Who we are

The Young Global Leaders ® Community is an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.

Our growing membership of more than 1,400 members and alumni of 120 nationalities includes civic and business innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and more.

Aligned with the World Economic Forum’s mission, we seek to drive public-private co-operation in the global public interest. We are united by the belief that today’s pressing problems present an opportunity to build a better future across sectors and boundaries.

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Meet our members

Tendayi Achiume

Alicia Miñana Chair in Law, UCLA School of Law, USA

E. Tendayi Achiume is Professor of Law at the at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and a research associate of the African Center for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and the Refugee Studies Center at Oxford University. She is also the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and is the first woman to serve in this role since its creation in 1994. She was appointed to this position by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2017. The current focus of her scholarship is the global governance of racism and xenophobia; and the legal and ethical implications of colonialism for contemporary international migration law. Her UN reports have addressed issues ranging from international human rights obligations requiring reparations for racial discrimination rooted in colonialism and slavery, to racial discrimination resulting from emerging digital technologies, among others. She is also a recipient of the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award—the highest university-wide honor for excellence in teaching. Professor Achiume is a graduate of the Yale Law School, Yale University, and the United World College of the Atlantic. She is also a former law clerk of Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke and Justice Yvonne Mokgoro of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

Alejo Czerwonko

Chief Investment Officer, Emerging Markets, Americas, UBS AG, USA

Alejo is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Emerging Markets Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, based in New York. In this capacity, Alejo leads a team of analysts focusing on emerging economies, influencing the allocation of billions of dollars of the firm's assets under management. As a member of two management forums at UBS, he helps set the strategic direction of the business. Alejo is also a professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, where he teaches on capital markets in developing economies. Outside of business and academia, Alejo helps shape the policy debate impacting emerging markets through his involvement with leading global think tanks. He has been named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Wilson Center's Latin America Program and a Millennium Leadership Fellow by the Atlantic Council. He frequently appears on Bloomberg Television, CNBC, and CNN, and regularly contributes to financial publications including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal. Alejo earned a PhD in economics from Columbia University. He also holds degrees in economics and finance from Tilburg University and Universidad del CEMA.

Devina Pasta

Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Software, Siemens, Germany

Devina is transforming the industrial world through digital technology to enable countries and cities to shift towards more sustainable and efficient mobility, infrastructure, and energy systems; European governments have invited her to share her work with other pioneers; she was nominated 'Changemaker' at the London Tech week and is a strong advocate for diversity in tech.

Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction and Retention. As Minister, he is responsible for leading the development and expansion of the country’s non-oil foreign trade, enhancing national polices and measures to promote foreign direct investment in the UAE, and implementing initiatives to attract and retain strategic global talent in the UAE.

H.E. Dr. Al Zeyoudi is also the former Minister of Climate Change and Environment for the UAE, where he was instrumental in elevating the UAE’s global presence and contributions in climate mitigation and adaptation. Over the course of H.E. Dr. Al Zeyoudi’s career, he has led and contributed to shaping international policy and legal frameworks in areas including energy, environment, and sustainable development. H.E. Dr. Al Zeyoudi’s considerable expertise, dynamic leadership, and track record for driving the formation of global alliances have been fundamental to his success in delivering on his various mandates and in furthering the UAE’s efforts on economic growth and diversification.

In 2020, H.E. was Dr. Al Zeyoudi was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader for his outstanding international efforts in the field of environment and climate. H.E. Dr. Al Zeyoudi holds a B.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa, two Masters degrees from the New York Institute of Technology and the British University in Dubai, and completed his PhD at the Skema Business School in France.

Veronica Ruiz del Vizo

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Working on Solutions, USA

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WOS. Veronica Ruiz del Vizo has led the communication strategist of global brands, advised Venezuelan foundations, celebrities and democratic organizations on digital strategy. She is also the Co-Founder and Director of Bootcamp Vero, Team Remoto, Amarillo and Dar Learning reaching more than 20,000 online students around the world only during the first year of the pandemic.

Jeevan Kumaravel Thondaman

Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, Government of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

Jeevan Kumaravel Thondaman is Cabinet Minister for Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development in Sri Lanka. He is also General-Secretary of the Ceylon Workers Congress, that works towards the upliftment of historically marginalized plantation worker communities. Thondaman is also one of the youngest MPs elected in Sri Lanka, in 2020, aged 25. In his previous portfolio as State Minister for Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure, he worked relentlessly to create a conducive environment for plantation workers, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions and adequate benefits. As Minister for Water Supply, he has been spearheading ambitious reforms in the water sector to increase access to safe and affordable drinking water, create a climate resilience roadmap for water services and a transparent pricing formula that protects the most vulnerable in society. He continues to advocate for the rights of all marginalized people in Sri Lanka, especially workers, women, ethnic minorities and the LGBT+ community. In 2022, he became one of the first MPs to openly support the rights of the LGBT+ community. He is also known for his passion for art, culture and sport. Thondaman has a certification in Criminology from the London School of Economics and an LLB from Northumbria University.

Fagun Thakrar

Founder & CEO, Actor, Film Director, Global Health Advocate and Ambassador, The Purpose Movie Studio, United Kingdom

Fagun Thakrar is a Founder and CEO, an award-winning & critically acclaimed actor, film director, a doctor and a global health ambassador.

Fagun was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2023.

Fagun began her education studying Medicine at the University College London where she specialized in Neuroscience. She then went on to study a range of disciplines to Master’s level. Fagun holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, Masters in Acting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in the UK and Film Directing from the US.

As an actor, Fagun has appeared in several Hollywood and international films and has starred alongside Academy Award winners. Her films, released in cinemas internationally, have been selected for festivals and have won awards. Fagun’s focus is cinematic roles with strong intellectual meaningful content that encourages positive global change.

As a writer-director Fagun further explores the power of creativity and storytelling through film to create social-impact content. Expanding upon her practical experience and academic research carried out at the University of Cambridge, Fagun established The Purpose Movie Studio, where she serves as the Founder and CEO.

Fagun has recently expanded her vision with an innovative venture that revolutionizes purpose-driven cinema by integrating Artificial Intelligence in filmmaking. This approach creates a powerful combination of human creative talent and artificial intelligence, crafting some of the finest films of our era. The Studio focuses on the power of storytelling through films and documentaries to create purpose-driven content that impacts positive change worldwide. ​​

Fagun actively engages in both local and global non-profit initiatives, focusing on children, girls, women, and the healthcare sector. She has earned recognition as a worldwide advocate for health and well-being, working with underprivileged children, world leaders, and presidents.

Fagun is the Global Ambassador and spokesperson for many non-profits, including The Women’s Brain Project. Building on her experience in this field, Fagun founded her own non-profit, The Creatively Inspired Life Foundation, that is dedicated to empowering young people through creativity.

Fagun’s expertise spans three major disciplines: Creativity and Storytelling in Global Influence; Innovating at the Intersection of Film and Artificial Intelligence; and Leading Transformational Initiatives in Healthcare and Non-Profits.

Under Fagun’s leadership she has profoundly impacted and touched the lives of millions of people. Fagun currently lives and works between the UK and the US. Fagun’s life story is one of impactful transformation, driven by her core mission to inspire people, transform lives, and drive positive global change.

Zuriel C. Naiker

Managing Director, Marsh & McLennan Companies, South Africa

An African leader in financial services who has worked across multiple geographies on projects that have attracted interest internationally. Through various leadership roles, he has sought to meaningfully drive equality, diversity, inclusion and education in the corporate and non-profit environments. He has worked with both government and the private sector as a contributor, advisor and board member.

Freddy Castro

Chief Executive Officer, Banca de las Oportunidades, Colombia

Freddy Castro is Chief Executive Officer of Banca de las Oportunidades, a government entity responsible for designing and implementing financial inclusion policy in Colombia. At Banca de las Oportunidades, he has led projects that benefit women and the rural population, bringing digital payments to market squares in Bogota, helping to remove entry barriers to the financial system for Venezuelan migrants, promoting the financial innovation ecosystem, expanding a banking agency model using local shops to reach the rural population, and generating evidence and data for public policy decision-making. Before joining Banca de las Oportunidades, he worked in the Central Bank of Colombia and served as Secretary of Economic Development of Bogota. He also worked as a journalist and professor, and has held executive roles in a business association. Castro studied economics at Universidad Nacional de Colombia.