Michael Moller

Director General

United Nations Office at Geneva

Michael Møller is the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Mr. Møller has over 35 years of experience as an international civil servant in the United Nations. He began his career in 1979 with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and worked with UNHCR in different capacities in New York, Iran, Mexico, Haiti and Geneva. Between 1997 and 2001 he was the Head of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at United Nations headquarters; between 2001 and 2006 he was the Director for Political, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs in the Office of the Secretary-General, while serving concurrently as Deputy Chief of Staff for the last two years of that period. Mr. Møller also served as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus from 2006 to 2008 and was the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation from 2008 to 2011. Born in 1952 in Copenhagen, Mr. Møller completed a Master’s course in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

Arancha González

Executive Director

International Trade Centre

Arancha González, an expert in international trade issues with 20 years of experience, serves as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint development agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation, since September 2013. Ms. González, a Spanish national, has extensive knowledge about international trade and economics, coupled with broad experience in trade and development matters in the public and private sectors, as well as in management at multilateral organizations. She also co-chairs the World Economic Forum (WEF) Agenda Council on the Future of Trade and Investment. Before joining ITC, Ms. González served as Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013. During her tenure at the WTO, she played an active role in launching the Aid for Trade initiative and served as Mr. Lamy’s representative (Sherpa) at the G-20. Prior to working at the WTO, Ms. González held several positions at the European Commission, conducting negotiations of trade agreements and assisting developing countries in trade-development efforts. Between 2002 and 2004, she was the European Commission spokeswoman for trade and adviser to the European Union Trade Commissioner. Ms. González began her career in the private sector as associate in a German law firm advising companies on trade, competition and state-aid matters. Ms. González holds a degree in law from the University of Navarra and a postgraduate degree in European Law from the University of Carlos III, Madrid.

Amanda Ellis

Special Advisor, International Programs and Partnerships, Office of the President

East-West Center

Ms. Ellis was previously Ambassador and PR to the UN in Geneva and Prime Minister's Special Envoy to francophone Africa, playing a key role in New Zealand's successful UN Security Council bid. As Deputy Secretary (International Development) in the NZ Foreign Ministry she was first woman to lead the Aid Programme. With a long history working to promote gender equality, Ms. Ellis held a number of senior roles at the World Bank Group, where she founded the IFC gender group, managed the President's Global Private Sector CEO Leaders and led the Doing Business gender research project which created “Women, Business and the Law.” A founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, Amanda currently serves on the advisory boards of FINCA International, UN WEPs, the World Economic Forum Future Agenda Councils and the Council on Foreign Relations Committee on economic inclusion. She is the author of two bestselling Random House books on women in business and five research titles on gender and economic growth in the World Bank Directions in Development series. Ms. Ellis is the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women’s economic empowerment.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Executive Director

UN Women

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. She was sworn into office on 19 August 2013 and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this position, having devoted her career to issues of human rights, equality and social justice. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka has worked in government and civil society, and with the private sector, and was actively involved in the struggle to end apartheid in her home country of South Africa. From 2005 to 2008, she served as Deputy President of South Africa, overseeing programmes to combat poverty and bring the advantages of a growing economy to the poor, with a particular focus on women. Prior to this, she served as Minister of Minerals and Energy from 1999 to 2005 and Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry from 1996 to 1999. She was a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 1996 as part of South Africa’s first democratic government. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka began her career as a teacher and gained international experience as a coordinator at the World YWCA in Geneva, where she established a global programme for young women. She is the founder of the Umlambo Foundation, which supports leadership and education. A longtime champion of women’s rights, she is affiliated with several organizations devoted to education, women’s empowerment and gender equality. She has completed her PhD on education and technology at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

Lise Kingo

Executive General

UN Global Compact

Lise Kingo is the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact which is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative with more than 13,500 signatories from 170 countries that have committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and taking actions that advance societal goals.Prior to joining the UN Global Compact in 2015, Ms. Kingo was Chief of Staff, Executive Vice-President and member of the Executive Management team at Novo Nordisk A/S. Ms. Kingo holds multiple degrees including a MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath, United Kingdom and a B.Com. in Marketing Economics from the Copenhagen Business School.

Augusto Lopez-Claros

Director, Global Indicators Group, Development Economics

The World Bank Group

Augusto Lopez-Claros is the Director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank Group, the department responsible for the Bank’s Doing Business report and other international benchmarking studies. Previously he was Chief Economist and Director of the Global Competitiveness Program at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where he was also the Editor of the Global Competitiveness Report, the Forum’s flagship publication, as well as a number of regional economic reports. Before joining the Forum he worked for several years in the financial sector in London, with a special focus on emerging markets. He was the International Monetary Fund’s Resident Representative in the Russian Federation during the 1990s. Before joining the IMF, Lopez-Claros was a Professor of Economics at the University of Chile in Santiago. He was educated in England and the United States, receiving a diploma in Mathematical Statistics from Cambridge University and a PhD in Economics from Duke University. He is a much-sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the last several years at some of the world’s leading universities and think tanks. In 2007 he was a coeditor of The International Monetary System, the IMF, and the G-20: A Great Transformation in the Making? and The Humanitarian Response Index: Measuring Commitment to Best Practice, both published by Palgrave. He was the editor of The Innovation for Development Report 2009–2010: Strengthening Innovation for the Prosperity of Nations, published by Palgrave in November 2009. More recent publications include: “Removing Impediments to Sustainable Economic Development: The Case of Corruption” (2015) and “Fiscal Challenges After the Global Financial Crisis: A Survey of Key Issues” (2014).

Simona Scarpaleggia

CEO, Co-Chair

IKEA Switzerland | UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment

Simona Scarpaleggia has been CEO of IKEA Switzerland since May 2010. She is a passionate campaigner for all issues surrounding women’s empowerment. In 2009, she co-founded «Valore D» in Italy and later «Advance - Women in Swiss Business» in Switzerland. Both organization have a mission to boost gender diversity and to increase the share of mixed-gender management teams for the benefit of our economies. Since January 2016, Scarpaleggia is also co-chairing the UN High Level Panel on Women´s Economic Empowerment. She holds a degree in political science and an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management. Simona Scarpaleggia is an Italian citizen, is married and has 3 children.

Linda Kromjong

Secretary-General

International Organization of Employers

Linda Kromjong took up her post as Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) in Geneva on 1 May 2015. The IOE is the largest network of the private sector in the world, with more than 150 business and employer organisation members. In the social and labour policy debate taking place in the International Labour Organization, across the UN and multilateral system, and in the G20 and other emerging processes, the IOE is the recognized global voice of business. The IOE is also the host and founding father of the GFMD Business Mechanism established in 2016. Prior to her role at the IOE, Linda Kromjong was Vice-President, Labor Relations International & Human Rights for Deutsche Post DHL, the recognized world leader in logistics services. Linda started her career in the Hospitality Industry in the Netherlands and has many years’ experience in senior positions in general management, HR, Labor Relations and Business & Human Rights. Linda Kromjong is a Dutch national and completed Hotel Management School and Business Management studies in the Netherlands. Linda Kromjong serves as a member of the Advisory Boards of the UN Global Compact, Mega Sporting Events (MSE) striving for excellence project and UNHRC Livelihood and is member of the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) Board.

Vanessa Erogbogbo

Head of Women and Trade Programme

International Trade Centre

Vanessa Erogbogbo heads the International Trade Centre’s Women and Trade Programme, and is responsible for leading the organisation’s vision and plan for women’s economic empowerment. On a day to day basis, she spends most of her time driving forward #shetrades initiative and strategy to connect one million women to markets by 2020. Ms. Erogbogbo is passionate about business, trade, politics, entrepreneurship, technology, women, Africa, development, running, and intellectual discourse. She appreciates industrial design interiors and Nordic crime series. She has previously held roles at the International Finance Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank. She is an entrepreneur, published author, and speaker, and once made a reality TV appearance. She holds an MBA from the London Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering Honours Degree in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University in the UK.

Sheila Penrose

Chairman of the Board

JLL

Sheila Penrose is currently a Director of three companies: McDonald's, Entrust Datacard and JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), where she has been Chairman of the Board since 2005. Ms. Penrose was a 2014 finalist for the Chairman of the Year award by NYSE Governance Services. Ms. Penrose serves on the steering committee of the World Economic Forum (Davos) Community of Corporate Board Chairmen, as well as its Gender Equity initiative. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion is evidenced as a founding member of the US 30% Club, as well as her years on the Advisory Board of Catalyst, the C200 Board and the board of The Chicago Network. Ms. Penrose co-founded and co-chairs Corporate Leadership Center, which partners with F500 companies and leading business schools to augment and accelerate the leadership development of senior executives. Before serving as Executive Advisor to Boston Consulting Group, Ms. Penrose was the first woman member of Northern Trust Corporation's Management Committee as President of the Corporate Bank. Currently, Ms. Penrose is a trustee of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Rush Medical Center, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Chautauqua Institution and the Chicago Club. She is the recipient of the ADL Woman of Achievement, Girl Scouts Luminary, YWCA Lifetime Achievement and Chicago Business Hall of Fame awards. In addition to earning a degree in Economics from the University of Birmingham and a Masters degree from London School of Economics, Ms. Penrose also attended the Executive Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Paul Rawlinson

Chairman of the Executive Committee

Baker & McKenzie

Paul Rawlinson is the London-based Global Chair of Baker McKenzie. He joined the firm in 1986 focusing on intellectual property and made partner in 1996. He served as London Managing Partner from 2013 to 2016, when he was named the Firm's first British Chair. Educated in the UK and France, Mr. Rawlinson has advised international clients on protection and enforcement, and has vast experience in trade mark, trade secret, copyright, design and technology issues. Mr. Rawlinson has been the global relationship partner for a range of international clients giving him a broad exposure to the changing needs of general counsels and company boards worldwide. He is a member of several business organizations, including the World Economic Forum, International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition and the International Trademark Association. He served on the Firm's Policy Committee and also led the Firm's Global Intellectual Property practice group from 2004 to 2010.

Inez Murray

CEO

Global Banking Alliance for Women

Inez Murray was appointed Chief Executive Officer by the Global Banking Alliance’s Board of Directors in November 2012. As CEO, Inez, who had previously served the GBA as Vice Chair of the board, is responsible for setting the strategic direction, implementing the board’s vision, and overseeing the GBA’s day-to-day operations. She is a globally recognized expert in women’s economic empowerment, speaking and publishing widely on that topic, and is also a seasoned executive with nearly 20 years of experience running complex global projects, incubating new initiatives, and raising more than $20 million in funding from public and private sources. Inez came to the GBA following a 17-year career with Women’s World Banking, where she served as Executive Vice President. Inez worked as a Senior Consultant in the strategy practice of Booz Allen Hamilton in New York before joining WWB in 1996. She has also worked on consultancies for a range of clients in the microfinance sector and is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She was a co-founder of WAM (Women Advancing Microfinance), the only global network of women professionals in microfinance, and currently serves on the board of B2D, a social enterprise focused on biomass energy technology to rural and semi-urban populations in Haiti.

Monique Villa

CEO

Thomson Reuters Foundation

Monique Villa is CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Founder of TrustLaw and Trust Women. She has been ranked among the world’s 100 most influential people in Business Ethics by Ethisphere. Since her appointment in 2008, she has transformed the Foundation, launching a number of programmes that leverage the expertise of Thomson Reuters to trigger change and empower people across the world. Among them; TrustLaw, the Foundation's global pro bono programme dedicated to spreading the practice of pro bono; and Trust Women, a fast-growing movement to empower women and to fight slavery worldwide. Under Villa, the Foundation also covers the world’s under reported stories, and offers training and media development to strengthen free media globally. Prior to joining the Foundation, Villa was Managing Director of Reuters Media and Chairman of Action Images. A French national, she spent the first part of her career at Agence France-Presse (AFP) where she held a number of senior journalistic and management positions. Monique received the 2015 Champions for Change Award for her vision and effort in the fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir

Chair of the Executive Board

Women in Parliaments Global Forum

Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir is the Chair of the Executive Board of WIP, Women in Parliaments / Global Forum. She has for many years been active in Icelandic politics, both in the national Parliament and local government. She is the former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament and former Minister of the Interior in Iceland. Before getting elected to Parliament, she was the Mayor of Reykjavík, the President of the City Council and chaired several committees and organisations for the City of Reykjavík. She is also the former vice chair of the Independence Party in Iceland; the former deputy Secretary General of the party and the former Secretary General of its Parliamentary Group. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Iceland in 1991. After that, she got a Master of Science in International and European Politics from the University of Edinburgh (1993).

Ambassador Pamela K. Hamamoto

Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations

International Geneva Gender Champion

Ambassador Hamamoto oversees U.S. Mission Geneva’s engagement on issues as diverse as refugees/migration, global health, sustainable development, internet governance, international law, climate change and human rights. With diplomatic missions representing more than 160 countries, more than 100 international organizations, an active NGO community and an engaged private sector, Geneva provides a unique platform for multilateral diplomacy. Ambassador Hamamoto is building on this platform to develop innovative partnerships and other new forms of collaboration to unleash new opportunities for women and girls around the world. In 2015, she launched The Future She Deserves, an initiative that has been driving collaboration and creative problem-solving in the areas of gender-based violence, adolescent girls' health, economic empowerment, and leadership opportunities. Ambassador Hamamoto also co-founded Geneva Gender Champions, a leadership network uniting key decision-makers in Geneva to break down gender barriers. Currently, more than 120 Ambassadors, heads of International Organizations and leaders of other Geneva-based institutions have signed on as Geneva Gender Champions. A new sister network is emerging in New York and discussions are underway with leaders in other important hubs of multilateral diplomacy to replicate this model. Ambassador Hamamoto received a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management and has previously worked in the energy, telecommunications and financial sectors.