Top Women Leaders Worldwide on The President’s Advisory Council - G100

presidents advisory council

Top Women Leaders Worldwide on The Presidents Advisory Council.

The G100 Presidents Advisory Council extends support to the Global President in driving positive change and advancing gender equality worldwide. G100 across its wings and councils brings together distinguished individuals from diverse backgrounds globally, including Nobel Laureates, Heads of State, First Ladies, Ministers, Philanthropists, CEOs, and business and community leaders, all committed to a common purpose: bridging gaps and giving back through solidarity, by leveraging their knowledge, networks, influence, innovation, resourcefulness, and leadership.

H.E. Auxillia Mnangagwa

H.E. Auxillia Mnangagwa is the First Lady of Zimbabwe Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa was born in Mazowe, mashonaland Central in Zimbabwe, where she did both her primary and secondary education. She joined the then ministry of manpower, planning and development in 1981 and went on to serve extensively in state security under the President’s department in government before going on to further her studies in Switzerland from 1998-2001 successfully pursuing BSc degree in tourism and hotel administration. In 2008, she graduated with a masters in business administration degree from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe and is currently pursuing a philosophers degree specializing in hotel and tourism management with the same institution. To add to her illustrious career she served as Member of Parliament and chaired the Pan African Parliament for the Southern African region. She is of royal bloodline as the Chieftainship of Negomo is in her maiden household. Upon assuming her role as the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa was elected Vice President for the Organisation of African First Ladies OAFLAD from 2018 to 2022. Excellency is a philanthropist, a teacher, a counselor and above all a mother of the people.

H.E. Laura Mattarella

H.E. Laura Mattarella. First Lady of Italy, she was born in Palermo on February 16, 1967 and has been living in Rome since 1994. She is married and has three children. In 1985 she obtained a “Classical” Italian high school diploma from the “Istituto Ancelle del Sacro Cuore” of Palermo. She studied Law at the University of Palermo, graduating in 1991, discussing a thesis in Constitutional Law on the reform of the Presidency of the Council of Ministries. In 1994 she passed the bar exam required to practice law. After moving to Rome, in 1995 she became a member of the capital city’s Bar Association. She has been a Lawyer for the Lorenzoni Law Firm from 1995 to 2002. Afterwards she worked at Guarino Law Firm, of which she became an Associate. In 2010 she was admitted as a Barristers of the Supreme Court of Cassation. During the exercise of her profession she worked as a consultant, particularly with regard to litigation on matters of civil law and administrative law, following cases of merit and of legitimacy in front of Ordinary Civil Courts and of the Council of State and Regional Administrative Courts. She focused on various matters of civil law and, particularly, administrative law (including environmental, procurement, services and supply, urbanistic and construction issues, matters of public and private employment, expropriations, civil and medical responsibility, public water, pensions, award of concession of public goods and services, misleading advertising). In 2015 she decided to suspend her professional activity and asked to be removed from the professional Bar. As the first born and only daughter of President Sergio Mattarella, in office since 2015, she assumed her role as the First Lady.

H.E. Veronique Herminie

H.E. Veronique Herminie is the First Lady of the Republic of Seychelles, following the presidential elections held on 11th October 2025, whereby her husband, H.E. Dr. Patrick Herminie, is the President-elect. A highly accomplished professional and respected leader, she combines public service, private sector leadership, and advocacy with deep personal commitment to her country.

She is a certified chartered accountant and has been a member of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) since 2001. Alongside her professional journey, she is also a devoted mother of two young adults—her daughter is a practising medical doctor, and her son is a civil engineer.

H.E. Judith Suminwa Tuluka

H.E. Judith Suminwa Tuluka is Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She served as Minister of Planning in the Lukonde government. She was appointed as Prime Minister by President Félix Tshisekedi on 1 April 2024, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. Excellency Tuluka obtained a master’s degree in applied economics at the Free University of Brussels and a diploma of additional studies in Work in developing countries. She worked in the banking sector before joining United Nations agencies including the United Nations Development Programme where she was a national expert in a community support project in the east of the country. She then worked in the Ministry of the Budget before becoming the deputy coordinator of the Presidential Strategic Watch Council (CPVS).

H.E. Rosalia Artega Serrano

H.E. Rosalia Artega Serrano is the Former President of Ecuador and the first woman to have held the positions of President and Vice President of the Republic of Ecuador. A lawyer, a Juris Doctor, a graduate of journalism and postgraduate of anthropology, she is currently the Executive President of FIDAL Foundation, a member of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Board of Directors of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Doctors of Europe and chair of the board of directors of the Panamazonia of Manaus—Brazil. She has published 14 books of essays, poetic prose, poetry, short stories, children’s and youth literature. She has influential opinion spaces in audiovisual media.

H.E. Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría

H.E. Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría is Former Vice President of Costa Rica, Excellency Chacón has led her nation eminently as minister, ambassador and humanitarian leader. Vice President Chacón held positions in both private and public institutions, where she consistently defended human rights. She represented the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP) in the commission for Employability of People with Disabilities in the Ministry of Labor from 2010 to 2014. Before, from 2010 until 2011, she served as Director of Management Consulting in Deloitte, Costa Rica. From 2006 to 2010, she was elected deputy to the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, where she wrote projects of social interest that are now current laws of the Republic. Through the Social Council and the public institutions in their effort to reduce poverty and achieve social development. From 2002 to 2005 she worked as the Deputy Minister of Public Security. Her work was aimed at improving response mechanisms and raising awareness of important issues such as domestic violence, sexual exploitation of minors, gender equity, juvenile justice and human trafficking. Throughout her role as Deputy Minister, she developed different programs concerning treatment for drug addiction in homeless people. Here, she also started working on tourism safety issues, which she continued during her time in the Legislative Assembly.

H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés

H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is former President of the United Nations General Assembly, she served as the President of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the fourth woman in history and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over this body. A scholar, diplomat and political leader, she has held several leadership positions in Ecuador serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as of Defense, as also of Cultural and Natural Heritage. She was the first female Ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York and in Geneva. She is an expert in international affairs and multilateralism, defense and security, sustainable development, climate change, gender equality and indigenous peoples’ rights. She is also member of The Lancet COVID-19 Commission; Co-Chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateral Approaches to Pandemics, Security, and Sustainable Development – COMPASS – at the International Peace Institute; Councilor of the World Future Council; member of the multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee of the Generation Equality, the Beijing + 25 process and the Generation Equality Forum; member of the Political Advisory Panel of the Universal Health Coverage 2030 Movement, UHC2030; member and Executive Director of the Group of Women Leaders for Change and inclusion, GWL; member of the Strategic Committee of the SDSN Science Panel for the Amazon, SPA; member of the High-Level Advisory Council for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, UNAOC; and Founding Member of the Centre for UN Studies at the University of Buckingham. Excellency Espinosa acts as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Latin American and Caribbean Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples, FILAC and for Common Home of Humanity.

H.E. Prof. Dr. Iveta Radičová

H.E. Prof. Dr. Iveta Radičová is a distinguished public figure who made history as the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Slovakia. She held the office of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic from 2010 to 2012, concomitantly also holding the post of Minister of Defence.

Her political career includes serving as the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Slovak Republic (2005–2006), Deputy Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs and Housing in the Slovak National Parliament (2006–2009), and Vice-Chairwoman of the Slovak Christian Democratic Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ-DS), where she was responsible for social affairs and healthcare (2006 onwards). She has also served as an expert on social policy for the European Commission.

Throughout her career, H.E. Iveta Radičová has devoted herself to social and family policies. She has taught as a visiting professor at universities in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2013, she was a Fellow at Oxford University for the “Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe” project.

H.E. Ann Linde

H.E. Ann Linde is the former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. She held that office from September 2019 until October 2022. Prior to that, Ann Linde served as Minister for European Union Affairs and Trade, and from 2014 to 2016, she was State Secretary at the Ministry for Home Affairs. From 2013 to 2014, she served as Head of the International Unit for the Party of European Socialists (PES), based in Brussels. In the year 2021, Ann Linde held the position as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Her numerous assignments include Council member of the European Council on Foreign Relations ECFR, Board of Directors of ODI Europe, Advisory Council of the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy, chair of Anna Lindh Memorial Fund and Board member of Norden International. Excellency Linde has a bachelor’s degree in political science, sociology and economics from Stockholm University. She became FEPS Special Advisor on Foreign Affairs in 2023. Besides her role as Special Advisor, Linde is also Co-Chair of the Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective, an expert network and research project launched on 23 October 2023 by FEPS and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. This project will explore the transformative potentials of a European feminist policy and identify its current challenges.

H.E. Oleksandra Matviichuk

H.E. Oleksandra Matviichuk is a human rights lawyer who works on issues in Ukraine and the OSCE region. She heads the human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. The organisation aims to protect human rights and establish democracy in Ukraine and the OSCE region by developing legislative changes, exercising public oversight over law enforcement agencies and judiciary, conducting educational activities for young people, and implementing international solidarity programs.

Matviichuk has written reports for the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the International Criminal Court. Her work has been recognised with several awards, including the OSCE Democracy Defender Award in 2016, the Right Livelihood Award in 2022, and acknowledgement as one of the twenty-five most influential women in the world by the Financial Times in 2022.

Oleksandra believes in the extraordinary power of ordinary people, particularly when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. She believes that individuals inspired and mobilised can change the course of history. She is convinced that the struggle for freedom and human rights are universal values that resonate deeply with people everywhere.

H.E. Segolene Royal

H.E. Segolene Royal. President Cop21, former Minister of Environment, Energy and Sea, President of DA Planet Foundation for solar energy and women in Africa, Author of 15 books, and mother of 4 children she was the first woman in France to be finalist of a presidential election. She was also Minister Delegate for Family Affairs, Childhood and Disability (March 2000 – May 2002), Minister Delegate for School Education (June 1997 – March 2000), and Minister for the Environment (April 1992 – March 1993). She was President of the Poitou-Charentes Region from April 2004 to May 2014 and was a member of the French Parliament for the Deux-Sèvres department numerous times between 1988 and 2007. Minister Royal was also Vice-President and Spokeswoman for the Banque publique d’investissement (French Public Investment Bank), Vice President of Socialist International, and was an advisor to French President François Mitterrand from 1982-1988. Minister Royal attended the Ecole Nationale d’Administration and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, and holds a degree in economics. She has written several books. A dear Soul Sister with passion to make a difference to women’s lives and livelihoods with sustainability and inclusion. The empowered and eminent group of #G100 is stronger with your presence and leadership.

H.E. Celestine K. Courtes

H.E. Celestine K. Courtes is Minister of Housing & Urban Development of Cameroon, Excellency Courtes has been involved for over two decades in the economic, social and political sectors. She was elected Mayor of the Bangangté Commune in 2007. Her personal involvement with civil society organizations and her consideration of the environment in her social projects earned her the 1st Prize of the 1st National Competition FEICOM of the Best Local Practices of Local Development in February 2012, for its project: Hygiene and Sanitation in the City. On June 26, 2014, the same project elected her for a second UN Award for Excellence in Public Service. She was re-elected in 2013 with 83 percent of the vote for a new term. Excellency also served as President of the Network for Locally Elected Women of Africa (Réseau des Femmes Elues Locales d’Afrique, REFELA).

H.E Dasho Dechen Wangmo

H.E Dasho Dechen Wangmo is the Former Minister for Health of the Royal Government of Bhutan. She was the only female Minister in the cabinet during her tenure and formally took charge of the Ministry of Health on 7th November 2018. Prior to joining politics in 2018, Her Excellency worked as a public health international consultant with a primary focus on health systems, governance, policy, and strategic planning for governments and civil societies in many countries (USA, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, PNG, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Senegal). She brought with her a rich background in global health issues, including health system strengthening, health governance, grant implementation, and monitoring and evaluation systems.

On 17th December 2020, in recognition of her outstanding service to the Nation, she was conferred the “Red Scarf,” one of the highest honors a Bhutanese civilian can receive, by His Majesty the King. Her Excellency is a passionate public health advocate and a social worker at heart. Hon’ble Lyonpo was nominated as the President of the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) by Member States of the WHO’s South-East Asia Region in 2020. She held the office of the President for a duration of one year—an honour bestowed on Bhutan for the first time since it became a member of the WHO in 1982.

Besides her membership in professional organizations, she is also the founder of the Bhutan Cancer Society, a CSO working for the well-being of cancer patients in Bhutan, and the founding chairperson of Lhaksam, Bhutan’s HIV-positive network. Her Excellency holds a Master in Public Health (MPH) from Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA, and a Bachelor in Cardiopulmonary Science (magna cum laude) from Northeastern University, Boston, USA.

H.E. Dominique Hasler

H.E. Dominique Hasler is a Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education, and Sports of the Principality of Liechtenstein, is a distinguished political leader recognized for her dynamic and globally engaged policy leadership on behalf of one of the world’s smallest sovereign nations.

Her commitment to inclusive policymaking, innovation, and principled diplomacy has been evident throughout her political career. She entered government in 2017 when she was appointed Minister of the Interior, Education, and Environment, following her nomination by the Patriotic Union (Vaterländische Union). In this capacity, she was responsible for national security, Liechtenstein’s environmental policy, and the strategic management of the entire national education system. She also played a critical role in crisis management and communication during the pandemic, ensuring continuity in public services and facilitating a rapid transition to digital learning across the country.

H. E. Anca Dragu

H. E. Anca Dragu is Romanian economist and politician, she was the Minister of Public Finance (November 2015 – January 2017) and was the President of the Senate of Romania from December 2020 until November 2021. She is the first woman in the history of the Senate to hold this position. Dragu graduated from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies in 1996.

From 1999 to 2000 she studied at Georgetown University and George Washington University. She obtained an MA degree in public administration from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in 2007 and a PhD in economics from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies in 2010.

H.E Gloria De La Fuente

Excellency Gloria De La Fuente serves as Foreign Affairs Undersecretary in the Government of Chile. She is an ardent advocate of promoting gender equality in the defense of equity and inclusion. Undersecretary de la Fuente was president of the OECD’s Working Party of Senior Public Integrity Officials; member of the Advisory Council to the University of Chile’s Public Policy Center; and was a professor at the School of Government of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She has taught at several Chilean universities on subjects related to democratic transparency, integrity, and quality.

Her career has focused on transparency issues, and she has been a consultant to the Chilean Transparency Council, Eurosocial, and the Transparency and Access to Public Information Network (RTA). Undersecretary de la Fuente has served as project director of Chile Transparente, the Chilean chapter of Transparency International, and has sat on the board of Fundación Proacceso.

Excellency Gloria worked at the Ministry General Secretariat of the Presidency; was president, executive director, and area director of Fundación Chile 21; member of the Permanent Advisory Council for State Reform in Chile; and advisor to the Chilean Transparency Council, later becoming its president.

H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul

H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul served as Thailand Minister for Tourism and Sports from 2014 to 2017, enhancing Thailand’s status as a top tourist destination in all aspects.

She has since taken on the role of President of Toshiba Thailand, where she had previously served as Chairperson prior to her government post.

She also currently serves as a Board Director for Kasikornbank, Honorary

President of the Thai-Japanese Association, Member of the Committee of the Foundation for a Clean and Transparent Thailand, Member of the Special Advisory Committee for the Prime Minister, Advisor to the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Advisor to the President of the Federation of Business and Professional Woman’s Associations of Thailand.

H.E. Dr. May Chidiac

H.E. Dr. May Chidiac is a former Minister of State for Administrative Reform, a professor at Notre Dame University (NDU), and the President and Founder of the May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) and the MCF Media Institute (MCF-MI). A distinguished journalist and staunch advocate for democracy, Dr. Chidiac survived a car bomb attack in 2005, which resulted in the loss of her left leg and arm. Undeterred by this tragic event, she returned to television, hosting With Audacity from 2006 to 2009.

Dr. Chidiac has been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including the Chevalier de L’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur, awarded by former French President Jacques Chirac in 2007, and the Dame de L’Ordre de Saint Grégoire-Le-Grand, conferred by Pope Francis in 2017. She has also received several international, regional, and local awards in recognition of her contributions to journalism, democracy, and human rights.

Her international accolades include the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, the 2017 Minerva Anna Maria Mammoliti Prize for Human and Civil Rights, the IPI Award for Press Bravery and Heroism, the Prix de la Francophonie pour la Liberté d’Expression, and the IWMF Award for Courage in Journalism.

Dr. Chiara Corazza

Dr. Chiara Corazza has been named by President Emmanuel Macron the French Representative for the Private Sector to the G20 Business Women Leader Taskforce Empower She is also Member of the Gender Equality Advisory Council of the G7.

Member of the ESCP International Advisory Board, since March 2023 Chiara Corazza is also Affiliate Professor at this prestigious international Business School.

She has been the Special Representative to the G7 and G20 for the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, the world’s leading platform to highlight women’s voices and vision to build a more inclusive world. Since 2017 she has been the Managing Director of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society.

From 2002 to 2017, Chiara Corazza was the Managing Director of the Greater Paris Investment Agency (GPIA), in charge of attracting foreign investors, tourists, talents and capitals to the Greater Paris Region. The success of the “Grand Paris” project has always been at the core of Chiara Corazza’s activities.

From 1999 to 2002, Chiara Corazza was Director of International Affairs of Paris 2008, in charge of promoting the Paris bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Katja Iversen

Katja Iversen is an executive adviser, author, board member and global advocate on purpose driven leadership, sustainability, networking, diversity, equality and the health and the rights of girls and women. She has more than 25 years’ experience working in and with corporates, NGOs, and United Nations agencies, and has a vast and high level network across these sectors.

She is the former President/CEO of Women Deliver, trainer of Fortune 500 Executives in diversity and cross cultural management, and has also been a senior professional with various UN agencies in the field of Strategic Communication and Public Advocacy. Katja, who is Danish, today sits on UNILEVER’s Sustainability Advisory Council, is an executive advisor to Women Political Leaders, an advisor to the World Economic Forum, King’s College Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, and to Global Goals World Cup, is one of the original 100Women@Davos, as well on the Board of 4LifeSolutions and appointed a UN Food Champion and Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador. She is a member of VL2. Previously, she has been a member of President Macron’s and Prime Minister Trudeau’s G7 Gender Equality Councils, a long-term advisor to Bill Clinton in the Clinton Global Initiative, on MIT Solve Challenge Women and Tech Leadership Group, and a board member at Women@theTable, PMNCH, Women Deliver etc. As the leader of Women Deliver she oversaw the development and execution of the world’s largest conference on gender equality.

Tanja Wehsely

Tanja Wehsely is the CEO of Volkshilfe based in Vienna. Volkshilfe is a big Aid/Social/Care Organisation mostly publicly funded and operating in various fields, from home care/nursing, housing first/homeless shelters, preventing evictions, refugee shelters and counseling, foster care, day care for kids, counseling for sexworkers, programmes for labour market reintegration, general social work counseling, volunteer services and mentoring porgrammes. Volkshilfe employs 1.500 people, works with 400 volunteers and counts about 3000 members of our association.

Before Tanja´s appointment as managing director, she was a member of the Viennese state parliament and chairwoman of the economic and finance committee of the city of Vienna. As a studied social worker, she taught social work at the FH Campus Wien. She is a board member in numerous social enterprises, such as the Association of Viennese Youth Centers, the Umbrella Association of Vienna Social Institutions, the SWÖ – Social Economy Austria, as well as the umbrella association Arbeit plus. Tanja Wehsely is a member of the supervisory board of WU’s NPO Institute and is a juror for the annual World Summit Awards (WSA) and Social Impact Awards (SIA).

Marijela Margeta Hasimbegovic

Marijela Margeta Hasimbegovic is An accomplished leader in cultural management, performing arts & politics, she is first woman Director of National Theatre of Sarajevo in 100 years of its existence. With an architecture degree and extensive set designing experience, she’s credited for bringing the audiences back to the theatre. With an indomitable will matched by a graceful essence, she says in an interview, “I consciously ‘entered the fire,’ I knew what to expect, but I also knew that nothing could defeat hard work, love and sacrifice.’ Since 1993, she began working in Theatre and film for sets and costume design. Artistic works during Siege of Sarajevo were a tool to survive, showing human power with hope and enthusiasm, using words, images, symbols, culture, theatre. Actively leading in the cultural spaces, she has been involved for over two decade in the organization of various important cultural events in the region, including the Sarajevo International Winter Festival and festival Mess. Between 2000 and 2021, she serves as the Technical Director of the National Theatre of Sarajevo.

Aijan Chynybaeva

Aijan Chynybaeva was graduated from American University in Central Asia in 1999 with a Bachelor in Business Administration. She has serving on the board of AUCA since 2012. A businesswoman with great entrepreneurial zeal, she is the owner of the Talisman resort and other businesses. She has over 15 years of business experience, and has worked for several international firms over her career. A natural leader, Aijan is passionate about community leadership. From 2016 to 2020, she was Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Norway in the Kyrgyz Republic.

From 2017 to 2020, she was President of the Consuls Club of the Kyrgyz Republic. In 2018, she was Ambassador of Woman Expo Kazakhstan. In 2020/21, she was Vice Mayor of Bishkek for Social Development. She was President of the Rotary Club Bishkek in2015-2016. From 2016 to 2019, she was President of the Public Association of Women of Kyrgyzstan “Kurak”. She is Member of the Council of the Association of Social Entrepreneurship, mentor at the ASP school.

She is the initiator of the movement “Taza Issyk-Kul”. (Clean Lake), the Founder of the Eco-Demi Public Fund.

Marianela Mirpuri

Marianela Mirpuri is a successful entrepreneur mainly in the field of aviation, Marianela Mirpuri decided to dedicate her time to philanthropy, in the spirit of giving back to society what society gave to her.

In 2018 she takes forward her project Hera The Light of Women. It started in early 2000 as an informal movement for the empowerment of women and the Future of Humanity, and focus in the target of building a City with women leading the Mission – Hera City.

Her work as the Founder and President of Hera the light of women, is recognized worldwide, and Hera counts with a powerful team of Ambassadors and Advisors in all Continents, working for the education of women and for a better Future for Humanity.

She is also an Advisor to the Mirpuri Foundation, her family foundation and leads the “Game Changer” project The Good Bottle, with the aim to replace the plastic around the world for a biodegradable/compostable solution. Marianela is invited regularly as speaker in international conferences globally.

Dr. Haifa Al Kaylani

Dr. Haifa Al Kaylani is the President and Founder of Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF), she is a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (2017) and served as a Commissioner on the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work (2017-2019). The Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) is recognised in Arab and international government, private sector and NGO circles as a high-impact change agent focussed on women’s leadership and youth empowerment, working for progress, inclusion, peace and prosperity in the Arab region and internationally.

Haifa is a development economist, an alumna of the American University of Beirut and read for a Diploma in Economic Development at Oxford University, a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative 2017, and a Commissioner of the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work (2017-2019). She brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding and sustainable economic growth and reform, supporting a strong role for women and young leaders at the heart of that process.

Mantasha Ahmed

Mantasha Ahmed is the founder president of Association of Fashion Designers of Bangladesh (AFDB), and founder of ‘Deshi Bhalobashi’, an E-commerce Platform for SMEs in the handloom and crafts sector. Having completed her BSc in Software Engineering in 2001 from Independent University Bangladesh IUB, Dhaka, Mantasha set up a computer training school.

After completing her MA in International Relations and Contemporary Political Theory from The University of Westminster, London, UK, she joined the House of Lords, London, Through her vision, hard work, dedication, and strategic planning, Mantasha turned the small sized business into one of the leading brand names in Bangladesh.

Awards and Accolades: 2013: IWEC International Women Entrepreneurial Challenges Award 2013, Lima, Peru 2016: Pages Award by Chanel I, Dhaka, Bangladesh, the President of Bangladesh-India Business Council (BIBC) of Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI). Ahmed is also a board member of the SME Foundation Bangladesh.

Under her leadership, BIBC has organized many successful events including Asian Women Entrepreneurs’ Summit 2021, Mentorship program with ULAB etc. Through her vision, hard work and dedication Ahmed has established herself as an eminent SME expert in the country with a heavy focus on women empowerment, training and social welfare.

Mrinalini Venkatachalam

Mrinalini Venkatachalam is Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, Mrinalini (Minnie) provides support to WEConnect International by enhancing brand visibility and conducting outreach to women entrepreneurs and corporate buyers in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Her region is probably the fastest growing for small and medium enterprises, including those that are women owned. There is a large diversity in types of products, particularly in the sectors of finished consumer goods, commodities and professional services.

This has the potential to create mass appeal, especially amongst large established FMCGs and retail chains. Consistency in quality also allows these businesses to remain sustainable, thus providing employment and allowing communities to thrive. With experience spanning over a decade, Minnie has worked to bridge the gap between unmet social needs and service providers, giving large corporations, government agencies, community organizations and social enterprises the platform to create measurable social impact.

She speaks regularly at schools, community events, corporate gatherings and conferences about the role that gender equality plays in achieving a more sustainable world for everyone. Minnie has been awarded the Singapore Women’s Weekly’s Great Women of Our Time Award in the Public Service and Education category and has been nominated as one of Cleo Singapore’s 2016 top ten Changemakers.

Helene Marie Gosselin

Helene Marie Gosselin is unique career has led her to almost every country on earth, in management and leadership positions. Her networks span the globe and have facilitated remarkable achievements, which have been recognized by stakeholders and leaders in the public, private and non-profit sectors as well as the media. Her inspirational leadership and powers of persuasion have attracted tens of millions of dollars in funding and significant media profile to the projects she has led over the last three decades: thinking “outside the box”, mobilizing new partners, re-energizing existing ones and attracting new audiences.

Over the past decade, she has devoted herself mainly to the development of women’s empowerment & leadership. A member of the International Women’s Forum in Canada, she is the founder of the Austrian branch of the organization. In this capacity, she is mentoring several young professional women involved in public service, governance

and the private sector. Likewise, she is supporting startups in female leadership.

Verlaine-Diane Soobroydoo

Verlaine-Diane Soobroydoo is an international strategist and public policy, diplomacy professional. Ms. Soobroydoo previously served at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) Executive Office on Global and Africa Strategic Priorities and Lead Public Engagement Adviser of the Generation Equality Forum.

She most recently served as Director for Leadership Engagement and Partnerships at WPL. She devotes her efforts to building cross-sectorial partnerships and multi-stakeholders’ strategic engagements. Her efforts are rooted in policy, human rights, women and youth empowerment, inclusion, diversity, equality, and social justice.

Ms. Soobroydoo has deep experience in the field of movement and community building for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including service as founding Coordinator of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), the joint African Union-UN Women initiative established to scale up women’s leadership in Africa and beyond. She brings solid and diversified international affairs expertise in governance, as well as in women, peace and security issues. Ms. Soobroydoo served on the Advisory Panel of Women in Power of the 73rd President of the UN General Assembly, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.

Verlaine was recognized in 2018 in the Top 100 list of Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in the Politics and Governance Category, and in 2019 in the Top 100 Influencers on Gender Equality and Diversity by Onalytica. She is the recipient of the Nalafem Feminist Collective Award (2022) for building Intergenerational leadership platforms at the UN, AU and throughout Africa. Verlaine is the author of UNBOUND: Twitter thoughts for the heart and Mind with foreword by Oscar Winning Sound Designer Resul Pookutty.

Anat Bernstein-Reich

Anat Bernstein-Reich is a dynamic entrepreneur, she is the CEO and Co-Founder of the GATE, BDO Israel-India, an investment Banking and advisory firm operating on the axis of Israel, India, Sri Lanka, and emerging markets. Anat is a columnist at The Marker, and is also a frequent speaker on “doing business in India”. She served as a consultant to The World Bank in Washington for various economic development projects, co-founded 2 start-up companies in the USA, and worked with technology incubators to promote strategic partnerships for JV technology companies within Silicon Valley. Anat holds a LL.B. degree from the Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University, is a member of the Israeli Bar Association, and holds an MBA (with distinction) in Finance from the University of San Francisco.

Anat also serves as the Chairperson of Israel-India & Nepal Chamber of Commerce, and is the President of TiE Israel. She has helped more than 100 startups to scale in sectors like technology, agriculture, real estate, edtech, clean tech, deep tech, etc. She says in an interview to Your Story, “The first lessons we give companies are humility and patience, and other cultural training. We also ask them to tweak and customise their products and technology.”deep tech, etc.

Nino Zambakhidze

Nino Zambakhidze is a highly experienced professional with a distinguished track record in both the public and private sectors. Since 2012, she has served as the Founder and Chairwoman of the Georgian Farmers’ Association, demonstrating her commitment to agricultural development and advocacy. Additionally, Nino holds the positions of Founder and CEO of Unity Apolitical Academy, which operates in the CAMCA region and Lebanon, showcasing her entrepreneurial acumen and leadership capabilities.

With extensive managerial experience, Nino has held various advisory, supervisory, and board member positions across non-governmental, governmental, and private organizations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from Tbilisi Technical University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Grenoble School of Business Management in France. Nino further augmented her expertise with a Diploma in Business Management and Administration from Cambridge International College.

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander has been working for equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity & inclusion for more than 25 years. She is a professor and senior lecturer of Business Administration with a special emphasis on Diversity Management, and Co-Director of the Competence Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and Co-Director of the Research Institute for International Management (FIM) at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. With her team of 30 employees, she supports organisations on their way to more inclusion and equal opportunities. She completed her PhD at the University of St. Gallen in 1997. For her dissertation she received the recognition award of the Swiss Society for Organisation and Management (SGO) in 1998. For three decades, she has been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in research, practice, teaching and further education. Among other things, she initiated the St. Gallen Diversity Benchmarking and the Gender Intelligence Report, launched the management training “Women Back to Business“, is an expert in salary analysis, and on topics such as Unconscious Bias, Diversity & Inclusion, Strategic Management and Leadership. She is a member of the Women’s Empowerment Principles Leadership Group (WEPs LG) of UN Women and UN Global Compact as well as of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Working Group for Gender Equality.

Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen

Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen is the Former Chairman of the Executive Board of Aon Holdings B.V. and Aon Group International B.V. (part of Aon Plc; NYSE AON), and other Holdings entities in the Netherlands, consolidating USD 7bn of Aon’s total global revenue. Aon operates in 120 countries globally with 55,000 employees. Marguerite has over 33 years of international experience in the financial services and insurance industry.

In addition, Marguerite holds various non-executive and ambassadorial roles, including Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Kelp Blue, Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the international law firm NautaDutilh, member of the global Alumni board of Harvard Business School (USA), member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Royal Military Museums, and member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. Marguerite is also an Ambassador of UWC Maastricht and supports their MENA Women Empowerment initiative.

H.R.H. Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme

H.R.H. Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme is Founder of Compazz.org, Netherlands.

H.R.H. Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme (Nijmegen, January 27, 1970) is founder and director of the sustainability foundation COMPAZZ and has been committed to promoting, advocating and accelerating sustainability and the circular economy in the Netherlands and abroad for 20 years.

He was boardmember of CSR the Netherlands for 8 years, is member of the advisory board of PGGM Responsible Investing, has a seat in the Investment Committee of Energiiq Fund of South Holland, is chairman of the advisory board for Short Supply Chains in the Dutch agri sector,is boardmember of the the think-tank The Ex’tax Project and holds several other advisory positions at various companies and social organizations.In 1995 he graduated from the University of Cambridge, England, with a Masters degree in Demography (MPhil).

Fahimeh Robiolle

Fahimeh Robiolle is the owner of Fahimeh Robiolle Consulting & Training, an independent consultant, and a member of the Institute for Research and Teaching on Negotiation (IRENE) since 2002. She is a lecturer at ESSEC, where she conducts training in negotiation, communication, and team management. Her teaching extends to institutions such as ENA (until 2016), the Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Cergy University, the Catholic Institute of Paris, the Ecole de Guerre (French Ministry of Defense), and the Lebanese University of Beirut. She has contributed to the “Negotiators of the World” project, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso. In 2006, she co-directed a conference in honor of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and facilitated Ebadi’s participation in the 2007 World Forum of the Responsible Economy in Lille.

As the owner of Fahimeh Robiolle Consulting & Training, she provides specialized seminars and coaching in negotiation, conflict management, leadership, and teambuilding. She edited the Persian version of Method of Negotiation (Alain Lempereur, Aurélien Colson – Dunod, 2004, 2010), published in Tehran in 2009, and has organized and conducted training programs in Persian for managers, decision-makers, and MBA students at the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Engineering.