Leadership and Governance

Co-founder, Chair of the One Young World Board of Trustees, Chair of One Young World US Board

David Jones is a leading proponent of corporate responsibility and social change and was recognised as The Guardian’s Sustainable Business Leader 2013. He and Kate Robertson co-founded One Young World in 2009. 

Kate Robertson is the co-founder and CEO of One Young World, a global platform that inspires, builds and elevates young leaders to create positive social change. Established in 2009 alongside Co-Founder, David Jones, One Young World has become the leading forum for young talent, bringing together delegates from over 190 countries to work on global challenges such as climate change, health equity, and human rights. 

Paul Polman is an internationally recognised business leader, philanthropist, investor, speaker, and advocate for sustainable development. 

Michael Møller is a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and in his last post served as Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference of Disarmament, and has over 40 years of experience as an international civil servant.

He served as the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation from 2008 to 2011.

Former Ambassador to Kenya and permanent representative to the United Nations for Environment and Habitat, former CEO of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and of the Bogota Energy Group, having duties, among others, related to operational and enterprise risk management and former District Secretary of Economic Development of Bogotá.

Michelle Yeoh, an internationally acclaimed actress and producer, has starred in more than fifty films including global hits James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies, Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, Sunshine, The Lady, Crazy Rich Asians, Marvel smash Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and sci-fi franchise TV series Star Trek: Discovery as a first Asian female Starfleet Captain.

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.

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).

As CEO of CP Group, Suphachai Chearavanont is one of Thailand's most prominent business leaders

In 1987, he joined the Industrial Pharmaceuticals division of Royal Gist-brocades NV, where he was responsible for strategic planning and business development. From 1990 to 1993, he was appointed the division’s Marketing & Sales Director. Thereafter (1993) he was given leadership of Savory Ingredients, later on a business unit of Gist-brocades’ Food Specialties Division. In 1995, he was made director of that division and joined the Gist-brocades’ Executive Committee.

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.

Luis Javier Castro defines himself as an entrepreneur and activist. He is the Founder and CEO of Mesoamerica Investments, a Private Equity Firm from where he has led 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.

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.

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.