Leadership and Governance

The Forum strives to model world-class corporate governance, where values are as important as rules. Legitimacy, accountability, transparency and concerted action are the guiding principles of the Forum.

The Forum is chaired by Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Professor Klaus Schwab. It's guided by a Board of Trustees, exceptional individuals who act as guardians of its mission and values, and oversee the Forum’s work in promoting true global citizenship.

The Managing Board, chaired by the Forum's President and CEO, Børge Brende, acts as the executive body of the World Economic Forum. It ensures that activities fulfill the mission of the Forum and acts as its representative to outside parties. It has a collective executive responsibility for the Forum and reports to the Board of Trustees.

The Forum’s activities are managed by its executive leadership composed of individuals from all walks of life.

Klaus Schwab

Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Klaus Schwab holds a Doctorate in Engineering and a Doctorate in Economics and Social Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute Zurich and the University of Fribourg and an MPA from Harvard University. Formerly managed the restructuring of a leading Swiss machine building group and was Professor of Business Policy in Geneva until 2003. Author of Modern Management (1970), conceptualizing stakeholder capitalism, and The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2017). 1971, created and became the Chairman of the World Economic Forum, to build a platform where business leaders can meet, interact and collaborate with stakeholders from government and society. Built it from a simple idea into an international organization and a leading global platform for public-private cooperation. Has held multiple board memberships and international advisory positions. Together with his wife Hilde, created the Schwab Foundation in 1998 to promote social entrepreneurship and innovation. Recipient of international awards, national distinctions, honorary professorships and doctorates for thought leadership and for the Forum’s achievements in enhancing global cooperation and several political reconciliation efforts. Has 2 children and 2 grandchildren. Hobbies include sports and culture.

More about Klaus Schwab

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees comprises outstanding leaders from business, politics, academia and civil society. In their work on the Board, members do not represent any personal or professional interests. To reflect the Board's multistakeholder status, its membership is divided equally between representatives of the business community and leaders from international organizations and civil society.

H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah

Mukesh D. Ambani

Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries

Ajay S. Banga

President, World Bank Group

Marc Benioff

Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Salesforce

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum

Thomas Buberl

Chief Executive Officer, AXA

Laurence D. Fink

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock

Chrystia Freeland

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada

Orit Gadiesh

Chairman, Bain & Company

Kristalina Georgieva

Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Fabiola Gianotti

Director-General, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Al Gore

Vice-President of the United States (1993-2001); Chairman and Co-Founder, Generation Investment Management LLP

Andre Hoffmann

Chairman, Massellaz

Paula Ingabire

Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Innovation of Rwanda

Joe Kaeser

Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Siemens Energy

Christine Lagarde

President, European Central Bank

Yo-Yo Ma

Cellist,

Cindy H. McCain

Executive Director, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Patrice Motsepe

Founder and Executive Chairman, African Rainbow Minerals

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO)

Lubna S. Olayan

Chair of the Executive Committee, Olayan Financing Company, Olayan Group

David M. Rubenstein

Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Carlyle

Klaus Schwab

Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum

Tharman Shanmugaratnam

President of Singapore, Office of the President of Singapore

Jim Hagemann Snabe

Chairman, Siemens

Julie Sweet

Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture

Feike Sybesma

Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Royal Philips

Heizo Takenaka

Professor Emeritus, Keio University

Zhu Min

Member of the Senior Expert Advisory Committee, China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE)

Børge Brende

President and CEO

Børge Brende is President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. He has served as Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Climate and the Environment, and he was Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Conservative Party as well as MP. He was full-time city councillor in his hometown of Trondheim. He was Chairman of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and Secretary-General of the Norwegian Red Cross. He was Board Member of Statoil and the Norwegian School of Economics. He was Chair of Mesta, Norway’s largest contracting group in road and highway maintenance. He is currently a Director of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Member of the Advisory Council, Harvard International Negotiation Program, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), the Strategic Committee of Sciences Po, and is on the Board of the Bilderberg Meeting. He is a Member of UN Food Systems Advisory Board.

More about Børge Brende

Managing Board

The Managing Board has a collective executive responsibility for the Forum and reports to the Board of Trustees.

Børge Brende

President and CEO, World Economic Forum