Three Saudis chosen among the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Community

 The world’s most driven researchers, innovative entrepreneurs, activists and promising political leaders between the ages of 30 and 40 are today joining the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2021.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future, while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges. Today, there are 1,400 members and alumni from more than 120 countries. Notable members include prime ministers Jacinda Ardern and Sanna Marin, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica, actor Yao Chen, lawyer Amal Clooney, filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, and football player Megan Rapinoe.

YGLs are active in today’s most exciting and dynamic fields and focus on impact. In the past year they have worked on more than 30 COVID-19-related initiatives, including expanding the use of free public digital health services, launching data challenges to build an ecosystem that can help tackle the pandemic, creating mobile intensive care shelters, opening mental health support platforms and working on vaccine development

The class of 2021 is gender equal and has representatives from 56 countries. Members will take part in a five-year programme, which offers executive education courses, expeditions and opportunities to collaborate and test ideas among a trusted network of peers.

“The YGL Class of 2021 is comprised of thoughtful and courageous leaders who will shape a more sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic era,” said Mariah Levin, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

“We are delighted to welcome the class of 2021 at a time when cultivating responsible leadership is needed more than ever to steer us through the multiple challenges the world is facing,” said Nicole Schwab, Board Member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Meet the 2021 YGL Class

Academia and Research

Abasi Ene-Obong, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, 54gene, United States of America

Dalal Saeb Iriqat, Vice-President for International Relations, Arab American University-Palestine, Palestinian Territories

Devi Sridhar, University Lecturer in Global Health Politics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Ibram Kendi, Director of the Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University, United States of America

Izkia Siches, President, Medical College of Chile, Chile

Lu Chaoyang, Professor, University of Science and Technology of China, People’s Republic of China

Peter Biar Ajak, Visiting Fellow and Adjunct Faculty, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, United States of America

Tom Crowther, Professor of Global Ecosystem Ecology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Wu Chen, Deputy Director, Department of International Collaboration, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, People’s Republic of China

Arts, Media and Sports

Christoph Bornschein, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TLGG (Torben, Lucie und die gelbe Gefahr), Germany

Faouzi Khlifi (known as El Seed), Artist and Founder, El Seed Studio, Tunisia

Hu Ge, Actor, Hu Ge Studio, People's Republic of China

Jessica Mauboy, Artist, Parade Management, Australia

Li Ni, Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Bilibili Inc., People's Republic of China

Lukas Nelson, Singer, Songwriter, Philanthropist, United States of America

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Captain, Bangladesh Cricket Team, Bangladesh

Nathalia Arcuri, Founder/President, Me Poupe, Brazil

Rohan Ramakrishnan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The ASEAN Post, Malaysia

Wang Guan, Chief Correspondent, CGTN, People's Republic of China

Banking and Investment

Brian Kaufmann, Portfolio Manager; Head, Private Investments; Management Committee Member, Viking Global Investors, United States of America

Catherine Lenson, Chief Human Resources Officer, SoftBank Investment Advisors (UK), United Kingdom

Cristina Fonseca, Chief Executive Officer, Cleverly, Portugal

Daniel Ahn, Managing Director, Chief US Economist, Head of Markets 360 and North America, BNP Paribas, United States of America

Gregoire Pictet, Chief Executive Officer, Pictet North America, Banque Pictet and Cie, Switzerland

He Zhengyu, Principal Scientist, Ant Group, People's Republic of China

Lee Seung Gun, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Viva Republica (Toss), Republic of Korea

Luis Felipe Cervantes Legorreta, Principal and Head of Mexico Office, General Atlantic, United States of America

Mohammad Salem Omaid, Chief Executive Officer, Azizi Bank, Afghanistan

Business

Adriana Cargill, Member, Cargill, United States of America

Andrey A. Guryev, Chief Executive Officer, PJSC PhosAgro, Russian Federation

Anne-Laure De Chammard, Group Chief Strategy Officer, ENGIE Group, France

Claudia Vergueiro Massei, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Oman, Oman

Dana Juffali, Business Development Director, Khaled Juffali Energy and Utilities, Saudi Arabia

Erica Alessandri, Member of the Board, Technogym, Italy

Gareth Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Mitbana, Singapore

Haley Lowry, Global Sustainability Director, Dow, United States of America

Kishin Rk, Chief Executive Officer, RB Capital, Singapore

Laure Forgeron, Managing Director - Head of Facultative Underwriting EMEA, Swiss Reinsurance Company, Switzerland

Liam Sobey, Vice President of Merchandising, Sobeys, Canada

Matthew Chamberlain, Chief Executive, London Metal Exchange, United Kingdom

Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Head, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Majid Al Futtaim Group, Majid Al Futtaim Retail, United Arab Emirates

Nari Kahle, Head, Transformation and Operational Excellence, Volkswagen, Germany

Nirvana Chaudhary, Managing Director, Chaudhary Group, Nepal

Ricardo Weder, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, JUSTO, Mexico

Roongchat Boonyarat, Director, Chief Executive and Operating Officer, Malee Group, Thailand

Rose Damen, Managing Director, Damen Yachting; Non-Executive Member of the Board, Damen Holding, Netherlands

Shreevar Kheruka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Borosil, India

Sophie Kim Seul Ah, Founder, Market Kurly, Republic of Korea

Srikanth Bolla, Chief Executive Officer, Bollant Industries, India

Sylvia Wiesner, Vice-President Foods DACH, Unilever, Germany

Tanit Chearavanont, Director, Siam Makro, Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand

Civil Society and Social Entrepreneurship

Amit Paley, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, The Trevor Project, United States of America

Anulika Ajufo, Principal, Soros Economic Development Fund, United Kingdom

Deepika Padukone, Founder, The Live Love Laugh Foundation, India

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President, Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), Chad

Jessica Jackson, Chief Advocacy Officer, Reform Alliance, United States of America

Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director, National Association of Friendship Centres, Canada

Roberto Patiño, Chief Executive Officer, Convive, Venezuela

Sangu Delle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Africa Health Holdings, Ghana

Sinéad Burke, Chief Executive Officer, Tilting the Lens, Ireland

Zolzaya Batkhuyag, Founder and Head of Board, Women for Change, Mongolia

Wawira Njiru, Founder, Food for Education, Kenya

Global Health and Healthcare

Arvan Chan, Regional Vice-President, International and Corporate Operations, Centene Corporation, United States of America

Burcu Ozturk, Chief Financial Officer, MLP Saglik Hizmetleri, Turkey

Conrod Kelly, Executive Director, Global Social Determinants and Population Health, Merck and Co., United States of America

David Alexander Walcott, Founder and Managing Partner, Novamed, Jamaica

Qian Zhuang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Zhiwo Explore Education and Technology, People's Republic of China

Shiho Azuma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lily MedTech, Japan

Terrence Kommal, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Medical Expert Consulting Group, South Africa

Vasudha Vats, Global Commercial Lead/Senior Director, Pfizer, United States of America

Vivek Ramaswamy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Roivant Sciences, United States of America

Professional Services

Ameya Prabhu, Managing Partner, UAP Advisors, India

Alexis Crow, Global Head, Geopolitical Investing, PwC, United States of America

Emily Serazin, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group, United States of America

Esraa Al-Buti, Partner, EY, Saudi Arabia

Laura Gersch, Member of the Board of Management, Corporate Pensions, Allianz Lebensversicherungs, Germany

Lucy Cooper, Managing Director/Head of Innovation, Europe, Accenture, United Kingdom

Luiza Mattos, Partner; Head of Healthcare South America, Bain and Company, United States of America

Megan Greenfield, Partner, McKinsey and Company, United States of America

Sanae Lahlou, Director of the African Business Unit, Mazars Maroc, Morocco

Public Figures

Adriana Ortiz, President, National Handcraft Institute (IPA), Paraguay

Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director, Qatar Financial Centre Authority, Qatar

Alberto de Belaunde, Congressman, Congress of Peru

Amélie de Montchalin, Secretary of State, European Affairs, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

Andrew Bragg, Senator for New South Wales, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia

Fawaz Farooqui, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia

Garlin Gilchrist II, Lieutenant Governor, State of Michigan, United States of America

Lea Wermelin, Minister for Environment, Denmark

Maleeka Bokhari, Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice of Pakistan

Martin Guzman, Minister of Economy, Argentina

Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, South Africa

Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United States of America

Vera Daves de Sousa, Minister of Finance, Angola

Virginijus Sinkevicius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, European Commission, Belgium

Technology

Achmad Zaky, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bukalapak, Indonesia

Aditi Avasthi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Indiavidual Learning, India

Alexander de Carvalho, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Public Group International, United Kingdom

Anneliese Schulz, Regional President, Asia-Pacific and Japan, Software AG, Singapore

Clarisse Iribagiza, President, DMM.HeHe, Rwanda

Elham Al Qasim, Chief Executive Officer, Digital14, United Arab Emirates

Francesca Chia, Chief Executive Officer, GoGet, Malaysia

Gazal Kalra, Co-Founder, Rivigo, India

Hitesh Wadhwa, Vice-President - Strategic Initiatives, Tech Mahindra, India

Hriday Ravindranath, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Global Services, BT Group, India

Kira Radinsky, Co-Founder, Diagnostic Robotics, Israel

Obi Ozor, Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Kobo360, Nigeria

Paul Rivera, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kalibrr Technology Ventures, Philippines

Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Vice-President, International Rides, Uber, Netherlands

Suren Aloyan, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dasaran, Armenia

Xue Peng, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Beijing Tongcheng Biying Technology, People's Republic of China

Yifan Li, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Hesai Tech, People's Republic of China