GLOBAL LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAMMEPREPARING LEADERS FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD
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The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world byengaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (www.weforum.org)
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A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVECHAIRMAN
We are at a critical juncture in history, where what we need most
at this time is a generally accepted understanding of how different
people, different countries and different regions deal with each
other; how the management of global interdependence works,
particularly at a time when we have to confront new issues on
the global agenda. All too often, I find that leaders within global
organizations are still restricted to their own particular spheres.
Yet the problems of today – and tomorrow, in particular –
demand a more wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach. We are
living in times of enormous complexity and fragility in a truly
interdependent world. Old recipes and traditional ways to
confront global challenges no longer suffice. The next generation of
leaders will face an entirely new set of challenges. They will have to
find new responses and innovative ways of dealing with the
responsibilities that come their way. With this in mind, I created
the Global Leadership Fellows (GLF) Programme, designed to
equip the next generation of global leaders to take on this vital role
and embody the mission of the Forum.
The community of GLFs represents the voice and vision of
the future across all sectors and from all regions. What makes
this programme unique is that it provides specialist knowledge
at the intersection of the business community, the public sector
and civil society. Throughout the three-year programme, the
Fellows build leadership skills, relationship skills and deep
industry competence to address some of the major challenges
spanning the global agenda.
Overall, the GLF programme is at the core of the Forum’s strategic
aspirations, namely to foster visionary leadership, greater
accountability towards Members and Partners, the permanent
drive to be ahead of conventional thinking, impeccable intellectual
and moral integrity, and the unconditional commitment to serving
the Forum’s mission and its communities.
Global Leadership Fellows represent the future of the Forum,
and are trustees of the basic values of the Foundation:
independence, integrity, quality, relevance and service in the
global public interest.
Professor Klaus Schwab
Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
William H. GATES III, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation, USA
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“Sharpening the skills of highly talented young professionals is a critical step in developing the leadership ranks we will need in an
era of fast-paced change. The Global Leadership Fellows Programme is equipping tomorrow's leaders with a valuable range of skills
that reach across narrow disciplines and transcend traditional viewpoints. By promoting a broad understanding of humanity's sha-
red challenges, the program recognizes that effective leadership requires international understanding and truly global insight.”
Rajat K. Gupta, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
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CREATING CONNECTEDLEADERS FOR TOMORROW
Businesses and organizations are constantly in search of people
who have the knowledge, skills and experience to help them
succeed in today’s global environment. The leaders of tomorrow
will have to better understand how to conduct themselves in an
environment where effectively navigating cultural, regional
and political differences is an even more critical component of
success than it is today.
Finding and recruiting multifaceted leaders is a highly complex
organizational challenge, but it is critical for improving the health
and sustainable growth of all organizations, especially those
with global operations. The World Economic Forum’s Global
Leadership Fellows Programme develops leaders capable of
addressing the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly
interconnected world.
“What a tremendous pool of diverse talent!”
Carlos Ghosn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Renault, France; President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan, Japan;
Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
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THE PRACTICAL APPROACH TOLEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Developing tomorrow’s leadersThe Global Leadership Programme is dedicated to developing
the next generation of world leaders; well-rounded professionals
who feel equally at home in the public and private sectors. As
the world becomes increasingly more interconnected, the once
well-defined line between these two sectors continues to blur,
making it difficult for any one organization to act effectively in
isolation. To succeed in such an environment, organizations –
both private and public – must often align numerous stakeholders
so as to most efficiently approach problems, develop strategies
and capitalize on opportunities.
Combining knowledge and practiceThe three-year Master’s programme in global leadership uniquely
couples leadership training with in-depth knowledge of industry,
civil society, and global and regional governments. In this unique
curriculum, the Fellows are provided not only with knowledge
and training but, more importantly, with the practical experience
obtained through joining forces with diverse world leaders and
topical experts to facilitate common solutions to many of the
world’s most pressing issues. Fresh thinking, exposure to current
global, regional and industry issues, and practical leadership
skills learned directly from those running today’s most influential
organizations combine to set the Global Leadership Fellows
Programme apart.
Leaders learning from leadersBeyond the takeaways from frequent interactions with world
leaders, the Fellows – leaders in their own right – have seemingly
endless opportunities to learn from one another. All Fellows
enter the programme having already completed a master’s
and/or doctorate level education from many of the world’s top
academic institutions. Professionally, they come to the Forum
from a variety of backgrounds in government, civil society and
business. These high-calibre individuals bring their experiences
together within a highly interactive and experiential learning
environment, which is further enriched by the learnings taken
from the curriculum and work assignments while at the Forum.
This hands-on cooperation takes place within a one-of-a-kind
international organization, leading to unique synergies that are
not readily available in any other academic or corporate
leadership programme.
Ongoing coaching and mentoringThroughout the three-year programme, Fellows are embedded
in an environment of active coaching and mentorship. Every Fellow
joins a small coaching team of approximately five people who work
collaboratively to help each other reach personal and professional
development goals. In the third and final year of the programme,
Fellows are assigned an executive coach and a mentor from the
Forum’s Community of Young Global Leaders to provide them
with guidance on their career development and project work.
"I was very impressed by the intensity, eagerness and passion of this group of young people.”
Monika Ribar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Panalpina World Transport Holding
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THE PROGRAMME ATA GLANCE
The Global Leadership Fellows Programme is comprised
of a three-year, 90-credit Master’s degree (European Credit
Transfer System) and full-time work placement within the
World Economic Forum.
The academic programme• The programme includes intensive leadership and
management training, both practical and analytical.
• The Coursework is designed to develop both hard and soft
skills.
• The first two academic years include an active study
programme of four weeks per year. Sessions are conducted
offsite and are taught by leading coaches as well as professors
from academic partners INSEAD and Columbia and selected
faculty from other leading educational institutions such as
London Business School, Harvard John F. Kennedy School
of Government, IMD and the London School of Economics.
• Each of the three years of the programme is dedicated to
a different kind of leadership.
- Year 1: Personal Leadership
- Year 2: Team Leadership
- Year 3: Global Leadership
Every year includes a one-week retreat based on these
themes. The retreats include specialized skills training and
opportunities for the Fellows to develop relationships with
their peers outside of their day-to-day work environment.
Constantly putting the learning into practiceGlobal Leadership Fellows have full-time work assignments, which
span the breadth of the World Economic Forum’s activities. Like
any employee, each Fellow is part of a team within the Forum and
is responsible for external relationship management as well as
internal operational activities.
The third-year projectIn the third year of the Programme, each Fellow chooses,
defines and executes a Board-approved project.
• The aim of the project is to provide Fellows with the
opportunity to apply their knowledge to a specific field
of interest; to prove their leadership skills; and to contribute
a beneficial, practical and value-adding solution to activities
at the Forum.
• The project should also demonstrate the leadership skills
acquired in the course of their training, and lead them to
their next career move upon graduation.
• Throughout the project, each Fellow is assisted by an
experienced executive coach and a mentor from the Young
Global Leaders Community.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of our partnership with the World Economic Forum is the opportunity to engage with the
Global Leadership Fellows Programme. Our faculty and our team really enjoy teaching and engaging with the Fellows. It is an
extremely talented and interesting group.”
J. Frank Brown, Dean, INSEAD
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Francois worked as a paediatric registrar for the South African
Department of Health, served as a consultant to UNICEF, the
Namibian Government and several pharmaceutical firms and sits on
the board of a non-profit organization developing medical devices for
resource-poor settings. He graduated top of his class at the University
of Cape Town, holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an MBA from the University of Oxford,
where, on a Rhodes Scholarship, he graduated as best overall student.
Paola worked as a reporter at Fortune
Magazine in New York for five years,
covering international business.
Before that, she worked in finance in
Sweden and Brazil, and at the
European Commission. Paola holds
a MSc in Economics and Business Administration from the
Stockholm School of Economics, and a Master of
International Affairs and a MSc in Journalism, both from
Columbia University.
Pial worked as a management
consultant for six years with
Capgemini and Pricewaterhouse
Coopers, advising clients from private,
public and NGO sectors in North
America, Europe and Asia. Before
that, Pial worked as the Assistant Country Manager for
MCI, launched an Internet start-up and worked as a
Manager for a technology venture of Grameen Bank. Pial
joins the Forum after graduating with an MBA from the
John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
where he was a Mason Fellow.
Each year approximately 25 Fellows from around the world enter
the programme. Introduced in 2005, today the Fellows represent
around 40 nationalities. Their average age is 32 and they have
an average of seven years’ work experience. The gender ratio
is 54% male to 46% female.
Fellows are professionals recruited through a rigorous screening
process based on their demonstrated leadership ability, pro-
fessional excellence, academic prowess and their commitment
to improving the state of the world.
Fellows come from the following industries: Consulting 18%
Consumer/Media&Entertainment 14%
Financial Services 13%
Raw Materials/ Energy 4%
Technology 21%
Government 15%
NGOs/International Organization 15%
Our Fellows come with exceptional experiences
THE FELLOWS: A DIVERSE YET COHESIVE GROUP
“My colleague had told me that I was going to find a great, challenging group of smart people. He was spot on. The Fellows are clearly
outstanding. They are eager to learn, contribute, discuss, challenge and work.”
Karel Cool, Professor of Strategic Management and BP Chaired Professor of European Competitiveness, INSEAD
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Kristel heads the Forum’s Scenarios team. The Forum develops
scenarios as a powerful management tool to address the most
critical questions decision-makers face. A high-level,
international and diverse group of individuals is convened to
form robust global, regional and industry scenarios.
Regina leads the China Health Alliance, a public-private partnership
catalysed and coordinated by the Forum to address HIV and tuberculosis in
China. This groundbreaking partnership engages companies, governmental,
non-governmental as well as multilateral organizations in China in HIV/TB
advocacy and workplace awareness and education activities to mitigate the
threat to the Chinese economy and society.
Participating fully in the work of the Forum
Sushant is deputy head of the Forum’s Asia team.
He handles day-to-day management of the Forum’s
relationships with Asian business and government
and spearheads activities in South-East Asia.
Max heads the Forum’s Investors group. He
works with a community of CEOs from the
world’s top asset management, private
equity, venture capital and hedge fund
groups to tackle the uncertainties the
industry faces.
LEADERSHIP: LEARNING BY DOING
“Teaching decision-making to an exclusive group of multicultural and seasoned decision-makers develops a synergy that creates a mu-
tually rewarding and exciting learning experience in class. It is a true privilege for a teacher to contribute to this world-class programme.”
Zeger Degraeve, Deputy Dean Programmes, Professor of Decision Sciences, London Business School
Randall leads the Forum’s
climate change efforts, in
particular the Gleneagles Dialogue
on Climate Change. The Forum
was invited to convene business
recommendations on curbing
climate change for the 2008 G8 Summit in Japan.
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"The Global Leadership Fellows programme is a dynamic global network of young leaders whose fresh ideas and new voices have
a critical role to play in framing the political, economic and social agendas of tomorrow."
Peter Piot, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Undersecretary-General, United Nations,
Geneva
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True leadership is exemplified by those who are able to energize
individuals and teams; empower, fertilize and build communities;
and recognize and form the talent around them. They are the
coaches, learners, teachers and mentors who demonstrate the
discipline it takes to make changes to other people’s lives and
to our world.
A global leader must desire to contribute to the world’s economic,
social and political progress, and the Forum’s Global Leadership
Fellows Programme is specifically designed to help prepare its
participants for such a role. In this intense work environment,
comprehensive global understanding becomes possible quickly.
Instead of one culture, one industry and one type of interaction,
there are global visions, global organizational contexts, public-
private partnerships, global frameworks and cross-border problems
and challenges. What makes this programme unique is that it sits
at the intersection of the business world, the public sector and civil
society. In a world growing as fast as it is shrinking, in which the
most pressing challenges are increasingly interconnected and
where winning strategies are those that are comfortable with
diversity, the need for global leadership is more than acute. The
Global Leadership Fellows Programme finds, develops and
prepares these leaders for the world at large.
Not only am I proud to be the dean of the best of the best
global leadership programmes known to me, I am also proud to
be contributing to the World Economic Forum’s future success
stories. We are creating, within the Forum’s truly global environ-
ment, future global leaders who will be tomorrow’s movers and
shakers.
For more information on the Fellows or on the programme, please visit our website www.weforum.org/glf or write to [email protected]
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM INITIATIVE
Professor Gilbert Probst
Managing Director and Dean, World Economic Forum Global
Leadership Fellows Programme
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