Degree in Economics, University of World Trade, Vienna. April 2017, Chairman Emeritus, Nestlé. 1997-2008, led the Nestlé Group, first as Chief Executive Officer, until 2005, and then as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. April 2008, handed over the office of Chief Executive Officer and remained Chairman of the Board. Vice-Chairman of the Foundation Board, World Economic Forum. Chairman of the Foundation Board, Verbier Festival. President, Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) Foundation. Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Biologique Recherche. Chairman of the Advisory Board, SES-imagotag. Chairman of the Business Policy International Advisory Board of San Telmo Business School. Former Chairman and current Independent Director, Formula One Group. Former Member of the Board: Roche; Credit Suisse; L’Oréal; Exxon Mobil Corporation and Salt Mobile SA. In addition, he was the Founder and Chairman of the 2030 Water Resources Group, a public-private partnership incorporated as part of the World Bank. Recipient of awards, including: Austrian Cross of Honour for services to the Republic of Austria; La Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca; La Orden Francisco de Miranda, Republic of Venezuela; Schumpeter Prize for Outstanding Contribution in Disruptive Innovation; Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Alberta, Canada. Inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s “Hall of Fame”.

Børge Brende is President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. Previously he was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Climate and the Environment. He served as Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Conservative Party as well as MP. He was also full-time city counsellor 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 the Chair of Mesta, Norway’s largest contracting group in the area of road and highway maintenance and is currently a Director of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. He is a 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 currently on the Board of the Bilderberg Meetings.

Former: Minister, Norwegian Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, Environment; Deputy Chairman, Norwegian Conservative Party; Member, Norwegian Parliament; Member, Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and Deputy Chairman, Standing Committee on Energy and Environment; Chairman, UN Commission on Sustainable Development; Secretary-General, Norwegian Red Cross; International Vice-Chairman, China Council for Int'l Cooperation on Environment and Development; Board Chairman, Mesta; Board Member, Norwegian School of Economics and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, WHO; Board Director, Technology for Ocean Foundation, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Ocean; Managing Director, World Economic Forum. Political Adviser to Conservative Party Chairman; Chairman, Young Conservatives; CFO, KB Entreprenør. Since 2017, President, World Economic Forum. Director, Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Member: Board, Statoil; Board, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development Phase VII; Strategic Committee, Paris School of Int’l Affairs, Sciences Po; UN High-level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child; Municipal Executive Board, Trondheim; Core Advisory Council, Harvard Int’l Negotiation Program; Steering Committee, Bilderberg Meetings; Board of Directors, Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030. BA, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Tech. Recipient, awards, honours: Harish Mahindra Memorial Global Award for Outstanding Contributions to Economic Welfare and Sustainable Growth; Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico; Grand Cross, Order of San Carlos, Colombia; Commander, Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav; Cavaliere Di Gran Croce, Italy; Grand Cross, Order of the Phoenix, Greece.