Following on from my four articles about the incredible founders, One Young World staff, and coordinating ambassadors from around the world, this next series of articles turns its focus to speakers from large organisations who are championing the work their companies are doing on the global stage. They represent a genuinely broad cross-section of industries and geographies, spanning sustainability and ESG, healthcare, mental health, DEI, HR, AI, journalism, procurement, and philanthropy. Their profiles stretch across the US, UK, France, Germany, Nigeria, Switzerland, South Africa, Ireland, and beyond, reflecting the truly international reach of One Young World 2025 in Munich. What unites them is a shared commitment to using their platforms within major organisations to drive meaningful change — whether that’s advancing the green transition, championing inclusion in the workplace, harnessing AI responsibly, or expanding access to healthcare and education. Their presence at OYW2025 is proof that the values of emerging global leadership, sustainability, inclusion, and humanitarian impact, are increasingly finding a home at the very top of the corporate agenda.
Title: Director, PwC UK Capital Projects and Infrastructure
Based in: London, UK
Expertise: Refugee Empowerment
Yousra is Director of Capital Projects and Infrastructure at PwC UK, based in London. With recognised expertise in managing large-scale, complex infrastructure projects, she is equally committed to sustainable and inclusive business practices that generate genuine social value. Yousra is passionate about social mobility and the empowerment of refugees and asylum seekers, causes she actively champions both inside and outside of PwC. Within the firm, she works to encourage colleagues to volunteer their professional skills through structured programmes delivered in partnership with the Refugee Council UK. She also serves as PwC’s social mobility lead for her business unit, ensuring that socioeconomic background is no barrier to career advancement. Previously, Yousra co-led the One Young World PwC network, heading a committee of twenty members and coordinating a broader network of over 350 people, organising firm-wide events to raise awareness of global issues and inspire action and intrapreneurship.
At One Young World 2025, Yousra focused her speech on the intersection of business and social good, highlighting how infrastructure and capital projects can serve as drivers of broader social change. She explored how major programmes can create meaningful economic opportunities for displaced people, demonstrating that commercial success and community impact are not mutually exclusive goals but deeply complementary ones.
Title: Head, ESG at Sandoz
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Driving innovation in corporate ESG practices, sustainability, philanthropy, and impact investing
Kate is Head of ESG at Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, based in Munich, Germany. In this senior leadership role, she drives innovation across the company’s global ESG strategy, which is built around four interconnected pillars: Access, Sustainability, People, and Corporate Governance. Her expertise spans corporate sustainability, philanthropy, and impact investing, developed through a career at the forefront of responsible business transformation across multiple sectors.
Kate is known for translating complex environmental and social commitments into concrete, measurable outcomes that create value for both business and society. Her approach to ESG is practical as well as strategic, recognising that meaningful change requires action at every level of an organisation’s operations and supply chain.
At OYW2025, Kate delivered a compelling session titled “Sustainability and the circular economy: what do cows have to do with antibiotics?”, exploring the often surprising connections between environmental decisions and business outcomes.
She described how companies must improve sustainability across their entire value chains, encompassing both transformational steps, such as transitioning to renewable electricity and smaller, practical measures, such as closing a vent on an exhaust hood. Her message underscored that every action, however incremental, contributes to the broader goal of building genuinely sustainable enterprises.
Title: Advisor to the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Holy Land (Israel and Palestinian Territories)
Where are they based: The Holy Land, Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Area of expertise: Politics and Religion
Eiqan is an Advisor to the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Holy Land, covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories. His work sits at the demanding and often dangerous intersection of politics and religion, supporting strategic initiatives that promote peaceful coexistence, interfaith dialogue, and justice-centred advocacy in one of the world’s most contested and complex territories. Drawing on lived experience as an Ahmadi Muslim in a context profoundly shaped by both Jewish and Arab communities, Eiqan helps articulate the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s stance on human rights, religious freedom, and non-violence to a wide range of audiences, including diplomats, civil society organisations, and media. He contributes to outreach efforts that amplify messages rejecting extremism and highlighting Islam’s foundational principles of peace, compassion, and unconditional respect for all people, regardless of faith or background. Eiqan’s work requires both intellectual clarity and personal courage, navigating theological and political sensitivities with the kind of nuance that genuine peacebuilding demands.
At OYW2025, Eiqan took part in the session “In Search of Peace: Voices from Divided Communities.”
He shared his perspective as a young advisor from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, reflecting on his experience of growing up among both Jewish and Arab communities and on the moral responsibility each of us carries to advocate for non-violent solutions. He contributed to a powerful dialogue with other peacebuilders on how faith-based values and cross-community engagement can open a genuine space for reconciliation.
Title: The Food Systems Guy Scaling Ecotutu | Commercialising Innovation in Agriculture & Energy | Nigerian Agroprenuer of the Year 2025
Where are they based: Legos, Nigeria
Area of expertise: Food Systems
Michael is the co-founder of Ecotutu, a cleantech company based in Nigeria that is scaling solar-powered cold storage solutions to transform agricultural and health value chains across Africa. Widely known as “The Food Systems Guy,” Michael was named Nigerian Agropreneur of the Year 2025 in recognition of his pioneering work commercialising innovations at the intersection of agriculture and clean energy. His core mission is to tackle the devastating post-harvest losses that undermine food security and farmer livelihoods, while also improving access to properly preserved medicines and perishable goods in underserved communities. Ecotutu’s affordable cold-chain infrastructure provides smallholder farmers with the tools they need to reduce waste and build lasting economic resilience.
Michael is a graduate of the Orange Corners Nigeria programme and represented his country as flagbearer At OYW2025, with support from the Dutch Ministry. At the summit, he featured on the panel “Peace through Enterprise: Can Business Be a Force for Peace?”, debating alongside peers from Mali and Lebanon on how entrepreneurship can foster stability in challenging environments.
He also engaged in broader discussions on youth-led solutions for sustainability and circular economies, drawing on Ecotutu’s experience to demonstrate that clean technology and commercial viability can go hand in hand.
Title: Chief Sustainability Officer, Chez Danone
Where are they based: France
Area of expertise: Sustainability
Nathalie is Chief Sustainability Officer at Danone, based in France, where she leads the company’s global sustainability strategy. Appointed to this senior executive role in 2024, Nathalie brings over two decades of experience at Danone, having progressed through marketing, innovation, and senior leadership positions, including Regional Vice President Marketing Europe and General Manager Ukraine. Her earlier career also included a role at Colgate-Palmolive, giving her a broad commercial foundation that informs her sustainability work today. A graduate of HEC Paris in marketing and business strategy, Nathalie is now responsible for driving initiatives that integrate environmental, social, and governance principles across all of Danone’s operations, from procurement to product innovation, ensuring measurable impact for health, people, and the planet. Her leadership of Danone’s Impact Journey reflects a commitment to turning sustainability from a corporate aspiration into tangible, reportable results.
At OYW2025, Nathalie presented on “Danone: Building a Sustainable Business Combining Economic Viability and Planetary Health,” sharing her strategic vision for sustainability transformation with young delegates from around the world. Her session explored how a major global food company can pursue the green transition without sacrificing commercial performance, offering a model for how business and planetary health can genuinely be advanced together.
Title: CEO of GmbH
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Circular Economy
Christian is CEO of PA GmbH, based in Munich, Germany, where he is making circular electrical appliances a practical reality through innovative recycling strategies. His expertise in the circular economy focuses on optimising the disassembly processes for large household appliances such as washing machines, unlocking hidden value within material streams and boosting resource efficiency for recycling companies. Christian’s work drives sustainable business models that prioritise closed-loop systems, higher yields from secondary raw materials, and meaningful reductions in CO2 emissions by favouring recycling over incineration. His company operates in close partnership with institutions such as Fraunhofer IZM, combining industrial expertise with cutting-edge research to advance the field. Christian’s approach demonstrates that circular economy principles are not simply an environmental aspiration but a viable commercial proposition capable of generating real value.
At OYW2025, he spoke on the “Innovations in Circular Economy: Bridging Urban Projects and Munich’s Business Landscape” panel, organised by the City of Munich. The session explored how cities and businesses can collaborate through platforms such as the Zero Waste Innovation Hub to implement practical circular strategies. Alongside startup founders and municipal innovators, Christian addressed the challenges of transforming existing business models for greater sustainability and resource efficiency, offering concrete examples of how industry can lead the transition to a more circular economy.
Title: Senior Scientist, ERG Leader, and US Business Coordinator with Biomedical Research at Novartis
Where are they based: Boston, Massachusetts
Area of expertise: Biomedical Research
Samantha is a Senior Scientist, ERG Leader, and US Business Coordinator in Biomedical Research at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), based in Boston, Massachusetts. In this multifaceted role, she advances cutting-edge scientific research while simultaneously leading inclusive employee resource groups and coordinating US business operations to drive innovation in drug discovery and development. Her expertise spans laboratory science, diversity and inclusion leadership, and strategic coordination, all of which contribute to Novartis’s overarching mission of transforming medicine through collaborative research. Working from NIBR’s Cambridge campus, Samantha supports interdisciplinary teams tackling some of the most complex health challenges of our time, from novel therapies to precision medicine approaches. Her work as an ERG leader is equally important to her professional identity, promoting equity and belonging within the workplace and enhancing the organisational culture that underpins scientific progress.
Samantha’s ability to hold both a rigorous scientific role and a people-centred leadership function reflects a holistic understanding of what it takes to build truly high-performing research organisations. Her inspiring presence within Novartis extends beyond the laboratory, as she encourages colleagues across functions to consider how their work connects to broader questions of access, inclusion, and the responsible development of medicines that can improve and save lives across diverse global communities.
Title: Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer / Member of the Group Executive Committee / CEO, Fondation L’Oréal
Where are they based: Paris, France
Area of expertise: CSR
Ezgi is Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and a member of L’Oréal Groupe’s Executive Committee, while also serving as CEO of Fondation L’Oréal, based in Paris, France. In these combined senior roles, she oversees the company’s global sustainability strategy through the L’Oréal for the Future programme, integrating corporate social responsibility across all operations to advance environmental stewardship, social equity, and inclusive beauty. Her expertise in CSR drives ambitious targets including carbon neutrality and reduced Scope 3 emissions, alongside longstanding support for women in science through the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science awards, which have empowered over 4,400 researchers worldwide since 1998. Before joining L’Oréal, Ezgi served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Anheuser-Busch InBev, where she developed deep expertise in water stewardship and agricultural sustainability. This experience informs her current approach to fostering purposeful collaborations that benefit both business and the planet.
At OYW2025, she spoke on the session “L’Oréal: How Innovation and Purposeful Collaboration are Driving Systemic Change,” exploring how the beauty industry is being fundamentally transformed through science, technology, and purpose-led partnership. Her session highlighted how a global consumer brand can use its scale and influence to drive meaningful progress on the most pressing environmental and social challenges facing business and society today.
Title: Podcast producer, reporter, storyteller
Where are they based: London
Area of expertise: Podcasting
Harry is a podcast producer, reporter, and storyteller at the BBC World Service, based in London. He specialises in crafting compelling audio narratives for acclaimed programmes, including The Global News Podcast and its solutions-focused spin-off, The Happy Pod, covering global affairs, innovation, science, and human interest stories from underserved communities around the world. With deep expertise in ethical storytelling and constructive journalism, Harry excels across live reporting, audio editing, sound mixing, and programme hosting, drawing audiences through immersive and accessible content designed to educate and inspire. His career at the BBC has spanned numerous output strands, with previous roles producing news bulletins for BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, 5 Live, and 6 Music. He also helped launch BBC Voice News for smart devices via Alexa, Google, and Siri, demonstrating his ability to innovate as audio journalism evolves. Earlier in his career, Harry undertook freelance work for BBC Radio Wales, produced podcasts at Bengo Media, and managed programming at Xpress Radio during university.
At OYW2025, Harry contributed to the session “How to Get a Journalist’s Attention in 30 Seconds (and Then Keep It),” sharing practical and direct insights on how young leaders and changemakers can pitch their stories effectively to journalists and newsrooms, helping them amplify their work on the world stage.
Title: Social project management
Where are they based: Madrid, Spain
Area of expertise: Social impact
Lola is a Project Technician at United Way España, based in Madrid, Spain, where she works as a social project management specialist. Her role centres on coordinating initiatives that foster strong community networks, promote equal opportunities, and drive collective transformation through collaboration between companies, volunteers, and public institutions. Lola is deeply committed to the belief that united efforts are essential to building a resilient social fabric capable of withstanding the pressures facing communities across Europe. In her work, she leverages cross-sector partnerships to advance integration and sustainability, contributing to projects spanning Spain, Italy, and Portugal that address education, inclusion, and community development at the grassroots level. Her expertise lies in translating large-scale social goals into practical, coordinated programmes that deliver real impact for the people and communities they serve. Lola recognises that meaningful change requires sustained collaboration rather than isolated interventions, and she brings this philosophy to everything she does at United Way España.
At the One Young World 2025 Summit in Munich, Lola represented United Way and spoke about the power of building partnerships to amplify meaningful social change. She shared insights from her work on the ground, illustrating how organisations of different types and sizes can combine their resources, networks, and expertise to achieve outcomes that none could accomplish working alone.
Title: Tech reporter covering AI | Harvard Nieman Fellow
Where are they based: Los Angeles, USA
Area of expertise: Journalism
Nilesh is a tech reporter covering artificial intelligence for the Los Angeles Times, based in Los Angeles, USA, and a Harvard Nieman Fellow. His journalism investigates the profound societal impacts of AI, examining how the technology empowers, harms, and reshapes communities through a deeply human lens. Previously South Asia correspondent for Rest of World, Nilesh reported extensively on technology’s role in non-Western contexts, covering topics as varied as Apple’s supply chains in India, the use of deepfakes in elections, and Chinese apps reshaping cultural life across Asia. His freelance work has appeared in WIRED, The Atlantic, BBC, and Vice, earning prestigious recognition. With an engineering background supplemented by a journalism diploma, Nilesh brings rare technical depth to his reporting, allowing him to bridge complex technology trends, policy questions, and cultural analysis in ways that make AI accessible and meaningful to broad audiences. His current reporting focuses on AI’s influence on politics, the environment, and daily lives in places like California, where the decisions of companies such as OpenAI and Nvidia have global consequences.
At OYW2025, Nilesh participated in sessions on technology, AI ethics, and journalism’s role in addressing global challenges, sharing insights from his reporting on AI-generated content in elections and its wider societal disruptions. including India’s Ramnath Goenka award for excellence in journalism.
Title: Ecologist and Environmental Advocate and Special Advisor, Head of Initiatives
Where are they based: Los Angeles, California
Area of expertise: Ecologist and Environment
Dr Clausing is an ecologist, environmental advocate, and Special Advisor serving as Head of Initiatives at the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, based in Los Angeles, California. Her scientific expertise spans marine ecology, ecophysiology, harmful algae, and ecotoxicology, underpinned by a PhD in Biology from UCLA, where she also served as Assistant Project Scientist. Dr Clausing’s research examines environmental stress on intertidal ecosystems, restoration techniques that account for stressors including temperature and herbivory, and how organisms respond within diverse marine habitats ranging from coral reefs to algal-dominated systems. A Fulbright Scholar and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, she has accumulated international experience at the IAEA, Università degli Studi di Genova, and Victoria University of Wellington, bridging cutting-edge science with practical environmental advocacy. Her published work covers topics including risk tradeoffs in ecological restoration and herbivory dynamics following disturbance events, informing policy discussions on ocean health, biodiversity, and sustainable coastal management.
At the One Young World 2025 Summit in Munich, Dr Clausing participated in sessions focused on environmental conservation and ecological resilience. She contributed insights drawn from her marine research, addressing the urgent challenge of protecting vulnerable ecosystems amid escalating climate threats and the critical role that scientific evidence must play in shaping the policies and actions needed to safeguard the world’s oceans.
Title: Socioeconomic Rights Law Advocate | Inclusive Philanthropy Champion
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Socioeconomic Rights Law Advocate and Inclusive Philanthropy Champion
Dr Danesh is Chief Executive Officer of the Africa College Foundation, based in London, UK, and a leading socioeconomic rights law advocate and inclusive philanthropy champion. Holding a PhD in Law from Kingston University, her research explores what she describes as human rights 2.0, integrating law, education, and technology to strengthen socioeconomic rights, particularly in contexts such as Iran and Africa. Her work focuses on advancing access to education and development through legislation, technology, and strategic partnerships across the private and third sectors. A former child refugee herself, Dr Danesh brings both personal experience and professional expertise to her advocacy, championing funding for marginalised youth and supporting child refugees through organisations including the Persia Educational Foundation. She also advises on foreign policy and is a trustee fostering inclusive philanthropy aimed at empowering 42 per cent of the world’s youth by 2030. Her work with bodies such as the Skoll Foundation further reflects her commitment to systemic change in how education and opportunity are distributed globally.
At OYW2025, Dr Danesh spoke on the panel “Maximising the World’s Youngest Continent Through Education,” sharing her vision for how education, law, and technology can be combined to unlock opportunity for the next generation across Africa and beyond.
Title: Global Innovation Director at UNICEF
Where are they based: New York, USA
Area of expertise: Innovation and philanthropy
Thomas is Global Innovation Director at UNICEF’s Office of Innovation, based in New York, USA. With expertise spanning innovation and philanthropy, he leads UNICEF’s efforts to identify, cultivate, and scale child-centred technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, data science, and innovative finance mechanisms. Thomas works in close collaboration with the private sector, governments, and young innovators to create global public goods that benefit the world’s most vulnerable children. Since reinventing the innovation team in 2021, he has served as an advisor to the UN Secretary General on emerging technologies and has contributed to frameworks such as the Global Digital Compact, which aims to ensure equitable digital futures for children everywhere. His career in nonprofits spans over two decades, with leadership experience across the Balkans, South Asia, the Middle East, Thailand, and Algeria. As UNICEF Representative and Head of Mission in Thailand, he pioneered community health insurance, early childhood development, and private sector partnership models.
He also served as Deputy Regional Director for East Asia Pacific and has championed initiatives, including Giga, which aims to connect every school in the world to the internet.
At OYW2025, Thomas spoke on the panel “UNICEF: Learning Without Boundaries: Advancing Education Access While Protecting Children in Learning.”
Title: Health & Benefits Market Leader at Willis Towers Watson
Where are they based: Colorado, USA
Area of expertise: Health and Benefits
Monica leads Health and Benefits as Market Leader for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming at Willis Towers Watson, based in Colorado, USA. Her expertise drives strategic consulting on employee wellbeing, total rewards optimisation, and healthcare navigation in an environment characterised by rising costs and rapidly evolving workforce needs. With deep experience in benefits design, Monica empowers organisations to build empathy-driven cultures through thoughtful approaches to autonomy, purposeful leadership, and data-informed programmes that enhance engagement and retention. She bridges client challenges with innovative solutions, from mental health support to flexible benefits packages, helping employers construct resilient teams in competitive markets. Her professional philosophy centres on human connection, treating every interaction as an opportunity to turn complex regulatory requirements into pathways for inclusive growth and employee-centric strategies that genuinely align business goals with personal wellbeing. Monica understands that benefits and total rewards are not merely administrative functions but powerful signals of how much an organisation values its people.
At OYW2025, Monica participated in sessions focused on health, benefits, and leadership in employee wellbeing. She shared her insights on transforming total rewards frameworks to promote a genuine sense of belonging and sustainability within global workforces, encouraging young leaders to champion people-first cultures in their own organisations and careers.
Title: CEO at DSM-Firmenich
Where are they based: Basel, Switzerland
Area of expertise: Sustainability
Dimitri is CEO of DSM-Firmenich, a global leader in sustainable nutrition, health, and beauty solutions, based in Basel, Switzerland. With extensive expertise in sustainability, he has driven the company’s profound transformation towards regenerative business practices, with a focus on circular economies, climate action, and ethical supply chains that deliver measurable benefits for people, planet, and profit alike. His leadership approach emphasises innovation in biotechnology and materials science as essential tools for addressing global challenges, including food security and decarbonisation, and he has earned widespread recognition for his ability to integrate purpose seamlessly into long-term business strategy. Under his leadership, DSM-Firmenich has become a model for how a major multinational corporation can pursue commercial success while remaining genuinely committed to positive impact. Dimitri believes that polarisation and division are obstacles to the kind of systemic change the world urgently needs, and he advocates consistently for collaboration and connection as the foundations of meaningful progress.
At OYW2025, Dimitri delivered a plenary session titled “Polarising is for Beginners,” in which he explored the transformative power of human connection in a divided world. Drawing on DSM-Firmenich’s own experiences of forging inclusive partnerships, he made a compelling case for bridging divides through collaboration as the most effective strategy for achieving lasting, sustainable impact at scale.
Title: Journalist at the BBC World Service
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Journalism and podacasting
Jacob is an award-winning journalist at the BBC World Service, based in London, UK, with expertise spanning journalism and podcasting. Currently an Advanced Journalism Trainee, he covers significant international stories, including events in the Middle East and Gaza, delivering insightful radio reports and making television appearances for BBC News and BBC London. Named a 2025 John Schofield Trust fellow, Jacob excels in multimedia storytelling, engaging global audiences through investigative pieces, live broadcasts, and an active presence on social media platforms where he shares both his travels and professional insights. His journalism is characterised by a commitment to giving voice to those whose stories are often overlooked, and by a rigorous approach to accuracy and fairness even when covering the most sensitive and complex international situations. Jacob’s experience reporting from conflict-affected regions has given him a distinctive ability to contextualise breaking events within their broader historical and political frameworks, making his work both accessible and analytically rich.
At the One Young World 2025 Summit, Jacob contributed as a media professional, leveraging the BBC World Service’s global platform to amplify youth-led discussions around pressing challenges, including conflict, climate change, and social justice. His role drew on his experience in sensitive regions to facilitate meaningful dialogues on peacebuilding, media ethics, and the responsibilities of journalism in a fractured world.
Title: Global Chief People & Purpose Officer at Deloitte
Where are they based: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Area of expertise: HR
Elizabeth is Deloitte’s Global Chief People and Purpose Officer, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, with expertise spanning human resources, talent strategy, and sustainability. A member of Deloitte’s Global Executive Committee, she chairs the Global Talent, Inclusion, and Purpose Executives, driving inclusive talent experiences and embedding purpose to deliver meaningful environmental and social impact across Deloitte’s global operations. With over thirty years at the firm, including a period leading People and Purpose in Asia Pacific from Singapore, Elizabeth champions diversity, lifelong learning, and climate strategies at the highest organisational levels. She also serves on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Executive Committee, bringing Deloitte’s perspective to global conversations about responsible business. Holding an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elizabeth is a tireless advocate for women’s inclusion and societal impact through innovative HR leadership. Her approach reflects a belief that the way organisations attract, develop, and retain talent is inseparable from their ability to create lasting positive impact in the world.
At OYW2025, Elizabeth participated as a key speaker, drawing on her extensive Asia Pacific experience and Deloitte’s prior delegations to previous summits. She addressed the importance of integrating purpose into global talent strategies, with particular emphasis on youth empowerment, inclusion, and sustainable business practices amid accelerating climate challenges.
Title: Chief Financial Officer and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Siemens Energy
Where are they based: Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
Area of expertise: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Maria is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Siemens Energy, based in Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. A Canadian native with over twenty years of experience at Siemens, she manages the company’s global finances while simultaneously championing comprehensive DEI strategies, including global councils, measurable KPIs for women in leadership targeting 25 per cent representation by 2025, and clear links between inclusion and business performance outcomes such as team profitability. Her dual role uniquely integrates financial oversight with sustainable value creation, emphasising transparency in sustainability reporting and diverse supplier spend as integral components of Siemens Energy’s broader energy transition goals. Maria’s leadership demonstrates that financial strategy and social responsibility are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing ones. Her work shows how organisations committed to genuine inclusion tend to be more innovative, more resilient, and better positioned for long-term success.
At OYW2025, Maria addressed young delegates on how to leverage diversity, equity, and inclusion as genuine drivers of innovation in energy technology. Drawing from Siemens Energy’s real-world decarbonisation efforts and inclusive leadership models, she highlighted how diverse teams generate more creative solutions to climate challenges. Her session connected financial strategies directly to social impact, inspiring attendees to make actionable personal commitments to equity within the sustainable industries that will define the next generation of global economic activity.
Title: Associate Buyer at Kerry Group
Where are they based: Dublin, Ireland
Area of expertise: Disability Pillar Dublin Lead of Kerry Groups Employee Resource Group
Laura Foody is a dedicated procurement professional and advocate for diversity and inclusion, currently working as an Associate Buyer at Kerry Group, a global leader in taste and nutrition. Based in Dublin, she operates within the European procurement team, where she expertly manages strategic sourcing and cultivates supplier relationships across essential ingredient categories. With extensive experience in both direct and indirect procurement, Laura excels at driving value through collaborative partnerships and effective spend management. In addition to her procurement responsibilities, she volunteers as the Disability Pillar Lead on Kerry’s European Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee, tirelessly promoting accessibility, equity, and inclusive practices in the workplace.
Laura’s commitment to purpose-driven leadership shines through her involvement with One Young World, where she participates as a young leader focused on addressing global challenges.
She is a qualified professional, holding credentials from CIPS – The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, which underscores her dedication to procurement excellence. Her efforts align with broader initiatives to foster sustainable supply chains and empower underrepresented groups, ensuring her work contributes meaningfully to both the organisation and society.
Title: Senior Vice President, Group Communications
Where are they based: Paris, France
Area of expertise: Communications
Nadège de Brandois is Senior Vice President, Group Communications at Pernod Ricard, based in Paris, France, with expertise in strategic communications across consumer goods, FMCG, and health sectors. Her career includes senior communications roles at Procter and Gamble, where she served as Communications Senior Director for France and Benelux, as well as positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Danone, giving her a breadth of sector experience that informs her current leadership at one of the world’s most recognised spirits groups. Nadège excels in corporate messaging, crisis management, sustainability communications, and stakeholder engagement, with a particular emphasis on building lasting organisational reputation and fostering genuine dialogue with media and NGOs. She also coaches communications teams to navigate the distinctive challenges of the digital age, including the proliferation of fake news and rapidly shifting societal expectations around transparency and accountability. A graduate of Sciences Po Grenoble and NEOMA Business School, Nadège has been recognised with accolades including the European Excellence Award for innovative communications campaigns.
At OYW2025, she contributed to sessions on purposeful communications, drawing on her extensive experience to guide young leaders in the art of authentic storytelling for global impact. Her session explored how brands can act as genuine drivers of social change through transparent and credible narratives on sustainability and inclusion.
Title: Founder – Champion South Africa, Host of The National Pulse on SAfm Radio, MC/ Moderator/ Keynote Speaker, and Co-founder of Padel News Network
Where are they based: Johannesburg, South Africa
Area of expertise: Communications
Ashraf is the Founder of Champion South Africa, a nation-building movement dedicated to fostering a champion mindset across every corner of the country. He also hosts The National Pulse on SAfm Radio and works as a professional MC, moderator, and keynote speaker, as well as serving as co-founder of Padel News Network. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, his primary area of expertise is communications, encompassing broadcasting, media training, and public speaking across a career that spans radio, television, and digital content creation. Ashraf has moderated high-profile events, including BRICS Summits and served as a World Cup analyst for international outlets such as CNN and Al Jazeera, bringing his voice to global audiences on the world’s biggest stages. His Champion South Africa initiative is rooted in the conviction that national transformation begins with individual mindset, and that communications professionals have a particular responsibility to model and inspire the excellence they wish to see in their communities.
At OYW2025, Ashraf spoke on leveraging communications to inspire national unity and personal excellence, drawing directly from his work with Champion South Africa.
He emphasised the power of mindset shifts for young leaders seeking to drive social justice and economic progress in diverse societies, sharing practical strategies for using media platforms to amplify underrepresented voices and champion people as the foundation for building champion nations.
Title: Head of AI GTM | DACH | Google Cloud
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: AI
Michael is Head of Artificial Intelligence Go-To-Market for the DACH region at Google Cloud, based in Munich, Germany. In this senior commercial role, he focuses on helping enterprises across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland adopt artificial intelligence at a meaningful scale, shaping the commercial strategy and customer engagement around Google Cloud’s growing portfolio of AI products and solutions. His background spans cloud computing, data strategy, and artificial intelligence, and he is widely recognised for his ability to translate complex and often abstract AI capabilities into practical, measurable business outcomes for sectors including retail and travel. Michael’s approach to AI adoption is both pragmatic and human-centred, emphasising the importance of responsible implementation alongside competitive performance. He believes that the organisations best positioned to benefit from AI are those that invest in both the technical infrastructure and the cultural change needed to use it well.
At OYW2025, Michael participated in a Google Cloud session on how young leaders and organisations can “adapt and survive” by getting ahead of the rapidly evolving AI curve. He spoke about using generative AI responsibly to boost productivity, make better and faster decisions, and remain competitive as technology continues to transform every industry. His contribution emphasised practical AI use cases, the critical value of experimentation, and the imperative of balancing innovation with ethical and human-centred implementation.