Secretary-General of the United Nations
António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017. Having witnessed the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, in refugee camps and in war zones, the Secretary-General is determined to make human dignity the core of his work, and to serve as a peace broker, a bridge-builder and a promoter of reform and innovation. Read full biography.
Chairman, Foundation for the Global Compact
Sir Mark Moody-Stuart is Chairman of the Global Compact Foundation and of the Innovative Vector Control Consortium. He was Chairman of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group from 1998 to 2001, Anglo American plc from 2002 to 2009 and Hermes Equity Ownership Services (2009-16). After a doctorate in geology in 1966 at Cambridge, he worked for Shell starting as an exploration geologist, living in Holland, Spain, Oman, Brunei, Australia, Nigeria, Turkey and Malaysia, and UK. A director of Saudi Aramco 2007- , Accenture (2001-2015), HSBC (2001-10) and advisory board member of Envision Energy. Chairman of the FTSE ESG Advisory Committee. Vice Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact Board and Chairman of the Global Compact Foundation 2006-. Honorary Co-Chairman of the International Tax and Investment Center 2011-, Member of the International Council for Integrated Reporting, Chairman of the of the Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS 2002-2011, board member Global Reporting Initiative 2002-7 and the International Institute for Sustainable Development 2002-2011. Author of “Responsible Leadership – Lessons from the front line of sustainability and ethics”.
Director and Executive Advisor to the Board, Fuji Xerox, Japan
Mr. Arima joined Fuji Xerox in 1967. In 1992 he became the company's Director, and in 1996 its Managing Director. In 1996, Mr. Arima was also appointed President and CEO of Xerox International Partners. In 2002 he became President of Fuji Xerox. Mr. Arima has held his current position as Executive Advisor to the Board since 2007. He became the Chair of the Board of the Global Compact Network Japan in April 2008 when the network reorganized to become a CEO-lead organization. He actively promotes a productive and environmentally-friendly work style as a Chairman of the Japan Telework Association. He graduated from International Christian University College of Liberal Arts in Japan.
Chairman of the Board, BASF SE, Germany
Mr. Bock has been the Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at BASF SE since May 2011. Mr. Bock served as the Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation from August 2007 to 6 May 2011. He served as the Chief Financial Officer of BASF Corporation and BASF Wall Systems, a subsidiary of BASF Construction Chemicals since January 2003. Mr. Bock serves as Member of Advisory Board of Röchling-Group and has been Member of the European Advisory Board at Deutsche Bank AG since June 2004. He has been a Director of Förderkreis Wissenschaft und Praxis am ZEW e.V. since September 2005 and of Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur das wirtschaftliche Prufungswesen (AGWP) since June 2006. He serves as a Director of New York Philharmonic. Mr. Bock has been a Member of the Trustees of Arbeitskreis Evangelischer Unternehmer (“AEU“) since 2003. From 1977 to 1982, he studied Business Administration at the universities of Münster and Cologne as well as at Pennsylvania State University. After 3 years in research, Mr. Bock received his Doctorate in Economics from University of Bonn in 1985.
Co-CEO, Carlson Holdings, Inc., USA
Ms. Nelson is Chairman and former CEO of Carlson Holdings, one of the largest privately held companies in the world which includes such brands as Radisson Blu, Radisson Hotels, Country Inn & Suites, Park Inn and Park Plaza, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants. Ms. Nelson has been named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report and Forbes magazine selected her as one of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women." Ethisphere magazine named her one of the "100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics." Ms. Nelson co-chaired the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2004 and has held a number of other high-level positions at the WEF and other industry councils. She serves on the boards of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy and is chair of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees. She is a former board member of ExxonMobil. She served as chair of the National Women’s Business Council. Ms. Nelson is the author of the bestseller “How We Lead Matters: Reflections on a Life of Leadership.”
Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom Limited, Kenya
Mr. Collymore is the current CEO of Safaricom Limited, effective 1 November 2010. Prior to joining Safaricom, Mr. Collymore was the Chief Officer for Corporate Affairs in Vodacom Group responsible for the Group’s Corporate Communication, Ethics and Compliance, Legal, External Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility. Prior to that, he was Vodafone’s Governance Director for Africa where he was responsible for developing and driving Vodafone’s strategy for its investments in Africa as well as representing Vodafone as a key direct foreign investor in a number of African countries. Mr. Collymore has more than 25 years of commercial experience working in the telecommunications sector. He is also a trustee of Holding companies in Kenya and Tanzania for M-PESA, Vodafone’s pioneering money transfer service.
President, Chamber of Commerce of Bogota, Colombia
Ms. de Greiff was named Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Energia de Bogota in February 2009. Previously, Ms. De Greiff was the District Secretary of Economic Development in the City of Bogota from 2008 to 2009. She has served as a high-level government official on several occasions and held senior management positions in the corporate sector. Her career began as Manager of Producciones Casabalanca in the early 1980s. She served as the Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy from 1986 to 1988. Then, in 1989, Ms. De Greiff was appointed as the Minister of Justice. From 1991 to 1993, she was Vice President of Shell in Colombia, and from 1995 to 1998, she was the Colombian President’s Representative to the National Television Commission.
Board of Directors, ProAssurance, USA
Mr. Samuel Di Piazza joined Citigroup Inc. as Vice Chairman, Institutional Clients Group in May 2011. Mr. Di Piazza retired as global chief executive officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited in 2009. He had served as CEO since 2002. Mr. Di Piazza currently serves as a trustee and member of the executive committee of the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation. He is a former chairman of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development and on the USA Foundation board of the World Economic Forum. Mr. Di Piazza received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and a Master’s Degree from the University of Houston. Mr. Di Piazza is a widely quoted commentator on issues of corporate reporting, transparency, and sustainable development. In 2002, he co-authored Building Public Trust: The Future of Corporate Reporting.
Former Chairman, Sinopec Group, China
Since April 2011, Mr. Fu Chengyu has been appointed as the Chairman of Board of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group). From 2003 to 2011, Mr. Fu Chengyu was President and Secretary of Party Leadership Group of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). He is also a member of the 17th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Mr. Fu was born in Heilongjiang Province in 1951. He graduated from China’s Northeast Petroleum Institute majoring in geology, and later received a master's degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California in the United States. He had worked for Daqing, Liaohe and Huabei Oilfield before joining CNOOC in 1982. Mr. Fu was appointed as the executive director and Executive Vice President of CNOOC Limited in September 1999, and became a Vice President of CNOOC in October 2000. He was appointed as the President of CNOOC and the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of CNOOC Limited in October 2003. Mr. Fu was awarded “2005 CCTV China Economic Annual Figure”, “China Business Leaders Awards 2006”. He was also selected as one of the “Top Ten Leaders for Energy and Petrochemical Industry in China’s 30 Years' Reform and Opening-up”, “Corporate Leaders of 2008 for Social Responsibility”, and “The Best- Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review. In December of 2014, Mr. Chengyu was named by Lloyd’s List among the 100 most influential people in the shipping industry.
Director General and Executive Vice President, China Enterprise Confederation, China
Mr Li Decheng, born in May 1945, holds a Bachelor’s degree. Mr Li has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the field of economic management. He started his career in 1969. Mr Li is a member of Communist Party of China as well as an engineer. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as chief and secretary to the Party Committee for Economic System Reform Committee of Jilin Province. From 1992 to 2008, he was a member of the Standing Committee, secretary to industry committee and general manager of Municipal Investment Management Company in Shenzhen, standing deputy city mayor of Shenzhen. deputy secretary of the Standing Committee, chairman as well as the secretary of Party Committee of the 3rd and the 4th Shenzhen CPPCC. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the China Enterprise Confederation, and the member of 10th and 11th National Committee of CPPCC.
Chief Executive Officer, DNV GL, Norway
Mr. Henrik O. Madsen has been Chairman of The Executive Board at The Research Council of Norway since January 2015. Mr. Madsen has been the Chief Executive Officer of DNV GL Group AS since 2006 and also serves as its President. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas since May 2006 and served as its Member of Executive Board. He served as President at Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas since 2006 and also served as its Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Certification. He serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability. He served as Member of Board of Representatives at Storebrand ASA. Mr. Madsen holds a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark and a civilian structural engineer with a specialism in structural risk assessment.
Founder and Group Chief Executive, the Abraaj Group, UAE
Mr. Arif Naqvi is the Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Abraaj Group, which he established in 2002. Mr. Naqvi is a Board Member of the United Nations Global Compact, Chairman of the British Asian Trust Advisory Committee - Pakistan, and the Middle East Centre Advisory Board of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mr. Naqvi also serves on the Board of the IMD Foundation, Endeavor Global, Pakistan Human Development Fund and the Advisory Board of Columbia University's Middle East Research Center. Mr. Naqvi has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Oslo Business for Peace Award, and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. In 2011, he was named as one of the 50 most influential people in the global private equity industry by Private Equity International. In 2008, Mr. Naqvi and his family established the Aman Foundation, the largest private social sector enterprise in Pakistan. Mr. Naqvi is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
President, Global Compact Mexico Network, Mexico
Mr. Gustavo Perez Berlanga is President of the Global Compact Mexico Network and Senior VP of Restaurantes Toks, a leading champion on supply chain sustainability. With his leadership, Global Compact Mexico Network has become the largest and fastest growing Local Network in the Americas with 688 participants consisting of leading Mexican business. He has over 25 years of experience in the private sector and more than 15 years of teaching experience at various universities. He has lectured at various business and academic forums. He has a degree in Business Administration and Finance, Master in Business with specialization in Marketing, Panamerican University and is specialized in Management, Restaurant Marketing and Branding.
Chief Executive Officer, Unilever, Netherlands/United Kingdom
Mr. Paul Polman has been the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever since January 2009. Prior to joining Unilever, Mr. Polman was chief financial officer of Nestlé S.A. from January 2006 as well as executive vice president for the Americas from February 2008. Mr. Polman began his career at Procter & Gamble in 1979 and was group president Europe and officer of the Procter & Gamble Company until 2001. Mr. Polman serves as President of the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust and Chairman of Perkins International Advisory Board. He is a Vice Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the European Round Table, the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum and the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce. He is on the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum where he co-chairs the Board Strategy and the Sustainability Committees. He is a Trustee of both the Leverhulme Trust and Asia House, a former board member of Alcon and, since February 2010, a non-executive director of the Dow Chemical Company. Accolades of Mr. Polman’s include the 2014 Guardian Sustainable Business Award - Leader of the Year and the 2014 Champion for Global Change Award - UN Foundation. Mr. Polman earned a BBA/BA from the University of Groningen, Netherlands in 1977, and an MA in economics and MBA in finance/international marketing from the University of Cincinnati in 1979.
Chairperson, Sabanci Holding, Turkey
Ms. Güler Sabanci was educated in business administration at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. In 1978, she started her professional career at LasSA, a family-owned tire production company in Kocaeli Province. She was then appointed general manager of KordSA, a position she held for 14 years. Later, Güler Sabanci became a member of the board of directors at Sabanci Holding, heading the tires and reinforcement materials group, as well as having responsibility for human resources. In 2004, Sabanci was appointed chairperson of the holding. In 2006 Ms. Sabanci received the "Woman of Distinction Award" from the international relations group Daughters of Atatürk, an annual title bestowed on women who have "demonstrated vision, leadership, innovation and professionalism" in "giving their talents to the international Turkish community. In 2011, Ms. Sabanci received a Clinton Global Citizen Award.
Chief Executive Officer, General Manager and Director, Enel SpA, Italy
Mr. Francesco Starace has been the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Enel since May 2014. Mr. Starace also served as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager at Enel Green Power. He has held management positions in Italy, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE in the contracting and engineering department of the General Electric Company from 1982 to 1987, and of ABB Alstom Powers Corporation from 1987 to 2000. He joined Enel in 2000 as Head of Energy Management of Enel Produzione. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of ABB Combustion Engineering Italia from 1997 to 1998. He serves as the Chairman of Enel Energy Europe, S.R.L. He served as the Chairman of Enel Green Power S.p.A. He has been a Vice Chairman at Endesa SA since June 2014. He has been a Director of Enel S.p.A. since May 2014 and Endesa SA since June 16, 2014. He serves as a Director of Enel Green Power S.p.A. Mr. Starace graduated in nuclear engineering at the Milan Polytechnic Institute.
Chairman and Managing Director, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd., India
Mr. Dinesh K Sarraf is the Chairman & Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas corporation Ltd (ONGC), India’s most valuable Maharatna public sector enterprise and one of the most premier E&P companies in the world. ONGC is one of the most valuable companies of India and one of the Fortune’s Most Admired companies in the world. Mr. Sarraf is also the Chairman of ONGC Videsh Ltd, operating across 16 countries, Chairman of Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and five other ONGC Group companies (OPaL- ONGC Petro-additions Ltd, OMPL – ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd, MSEZ- Mangalore SEZ Ltd, OTPC- ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd and OMEL- ONGC Mittal Energy Ltd). Mr. Sarraf graduated in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University and holds a post graduate degree in Commerce from the same University. He is an associate member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
President, Indonesia Global Compact Network, Indonesia
Mr. Yaya W. Junardy is the President of the Indonesia Global Compact Network. He has been President Commissioner at PT Rajawali Corporation since 2006. Mr. Junardy served as Managing Director of PT Excelcomindo Pratama TbkPreviously, he occupied several important positions at Bank Universal, RCTI, PT Telekomindo Primabhakti, and PT Excelcomindo Pratama. From 1993 to 1995, he served as the President Director of PT USI/IBM Indonesia. Mr. Junardy serves as a Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee of PT Bentoel International Investama Tbk. Mr. Junardy is also active in several organizations and community service activities, such as the World Marketing Association, the Indonesian Bonsai Association and National Research Council Working Committee. He studied Engineering Technique at the Krisnadwipayana University, Jakarta and has actively participated in several training and management programs sponsored by IBM.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria
Ms. Adesola was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd in March 2011. Prior to joining the bank, she was an Executive Director in First Bank of Nigeria Plc where she was responsible for the Corporate Banking business, and later managing the entire business in the Lagos Directorate including retail, corporate and commercial banking. Previously, she was Managing Director of Kakawa Discount House, Nigeria, where she drove record business performance. She also worked in Citibank for 9 years in senior leadership roles in Nigeria and Tanzania. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, Bola Adesola has over 25 years banking experience. An alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, she also holds a Law degree from the University of Buckingham, UK. Ms. Adesola is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria and sits on the Board of the Financial Markets Dealers Association having served in various capacities in developing the Nigerian Money Market, the Interbank Settlement Systems and the Discount House subsector. Ms. Adesola also chairs the Central Bank of Nigeria Bankers’ Sub-Committee on Women’s Economic Empowerment. She is a member of the Nigeria National Competitiveness Council, inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 and was recently appointed the first female Vice President of Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA).
Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce
Mr. John Danilovich became Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce on June 2014. He has served as the US Ambassador to Brazil and to Costa Rica, and from 2005-2009, was the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. His current positions include Board Member of the International Advisory Council for the Harvard School of Public Health, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Member of the North American Advisory Council of Chatham House, and Member of the Board of Directors at d’Amico the Partnership for Women to Thrive Award and the Choate Alumni Seal Prize. He received an MA in International Relations from the University of Southern California (London) in 1981 and a BA in Political Science from Stanford University in 1972.
General Secretary, UNI Global Union
Mr. Jennings is the first General Secretary of UNI Global Union. UNI was launched in 2000 as a union for skills and services, covering a range of industries. UNI brings together 900 unions from 150 countries around the world and includes 20 million affiliated members. Mr. Jennings was previously General Secretary of FIET and began his trade union career with the UK finance union. He holds a Master’s in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BA from Bristol Polytechnic.
General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union
Mr. Raina is General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, which represents 50 million workers in energy, mining and manufacturing industries in 140 countries. He was one of the main architects of the ground-breaking Bangladesh Safety Accord signed after the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, which is helping to make the garment industry safer for millions of workers. With the leadership of Mr. Raina, IndustriALL has built partnerships with major industrial and retail corporations to secure workers’ rights and build collective bargaining structures to enable living wages in the supply chain. Mr. Raina holds a Master of Laws from Helsinki University.
Secretary-General, International Organisation of Employers
Linda Kromjong took up her post as the new Secretary- General of the IOE on 1 May, following her appointment by the Management Board at its March 2015 session. Prior to her new role, Linda Kromjong was Vice-President, Labor Relations International & Human Rights for Deutsche Post DHL, a recognised world leader in logistics services. In this capacity, Ms Kromjong also worked closely with employers'organisations, including the German Confederation of Employers' Associations (BDA), as well as the IOE through her active participation in the IOE’s Global Industrial Relations Network. Linda has many years’ experience in senior positions and holds qualifications in business management, as well as practical experience of the international business environment. She has a proven track record in managing change, team building, and communicating at all levels and across cultures.
President, Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social
Mr. Jorge Abrahão is the current Director President of Ethos Institute of Business and Social Responsibility. He is also a Board Member of Sociotec Engineer and a member of the World Social Forum’s International Council. He is also a member of the Network Nossa São Paulo. Among his former achievements, Mr. Abrahão is a former member of the Presidential Board of Food and Nutritional Safety (Consea), the former General Coordinator of Fórum Empresarial de Apoio ao Município (Business Forum for City Support) and the former Coordinator of PNBE - National Thought of Entrepreneurial Basis.
Managing Director, Transparency International
Mr. Cobus de Swardt has been Managing Director of Transparency International since 2007. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was active in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, including as Chair of the African National Congress in Cape Town. He is Chair of the International Civil Society Centre and is a member and former chair of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council on Transparency and Anti-Corruption. In addition, he serves on the Board of the WEF Partnering against Corruption Initiative. He was identified as one of the 500 most powerful individuals by the Foreign Policy Power Map in 2013 and was named as one of the most influential people in security in 2014 by Security magazine. Mr. Cobus De Swardt holds a PhD in Sociology from La Trobe University, Melbourne, and an MPhil in Political and African Studies from the University of Cape Town.
Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature
Ms. Inger Andersen was recently appointed the new Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, effective as of January 2015. She was formerly Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank and boasts an extensive background in environment and sustainable development. Ms. Andersen began her career working on desertification and dry land issues with the United Nations in 1992, subsequently working as the Arab Regional Coordinator at UNDP until 1999. She became Vice President of Sustainable Development for the World Bank in 2010. In 2011, she assumed the role of Vice President for MENA at the World Bank, a position she held until 2014. She has dedicated her career to work on issues such as water, the environment, and sustainable development.
President, Imagine Africa International
Mr. Pierre Sané is the Founder and President of Imagine Africa, a think-tank dedicated to the strengthening of research policy linkages on Africa in order to improve the quality of public policies. Previously, Mr. Sané was the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation. From 2001 to 2010, and was Secretary General of Amnesty International from 1992 to 2001. In this capacity, he was responsible for the day-to-day management of international affairs, headed the International Secretariat in London and represented the movement to governments, international organizations and the general public. For fifteen years prior to joining Amnesty International, he worked in the field of international development, serving as Regional Controller, International Director of Policy and Budget, and Regional Director (West and Central Africa) of the International Development Research Centre in Canada.
Chair, Global Compact Local Network Advisory Group
The Local Network Advisory Group provides guidance to the UN Global Compact Office and serves as a conduit for Local Networks to raise ideas and concerns in a systematic manner. A primary role of the Advisory Group is to enhance communication between the Global Compact Office and Local Networks and empower networks with a greater say in the initiative – thereby maximizing the positive impact of the Global Compact’s global-local reach, knowledge and expertise.The Advisory Group selects its own Chair who occupies an Ex Officio Local Network position on the Global Compact Board.
CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact
UN Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo brings to the position a wealth of experience and passion, coupled with extensive knowledge and understanding of strategic leadership and implementation of corporate sustainability. Prior to joining the UN Global Compact in 2015, Ms. Kingo was Chief of Staff, Executive Vice-President and member of the Executive Management at Novo Nordisk A/S for 12 years. At Novo Nordisk, she oversaw the company’s participation in the UN Global Compact from the earliest days of the initiative and led the way to integrate sustainability into the heart of the business by collaborating with key external stakeholders and engaging employees internally. She also has experience across a range of business functions including human resources, business assurance, corporate communications, branding, public affairs and innovation culture. Previously, Ms. Kingo served at NovoZymes A/S for 12 years, holding various positions including Director of Environmental Affairs.
Ms. Kingo is also currently Deputy Chair of the Danish Nature Foundation and member of the boards of Grieg Star Group A/S and C3 Collaborating for Health. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religions and Ancient Greek Culture from the University of Aarhus, Denmark; a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Economics from the Copenhagen Business School; and a Master of Science degree in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath, United Kingdom. She is also certified by French business school INSEAD’s International Directors Programme.
Chair of the Board, Principles for Responsible for Investment
Martin Skancke is a leading global advocate of long-term and responsible investment and is Chair of the PRI Advisory Council. Mr Skancke previously served as Director General and Head of the Asset Management department at the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, where he designed and established the Norwegian Government Pension Fund, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. He spent four years as Head of the Domestic Policy department at the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, acting as chief advisor to the Prime Minister on economic policy issues, including pension reform.