Geneva, Switzerland, 15 September 2017
The Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Professor Klaus Schwab, announced today that the Board of Trustees of the Forum has nominated Børge Brende, presently Foreign Minister of Norway, to the new role of President of the World Economic Forum. The President will chair the Managing Board, which has collective responsibility for the successful execution of the Forum’s strategies and activities.
Børge Brende will work closely together with Professor Klaus Schwab who, as Executive Chairman, remains responsible for the overall strategic development of the World Economic Forum.
Klaus Schwab said: “The World Economic Forum has entered a new phase, reflecting the increased need for collaborative efforts of governments, business and civil society to address the manifold challenges we face. Børge Brende has the leadership and political experience to ensure our increased relevance for international cooperation. He has served Norway with distinction, and during his previous service as a Managing Board member he has also contributed to the mission-oriented spirit of the World Economic Forum.”
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said: “The Board welcomes the separation of the functions of Executive Chairman and President, foreseen last year in the revision of the statutes and regulations of the World Economic Forum when it became the International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation. I am confident that with the vision of Klaus Schwab, the leadership quality of Børge Brende and the top level experience of the Managing Board members, we have the best team in place to continue and to enhance the successful development of the World Economic Forum, particularly now when cooperation is needed more than ever to shape our future.”
Børge Brende said: “I am truly looking forward to taking on the role of President of the World Economic Forum. I am excited by this opportunity to work with Professor Schwab and colleagues to further enhance the global impact of the Forum. In a time of unprecedented unpredictability there has never been a more critical need for an independent and impartial organisation for public-private cooperation”.
The Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum expresses its special appreciation to the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, who has positively reacted to our request and graciously supports this international role of Børge Brende.
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
The Board of Trustees:
Klaus Schwab, Chairman; Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Vice-Chairman; H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries; Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, Salesforce; Mark Carney, Chairman, Financial Stability Board, Governor of the Bank of England; Orit Gadiesh, Chairman, Bain & Company; Al Gore, Vice-President of the United States (1993-2001); Herman Gref, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Sberbank; Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; André Hoffmann, Non-Executive Vice-Chairman, Roche Holding Ltd.; Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank; Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Defence of Germany; Yo-Yo Ma, Musician; Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross; Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank; Indra Nooyi; Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo; L. Rafael Reif, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chairman, A.P. Møller-Maersk; Heizo Takenaka, Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy of Japan (2002-2006); Min Zhu, President, National Institute of Financial Research of China.
The Managing Board:
Børge Brende, President; W. Lee Howell; Jeremy Jurgens; Cheryl Martin; Adrian Monck; Philipp Rösler; Richard Samans; Olivier Schwab; Murat Sönmez; Alois Zwinggi.
Notes to Editors
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Adrian Monck, Head of Public and Social Engagement, Tel. +41 79 615 1671; adrian.monck@weforum.org