo Mata, Chief Executive Officer, Grupo Mariposa, Apex Global Mobility, Guatemala
- Jussi Herlin, Vice Chairman of the Board, Kone Corporation, Finland
- Khaled Bin Braik, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Arab Emirates
- Lauren Tilstra, Chief of Staff and Executive Director, Strategic Communications, Verizon Communications, USA
- Lee Redden, Entrepreneur and Co-Founder, Hands On Robotics, USA
- Li Chen, President, Gotion Global, Gotion High-tech, People’s Republic of China
- Maria Vircikova, Chief Executive Officer, MATSUKO, Slovakia
- Mariana Dias, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Gupy, Brazil
- Marissa Giustina, Research Scientist and Quantum Electronics Engineer, Google LLC, USA
- Marta Pinheiro, Director, XP Inc., Brazil
- Moath Alnaeem, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Alpha Capital, Saudi Arabia
- Mohamed Almaraj, Chief Executive Officer, ila Bank, Bahrain
- Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming, Lightspeed Venture Partners, USA
- Porter Diehl, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Bridgewater Associates LP, USA
- Richard Ettl, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, SkyCell AG, Switzerland
- Roselyne Chambrier, Chief Executive Officer, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), Côte d’Ivoire
- Sanaa Souidi, Head of Group Risks and Analytics, Swiss Re Management Ltd, Switzerland
- Shelley Stewart, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company, Inc., USA
- Smriti Kirubanandan, Engagement Director, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, USA
- Sofia Elizondo, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Brightseed Bio, USA
- Stefany Bello, Senior Vice President of Digital Partnerships, Retail & Commerce, Mastercard, USA
- Sudarshan Venu, Managing Director, TVS Motor Company Limited, India
- Sven Holstenson, Managing Partner, Pictet & Cie Group SCA, Switzerland
- Tiffany Xingyu Wang, Chief Trust and Marketing Officer, Open Web Technologies Ltd., USA
- Tom Plümmer, Chief Executive Officer, Wingcopter GmbH, Germany
- Varun Sivaram, Group Senior Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Ørsted Services A/S, USA
- Vibin B Joseph, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, BiOZEEN, India
- Wafa Al Obaidat, Chief Executive Officer, Obai and Hill, Bahrain
- Wei Li, Managing Director, Global Chief Investment Strategist, BlackRock Inc., United Kingdom
- Yusuke Narita, Founder, Hanjuku-kaso Inc., Japan
- Zhang Yaoyu, General Manager Global LNG and New Energies, PetroChina International, People’s Republic of China
Civil Society
- Avital Saskia Niño de Rivera Cover, Co-Founder and Spokeswoman, Reinserta -Un Mexico A.C-, Mexico
- Chong Yu, China Chief Representative, WildAid, People’s Republic of China
- Jonathan Fantini Porter, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Central America, Guatemala
- Kluane Adamek, Yukon Regional Chief, Assembly of Nations, Canada
- Nick Allardice, Chief Executive Officer, Change.org, PBC, USA
- Oluseun Onigbinde, Co-Founder and Global Director, Budgit, Inc., Nigeria
- Roopa Dhatt, Executive Director, Women in Global Health, USA
- Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and Chief Executive Officer, UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), United Arab Emirates
- Ying Wei, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Deja Vu, People’s Republic of China
- Zhizhong Li, Co-Founder and Secretary General, Shiyu Children Foundation, People’s Republic of China
Media
- Margaret Zhang, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue China, People’s Republic of China
- Maureen Trantham, Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy and Social Impact & Philanthropy Operations, Sesame Workshop, USA
- Natashya Gutierrez, Editor-in-Chief, Asia Pacific, Vice News, Australia
- Uche Pedro, Founder, BellaNaija, Nigeria
Public Figures
- Aaditya Thackeray, Leader, Shivsena, India
- Adriana Tudela, Congresswoman, Congress of Peru, Peru
- Aïssata Lam, Director General, Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania, Mauritania
- Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, Co-Founder and Deputy President, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance, Malaysia
- Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament, House of Commons, Canada, Canada
- Batnairamdal Otgonshar, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mongolian People’s Party, Mongolia
- Benjamina Karic, Mayor of Sarajevo, City of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Christoph Baumann, Envoy for Sustainable Finance, State Secretariat for International Finance, Switzerland
- Daniel Arrigg Koh, White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary and former United States Department of Labor and City of Boston Chief of Staff, White House, USA
- Huy Dung Nguyen, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Information and Communications of Viet Nam, Viet Nam
- Idan Roll, Member of the Knesset, The Israeli Knesset, Israel
- Justin Bibb, Mayor, City of Cleveland, USA
- Kow Abaka Essuman, Legal Counsel to the President, Office of the President of Ghana, Ghana
- Madhukeshwar Desai, National Vice President, BJYM (BJP Youth Wing), India
- Mateen of Brunei Darussalam, Prince, The State of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam
- Miguel Medina, Minister of Investment, Honduras Government, Honduras
- Sakaja Johnson, Governor, Nairobi City County, Kenya
- Shahril Sufian bin Hamdan, Founder, SHP3 Advisory, Office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Malaysia
- Tara Iyer, Macroeconomist, International Monetary Fund, USA
- Wafaa Jemali, Secretary General, Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, Morocco
- Walter Pacheco, Chief Executive Officer, Angolan Stock Exchange, Angola
Discover the new Young Global Leader (YGL) class at www.wef.ch/ygl23