The initiative is overseen by a Global Commission comprising former heads of government and finance ministers, and leaders in the fields of economics, business and finance. All members serve in a personal capacity. A list of our Emeritus Commissioners is available here.
Co-Chair; General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Sharan Burrow was elected General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in 2010. She was ITUC President from 2006-10, and before that President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (2004-06). She is the first woman to have held any of these positions.
Honorary Chair, Former President of Mexico
Felipe Calderón was President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012. During his presidency he prioritized the rule of law and public security; a competitive and job-creating economy; equal opportunities; sustainable development; effective democracy; and a responsible foreign policy.
Co-Chair; Member, WRI Board of Directors; Managing Director Of Development Policy And Partnerships, World Bank
Mari Pangestu is the World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. In this role, which she assumed on March 1, 2020, Ms. Pangestu provides leadership and oversees the research and data group of the World Bank (DEC), the work program of the World Bank’s Global Practice Groups, and the External and Corporate Relations function.
Co-Chair, Co-Founder & Chair of Imagine
Paul Polman is the Co-Founder and Chair of Imagine, and was the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever from 2009 to 2019. Under his leadership Unilever set out an ambitious vision to decouple its growth from overall environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact.
Co-Chair; IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and President of the Royal Economic Society
Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford, Kt, is IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and President of the British Academy. He is Chairman of the LSE's Asia Research Centre and of its Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
Commissioner, President of the Asian Development Bank
Masatsugu Asakawa is the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Chairperson of ADB’s Board of Directors. He was elected President by ADB’s Board of Governors and assumed office on 17 January 2020.
Commissioner; Former President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Sir Suma Chakrabarti is the Former President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Bank’s Board of Governors elected Sir Suma as President of the EBRD for a four year term starting July 3, 2012.
Commissioner; Former Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP); Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
Helen Clark became the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on 17 April 2009, and was the first woman to lead the organization. She was also the Chair of the United Nations Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads of all UN funds, programmes and departments working on development issues.
Commissioner; Managing Director and Chair of the Executive Board, IMF
Kristalina Georgieva is Managing Director and Chair of the Executive Board of the IMF.
Chairman and Managing Director, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co. Ltd.
Mr. Jamshyd N. Godrej is the Chairman of the Board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology.