The World Economic Forum (WEF) released today its list of 250 people selected as Young Global Leaders in 2007. Six of them are Brazilians. The list includes businessmen, public agents, academicians, media professionals and social representatives of nearly 70 countries, all of them not more than 40 years old.
According to a press statement released by the WEF, the 250 people were chosen out of 4,000 candidates by a jury board comprised of 34 leaders in the press and media sectors.
The jury board includes the likes of Tom Glocer, CEO at Reuters, Hisashi Hieda, the president of Fuji Television, Japan, and Arthur Sulzberger, president and publisher of The New York Times. The board is headed by Queen Rania, from Jordan.
In the case of Brazil, the chosen ones were Renato Amorim, director of foreign affairs at Companhia Vale do Rio Doce; Ricardo Bisordi de Oliveira Lima, finance director at Grupo Camargo Corrêa; Filipe Affonso Ferreira, executive vice-president at Gerdau; Carlos Jereissati Filho, director of operations at Iguatemi Empresa de Shopping Centers; Fernando Madeira , CEO at Terra Latin America; and Cláudia Vassalo, director of the Exame magazine.
Overall, the selected people include 50 young leaders from East Asia, 50 from Europe, 25 from the Middle East and North Africa, 50 from North America, 30 from South Asia, 20 from Sub-Saharan Africa and 25 from Latin America.
"Confronting and tackling global challenges will require fresh, strategic thinking from global leaders, as well as innovative and truly international solutions based on global collaboration. This is why I created the Forum of Young Global Leaders," stated the executive chairman of the WEF, Klaus Schwab in a release issued by the organization. "Together, they form a powerful international force for the global common good," he added.
According to the WEF, The Forum of Young Global Leaders was established in 2004, and is comprised of people who dedicate part of their time to jointly address the problems of the world, and who are committed to devote some of their knowledge and energy to work collectively towards a better future.
The Forum integrates a project entitled "Initiative 2030," aimed at formulating a more positive global outlook by 2030, and at devising concrete strategies to turn their vision into reality.