Leadership and Governance

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to tackle climate change and inequality. He believes, above all, that humanity will only overcome our greatest shared challenges through far-reaching systems change and bold new partnerships to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which he helped develop.
 
As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), Paul demonstrated that business can profit through purpose, marrying a long-term, multi-stakeholder model with excellent financial performance. During Paul’s tenure, shareholders saw their returns increase by 290% while the company consistently ranked 1st in the world for sustainability and as one of best places to work.
 
Today Paul works across a range of organisations and initiatives to help speed the global action needed to regenerate our planet, renew our economies and unite our societies. He helps business move further and faster on these ambitions, including through his work with Systemiq and through mobilizing private equity.

He helps drive bold new coalitions within industries such as fashion and food, as well as between the private sector, government and civil society, including through his work leading the UN Global Compact and as an Ambassador for the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience. Paul is also passionate about developing our next generation of leaders, which he does as chair of the Oxford University Saïd Business School, and through his work with INSEAD, IESE and the Boards of PRME and One Young World.
 
Last year Paul’s published his critically-acclaimed book with sustainability expert Andrew Winston, “Net Positive”, which sets out how to build companies which succeed by fixing the world’s problems, rather than creating them. He actively campaigns on a range of human rights issues, including promoting disability inclusion through the Valuable 500 and the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust, which he set up with his wife Kim.

On February 26th, 2013, Mónica de Greiff was appointed President of Bogota´s Chamber of Commerce, position she assumed on March 4th, 2013.

Ms. de Greiff is a lawyer from Rosario University in Bogotá, with a post graduate degree in administrative law. She has held important positions in both, the public and private sectors in Colombia throughout her career.

Prior to the Chamber of Commerce, she was CEO of Bogota´s Energy Group from 2009 to 2013. While in this position, Ms. de Greiff designed and executed an expansion strategy, in which the Group acquired shares in companies Promigas, Contugas, Cálidda, and Trecsa, which enabled the Bogota Energy Group to become the leader in the gas and energy sector in the Andean region.

Between 2008 and 2009, she was appointed as Secretary of Economic Development of Bogota, where she implemented an Entrepreneurship Promotion Plan, which focused on offering technical training and credit access. 

Ms. de Greiff has been an independent consultant in strategic communications, legislative monitoring, and legal advisor in procurement’s issues.

She has also held the following positions: Administrative Assistant Manager of Bogota´s Urban Development Institute (IDU for its acronym in Spanish), General Secretary of the Mines and Energy Ministry (1995 -1998), member of the National Television Commission on behalf of the President of the Republic of Colombia, International Counselor for the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia, Vice-president of Legal and Public Affairs for Shell Colombia (1991-1994). Also, Ms. de Greiff was the first woman to be appointed as Minister of Justice in 1989.

Ms. De Greiff also served as a member of the UN Global Compact Board for two terms, starting in 2011, renewed in 2015, and ending in 2018. Since 2013, she is part of the Board of Directors of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC). 

In 2018 Ms. de Greiff was appointed as a member of the board of directors of the International Chamber of Commerce and One Young World. In the same year, and after being part of the Board of Directors of the World Chambers Federation and the International Chamber of Commerce since 2013, she became part of the ICC Executive Board and Vice Chair for Latin America in the WCF in the term going from 2019 to 2021.

Mr. Masiyiwa is a United Kingdom based Chairman and founder of Econet Wireless, a diversified telecommunications group with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. He is an Executive Director on the board of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Ltd and is Chairman of Liquid Telecom Holdings (an Econet Group company). Also, through Econet’s subsidiaries, the Group funds one of the largest scholarship programs for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa.

Strive serves on a number of international boards, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Advisory Board, the Africa Progress Panel, Chairman of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Micronutrient Initiative.

Strive is a juror of the Hilton Foundation’s Humanitarian Prize. He is also one of the founders of the Carbon War Room and a founding member of the Global Business Coalition on Education.

Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont joined Charoen Pokphand Group in 1992 as Senior Vice President for Planning and Project Coordination & Support. He was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Group in 1999. In 2005, Mr. Chearavanont initiated a financial restructure and undertook the re-branding of the company from Telecom Asia to True Corporation in 2004 and oversaw the transformation of True to become a fully integrated telecommunications solutions provider and lifestyle enabler. He was instrumental in establishing True Plookpanya (planting wisdom), True’s CSR initiative, which brings together communications technology and innovation to enhance education for underprivileged children in 5,500 schools in Thailand. It also helps to improve the quality of life for disabled members of society by facilitating access to essential communication services especially for the hearing and visually-impaired. Mr. Chearavanont also serves as Vice Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group and in June 2015, Mr. Chearavanont was presented with the “2015 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Telecom CEO of the Year” award at The Asia Pacific ICT Awards in Singapore for his leadership and outstanding achievements in developing the telecommunications industry within the Asia Pacific region.

Michelle Yeoh is an award winning actor and humanitarian. In 2016, she was appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador; in this role, Michelle focuses on empowering the most vulnerable, including women, those living in poverty and those facing disasters and crises as well as advocating for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2008 Michelle has been a road safety ambassador, for the Make Roads Safe campaign and the FIA Foundation. She is currently the Spokesperson for the FIA’s High Level Panel for Road Safety. Michelle Yeoh began working with the FIA Foundation in 2008, and has visited many countries on behalf of the Foundation. She led the ‘Call for a Decade of Action’ in 2008-2009 and spoke on the issue at the UN General Assembly on behalf of her own country, Malaysia, in 2010 and 2014. Her work supporting road safety in Cambodia was recognised by the Deputy Prime Minister in 2014. She is also a prominent supporter of the #SaveKidsLives campaign.

Internationally acclaimed for her roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Ang Lee’s multiple Academy Award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and its recently released sequel; and portraying Aung San Suu Kyi in Luc Besson’s biopic The Lady, Michelle Yeoh has transferred her skills to the small screen in two BBC documentaries on road safety, produced by the FIA Foundation. For the documentaries, Michelle spoke with road traffic victims, argued on screen with highway engineers, visited hospitals and dodged traffic to highlight the need for action.

Feike Sijbesma is CEO of Royal DSM since 2007. He is member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Central Bank (DNB); non-executive board member of Unilever; and member of the Global CEO Council of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. He is one of the Climate Leaders of the World Bank and is Chair of the High-Level Leadership Forum on Competitiveness and Carbon Pricing, and Champion of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC), both convened by the World Bank Group. He is chair of several initiatives of the World Economic Forum, around consumer and chemical industries and heading the Climate CEO Climate Leaders.

Feike Sijbesma has transformed Royal DSM from a chemical company into a purpose-led global (bio-)science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living. DSM is global leader in food/nutritional ingredients and a leading company in sustainable materials and solutions among others for alternative energy sources. At DSM sustainability is not only a key responsibility but also a core value and a main business driver.

Mr. Sijbesma is a recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award & Leaders of Change Award presented by the United Nations; among others he received an honorary doctorate from Maastricht University, Netherlands; he received the Fortune Award for Circular Economy Leadership and was ranked in the Fortune World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2018.    

Mr. Sijbesma studied medical (molecular) biology at University of Utrecht and business administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam.)

Per Heggenes is the CEO of IKEA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Swedish home furnishings company, IKEA. As CEO, Per sets and drives the Foundation’s funding and innovation strategies, and is a tireless advocate for children living in some of the world’s poorest communities. Since becoming the Foundation’s first CEO in 2009, Per has presided over the Foundation’s evolution into a global, grant-making philanthropy that funds programs in more than 45 countries.

He serves on the advisory board of the Refugee Studies Centre at University of Oxford, Department for International Development, and is a member of the advisory group on the Planning From the Future project, a multi-organisation project hosted by King’s College London.

In 2012, Per was appointed to the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, who created the commission to increase access to lifesaving medicines and health supplies for the world’s most vulnerable people.

Previously, Per was the Global Head of Corporate Affairs for the shipping and logistics company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. Before joining WWL, he was the UK President and CEO for the global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and Co-CEO for Europe. He also held different global roles for Burson-Marsteller based in their New York headquarters. Per served in the Norwegian Air Force and graduated from the University of Augsburg in Germany with a “Diplom Oekonom” (MBA).

Lord Dr Michael Hastings CBE is an independent Member & Cross Bench Peer in the House of Lords and the Chairman of SOAS, University of London and Professor of Leadership at the Huntsman Business School, USA;  he is a NED at Saxton Bampfylde, a leading Executive Search Firm and sits on the Board of Cornerstone VC and is the Patron of the Cornerstone Syndicate Fund and a strategic advisor to Lendoe and Harambe Entrepreneurs.

Michael is also Chair of the London Chamber of Commerce Black Business Association; he is a Governor of the Vodafone/ Safaricom MPESA Academy in Nairobi, Kenya and a VP of UNICEF, Ambassador for TEAR FUND and Chairman of the Council of ZANE – the leading Zimbabwe Aid Agency.

He was formerly the Global Head of Citizenship at KPMG International and before that the Head of Public Affairs at the BBC. He served as Chancellor of Regents University London from 2017 to 2021.

He is President of UK Community Foundations, founder and VP of Catch22 and co-founder of My Brothers Keeper, a unique prisoner support commitment. 

Luis Javier Castro defines himself as an entrepreneur and activist. He is the Founder and CEO of Mesoamérica Investments, a Private Equity Firm from where he has lead investments across Latin America for the last 25 years in fields such as Renewable Energy, Telecommunications, Restaurants, Dairy Industry among others, with world-class partners such as OTPP, ACTIS, Bain Capital and large business groups in the region. Luis Javier is a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo de Energía de Bogotá and Codensa, as well as of different companies in Mesoamerica’s portfolio.

He is the Founder of Yo Emprendedor, an NGO dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in Central America and President Emeritus of AED (Alianza Empresarial para el Desarrollo), an organization that he presided for 10 years and brings together more than 150 companies in search of a more prosperous, inclusive and respectful environment. He is a fellow of the Aspen Institute, a member of YPO, a member of the acquisition committee of Tate Modern and participates in multiple boards of development organizations.

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the largest NGO in the world, with a budget of 5 billion dollars a year, United Way Worldwide and a member of G50 group. Due to his business career, El Financiero, a Costa Rican newspaper, has twice named him Businessman of the Year, title he currently holds.

Jessica Gladstone is a partner at global law firm Clifford Chance. She has extensive experience in international law, investment treaty arbitration, public law and constitutional challenges, and inter-state disputes, representing parties as counsel and advocate in some of the most significant recent international law cases. She advises states, international organisations and businesses on a wide range of public international law, including treaty negotiation and interpretation, immunities, international trade, human rights, climate change and ESG issues. A former legal adviser for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (now FCDO), Jessica has experience negotiating treaties and representing the UK at the United Nations, Council of Europe, and before the European Court of Human Rights. In addition to her roles as counsel, Jessica sits as arbitrator, is a visiting lecturer in international arbitration at Kings College London, and a member of BIICL's Public International Law Advisory Panel. She sits on the UK Government's Trade Advisory Group, and held a seat on the WEF Global Future Council for Trade and Investment. Jessica is a trustee of Save the Children UK, and a founding director of Advocates for International Development (A4ID), and she was Chair of the board of Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK) 2015-2019. Jessica is commended as "a powerhouse for PIL" and "one of the brightest talents of her generation" (Chambers UK), and is listed in both Who's Who and Who’s Who in Arbitration. In 2018, she was named among The Lawyer's Hot 100.

Michael Møller has over 40 years of experience as an international civil servant in the United Nations. He began his career in 1979 with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and worked for the United Nations in different capacities in New York, Mexico, Iran, Haiti, Cyprus and Geneva.

Mr Møller served as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva as well as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament and Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Conference of Disarmament from September 2013 to July 2019. Prior to that, Mr Møller served as Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation from 2008 to 2011.

In recognition of his efforts to deepen public understanding of the vital role of the United Nations and its partners in Geneva, Mr Møller received a series of prizes from the City of Geneva, the Union Suisse des Attachés de Presse and, most recently, the Fondation pour Genève.

Born in 1952 in Copenhagen, Mr Møller earned a Master’s degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, the United States, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

Vimbai Masiyiwa, is a 29-year-old businesswoman and co-founder of Batoka Africa, a purpose-driven hospitality company and the first black female-owned Safari Lodge group in Africa.

In her role as co-founder and Creative Director, she has led the strategic repositioning of Batoka Africa for investments in Zimbabwe and the expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her mission is to create sustainable social enterprises in the travel industry to empower communities and reimagine travel. She is working towards the development of the African tourism industry as a whole, changing the narrative around Africa. 

Having spent most of her childhood in South Africa, Vimbai strives to empower the African dream of success through ecotourism and hospitality, particularly through the Tesse Fund. By contributing 10% of revenue from guest stays to the fund, Batoka Africa employees can spearhead projects that uplift their local communities.

Vimbai also champions mental health and is a member of the Future Mental Health Collective, Kokoro Change, and serves in an advisory capacity for globally renowned organisations including the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum.

Vimbai graduated with a BSc in Computer Information Systems from Bryant University, and a MSc in Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship sciences from University College London. She is currently based between London and Cape Town. She is the second eldest daughter of Tsitsi Masiyiwa and Strive Masiyiwa, a philanthropist and international business leader.