A young Romanian former minister of health who has launched new start-up ventures to foster innovation in health care and provide a camp for children with cancer. A Dutch pioneer of a new form of journalism for the 21st century. A Spanish founder of a lawyer’s association intent on creating legal frameworks for robotics and artificial intelligence.
Innovators among peers, they are three of the 25 government, private sector and civil society leaders from around the world selected for Eisenhower Fellowships’ spring Global Program in 2018.
For seven weeks, from April 2 until May 18, these Eisenhower Fellows will crisscross the United States, pursuing individual projects and engaging in transformative exchanges of knowledge and ideas with leading thinkers in their respective fields. At the end of the program they will return to Philadelphia to share observations, and then carry what they have learned back to their home countries.
General Colin L. Powell, USA (Retired), chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships (EF), said these mid-career leaders will continue the proud tradition of Eisenhower Fellows crossing boundaries to promote peaceful dialogue and international understanding. “These leaders represent an incredibly talented cohort that is full of potential to serve as change makers,” the general said. “They are committed to the mission of Eisenhower Fellowships, of creating a world more peaceful, prosperous, and just.”
Representing 23 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the South Pacific, the recipients were chosen based on the ingenuity of their ideas and their proven track records of leadership in a variety of fields, including government, education, entrepreneurship, energy, health care, law, non-profits and the arts.
They serve in a mix of traditional and innovative industries, and have the wide-ranging expertise needed to lead in the 21st Century, notes EF President George de Lama.
“These men and women specialize in fields ranging from leadership development to the future of work to the strengthening of democratic political systems,” said de Lama. “Their versatile backgrounds will enable them to be decision makers in how their countries respond to and prepare for an ever-changing global landscape at a time of great disruption.
The 2018 Global Fellows are:
Sebastián Kind | Argentina
Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Energy
Silverio Zebral | Brazil
Head, Government Innovation Unit,
Organization of American States
Gracia Carvallo | Chile
Executive Director, Ganémosle A La Calle
Hua Feng | China
Vice President, Horae Capital
Jerry Kuo | Chinese Taipei
Co-Founder & President, KuoBrothers and Mines Corporation
Yasmine Abdel Razek | Egypt
Head of Strategic Planning, EGBANK
Adrian Devitt | Ireland
Associate Director, Royal College of Surgeons
Imani Duncan Price | Jamaica
Chief of Staff, Office of the Leader of the Opposition
Aiko Yabunaka | Japan
Deputy Director, Inclusive Business Team, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Montserrat Ramiro | Mexico
Commissioner, Energy Regulatory Commission
Nyantha Maw Lin | Myanmar
Co-Founder & CEO, The Burgundy Hills Company
Rob Wijnberg | Netherlands
Founder, The Correspondent
Chris Gallavin | New Zealand
Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Massey University
Temitayo Etomi | Nigeria
Founder & CEO, Redwire Group
Yvonne Cooke | Northern Ireland
Head of Human Resources,
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
Jason Gonzales | Philippines
Mayor, Municipality of Lambunao
Vlad Voiculescu | Romania
Founder & President, MagiCAMP
Vhahangwele Manavhela | South Africa
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Manager, Public Investment Corporation
Diego Solana | Spain
Lawyer & Partner, Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo
Javier Arroyo | Spain
Co-Founder, Smartick
Martina G. Viarengo | Switzerland
Professor, Department of Economics, The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Pipat Luengnaruemitchai | Thailand
Assistant Managing Director, Phatra Securities
Robin Bourne-Taylor | United Kingdom
Managing Director, Right to Dream
Maria Riccetto | Uruguay
Founder & Director, Maria Riccetto Studio
Hien Dao | Vietnam
CEO, GPA Jsc.
Now in its 65th year and named for America’s 34th president, EF brings together innovative leaders from across geographies and sectors, visionaries who tackle big challenges to better the world around them. Since 1953, more than 2,300 mid-career leaders from 115 countries have benefited from the unique, customized experience of an Eisenhower Fellowship.
Successful candidates for EF programs are exceptional leaders, between ages 32 and 45, eager to advance their personal and professional growth. They commit to lifelong engagement with the organization and its influential network of nearly 1,600 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective fields to maximize their potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network.