This is part four of my series looking at 100 speakers to follow from large organisations that spoke at OYW2025 in Munich, Germany. This article features speakers from companies such as the Sandoz, Reckitt, Royles-Royce, Allianz SE and organisations involved in politics and peace building, to name a few. Like parts one and two, their expertise is in a range of areas such as journalism, sport, female empowerment, HR, talent acquisition, DEI, sustainability, social justice, and social impact in their respective fields. There are more than 10 nations from a broad range of countries, showcasing how broad the summits’ reach is.
Title: Senior Programme Officer at Global Health
Where are they based: Los Angeles, California, USA
Area of expertise: Healthcare Programmes around the world
Summer is Senior Programme Officer at the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, based in Los Angeles, USA, with expertise in managing global healthcare programmes focused on sexual and reproductive health rights, health inequalities, and strategic grant-making. She oversees significant initiatives including the Durex x USC IIGH Global Sexual Health Fund, managing strategic partnerships and communications for projects that address health equity in measurable and accountable ways, including oral history efforts centred on human rights. Her work spans programme strategy, implementation, and impact measurement across diverse regions, ensuring that USC IIGH’s resources and influence are directed towards the populations most underserved by existing global health systems. Summer is committed to evidence-based approaches to health equity and to ensuring that the voices and experiences of affected communities shape the design and delivery of programmes intended to serve them. Her work on sexual and reproductive health reflects a conviction that these issues are not peripheral to global health but absolutely central to it, with profound consequences for individual wellbeing, gender equality, and intergenerational poverty.
At OYW2025, Summer spoke on the plenary “Let’s speech About Sex (Education): Breaking Taboos, Building Truth,” alongside Michaela Kuhndörfer and Roman Malessa. The session confronted the urgent challenges of rising STIs, unintended pregnancies, and rampant misinformation, advocating for comprehensive sex education that genuinely empowers young people, meaningfully supports LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, and counters online disinformation through evidence-based policy and improved digital literacy.
Title: Global IP Head at Sandoz
Where are they based: Zurich, Switzerland
Area of expertise: Intellectual property
Julia is Global Head of IP at Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, a role she has held since March 2020. With a career spanning private practice and senior in-house positions across the pharmaceutical industry, she brings deep expertise in IP strategy and litigation to one of the world’s most complex and fast-evolving sectors. Before joining Sandoz in 2008, Julia practised at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and held in-house counsel roles at Mayne Pharma and Hospira Inc. Within Sandoz, she has taken on responsibilities spanning European public affairs and the global IP litigation function, and has maintained a keen interest in patent strategy worldwide, including under Hatch-Waxman legislation in the US, PM(NOC) regulations in Canada, and patent linkage systems globally. She played a leading role in the first wave of US biosimilars litigation under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, culminating in the landmark US Supreme Court decision in Sandoz v. Amgen.
At OYW2025, Julia gave an entertaining talk about a very serious topic: the responsible use of patents for driving innovation and expanding access to medicines. Sandoz believes that helping the public understand how patents impact access to the best possible treatment is a vitally important part of its commitment to making affordable medicines widely accessible. If the public finds patents overly complicated, they tend to disengage. That lack of understanding allows some companies to use the patent system in ways that limit competition, keep prices high, and hinder patient access and health outcomes without facing any consequences for those choices. By demystifying patents, we empower everyone, from young leaders to policymakers, to recognise what’s at stake and to take action to curb patent-system abuses.
Title: Business leader, climate and equality campaigner
Where are they based: The Netherlands
Area of expertise: Climate and Equality
Paul is a prominent business leader, climate campaigner, and equality advocate based in the Netherlands, widely regarded as one of the most influential voices on the relationship between business, sustainability, and society. As CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019, he pioneered the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which successfully decoupled the company’s growth from its environmental footprint while delivering a remarkable 290 per cent shareholder return and consistent top-tier sustainability rankings from every major index. A co-architect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Paul now chairs organisations including One Young World and Oxford Saïd Business School, advocating for net-positive business models that go beyond merely reducing harm to actively restoring and strengthening the natural and social systems on which all business depends. He drives coalitions for climate action, equitable finance, and systemic change through board roles at the Rockefeller Foundation and the European Climate Foundation. Paul is one of the most credible and persistent voices arguing that there is no long-term conflict between doing good and doing well, and that businesses which recognise this are better placed for the future.
At OYW2025, Paul joined the session “Business for Good: Driving Purpose and Impact” with young entrepreneur Tina Taylor, exploring how companies can effectively address climate change, inequality, and ethical innovation together, sharing the hard-won lessons from Unilever’s experience and urging young leaders to embed genuine societal value in their business strategies from the outset.
Title: Senior Associate – Partnerships at United Way of Chennai
Where are they based: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Area of expertise: Philanthropy
Abhinaya is a Senior Associate for Partnerships at United Way of Chennai, based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, where her expertise lies in philanthropy and the strategic mobilisation of corporate resources for community impact. She leads CSR partnerships to fund education, environment, and inclusive development initiatives, working to align corporate social responsibility strategies with community needs in ways that create lasting rather than superficial change. Previously involved with the Global Shapers Community Chennai Hub and Bhumi’s School Transformation Program, Abhinaya has developed a sophisticated understanding of how different actors in the development ecosystem can complement and amplify each other’s work. She drives strategic collaborations that enhance youth opportunity, economic mobility, and community resilience through thoughtful grant-making and ecosystem building that connects resources to real needs. Abhinaya is passionate about the transformative power of quality education and the role that philanthropy can play in ensuring that it reaches children who would otherwise be left behind.
At OYW2025, Abhinaya participated in the session “Unlocking Brighter Futures with United Way: Expanding Access to Education for Every Child,” led by Angela F. Williams. As part of United Way’s delegation, she shared insights on overcoming the systemic barriers to quality education, highlighting the importance of grassroots community engagement, cross-sector partnerships, and innovative solutions to breaking the cycles of poverty that deny millions of children the futures they deserve.
Title: Chief Environmental Officer at Audi
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Sustainability
Rüdiger is Chief Environmental Officer for the Audi Group and Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation GmbH, based in Ingolstadt near Munich, Germany. His expertise centres on sustainability, overseeing environmental protection across all Audi plants worldwide and ensuring compliance with a growing range of demanding regulations, including the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and EU Taxonomy, alongside ESG ratings and investor expectations. He leads Audi’s Mission:Zero programme, which aims to achieve CO₂ neutrality in production, advance resource conservation, and protect biodiversity across the company’s global footprint. As head of the Audi Environmental Foundation, he also promotes technical innovations that go beyond regulatory compliance to actively demonstrate Audi’s commitment to environmental leadership within the automotive sector. Rüdiger’s work reflects a conviction that sustainability in manufacturing is not simply about reducing risk; it is about building the kind of organisation that can genuinely thrive in a world of increasingly constrained natural resources and heightened environmental expectations.
At OYW2025, Rüdiger participated in a session on automotive sustainability and climate action, sharing Audi’s concrete strategies for achieving net carbon-neutral production, navigating the electric mobility transition, and embedding circular economy practices throughout the supply chain. He highlighted the Audi 360factory’s innovative use of artificial intelligence and renewable energy to decarbonise production sites, urging young leaders to champion industry-wide transformation for more resilient supply chains and meaningful biodiversity protection.
Title: EMEA Managing Director – Artificial Intelligence @ Google Cloud
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Artificial Intelligence
Alex is EMEA Managing Director for Artificial Intelligence at Google Cloud, based in London, UK. With over twenty years in technology leadership, he oversees AI strategy, sales, operations, and go-to-market activities across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, helping enterprises navigate the increasingly complex and rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence adoption. Previously Vice President at IBM UK and Ireland and Director for Retail AI solutions, Alex drives scalable AI adoption using Google’s Gemini models, agentic frameworks, and robust governance structures to deliver personalised customer experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. He is a strong advocate for what he calls “consumable AI,” practical and accessible tools that bridge the gap between IT caution and business urgency, allowing organisations to realise AI’s potential without requiring deep technical expertise. His focus on responsible AI governance reflects a belief that the long-term success of enterprise AI depends on organisations being able to trust the systems they deploy. Alex is also a board member at SpoonGuru, which applies AI to nutritional information, and coaches senior leaders through Beyond Barriers.
At the One Young World 2025 Summit in Munich, he addressed AI’s transformative role in business, urging young leaders to deploy equitable, well-governed AI solutions for resilient and inclusive growth, and sharing practical guidance on building the skills and mindsets needed to lead in an AI-powered world.
Title: Lawyer. Political analysis, institutional relations, corporate communications.
Where are they based: Lima, Peru
Area of expertise: Politics
Erick is a lawyer specialising in political analysis, institutional relations, and corporate communications, based in Lima, Peru. His expertise centres on politics and the sophisticated navigation of Peru’s complex governmental landscape, where he advises organisations on policy implications, fosters strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors, and crafts communication strategies designed to influence and engage key stakeholders effectively. With a strong foundation in legal practice, Erick brings intellectual rigour to his analysis of political dynamics, combining legal expertise with an acute understanding of how institutions work, how they can be engaged, and how communications can shape perceptions and outcomes in politically sensitive environments. His work bridges the worlds of law, politics, and corporate communications in ways that are increasingly valuable to organisations seeking to operate effectively in Peru’s evolving and sometimes unpredictable political landscape. Erick understands that meaningful institutional relations require both technical expertise and genuine relationship building over time, and he invests in both. He is also committed to the idea that personal passion and professional impact are not competing forces but complementary ones.
At OYW2025, Erick participated as Institutional Relations Manager in the session “Combining Passion with Political Impact.” He contributed to discussions exploring how to merge authentic personal commitment with tangible political change, aligning with the summit’s broader focus on leadership in security, inclusion, and sustainability, and sharing his own experience of doing exactly that in the demanding context of Peruvian institutional life.
Title: Investing in social innovation and scaling the impact economy
Where are they based: Birmingham, UK
Area of expertise: Social Innovation
Hamzah leads efforts in investing in social innovation and scaling the impact economy, based in Birmingham, UK. His expertise in social innovation is rooted in personal experience; growing up in a single-parent household shaped by his mother’s community activism, Hamzah has spent his professional life building the kind of systemic solutions that create opportunity where structural barriers currently prevent it. Until late 2024, he served as Global Head of Social Impact and Innovation at Reckitt, where he spearheaded flagship initiatives including the Fight for Access Accelerator and WIN Fund, supporting over fifty social entrepreneurs across ten countries. These programmes scaled health, hygiene, and nutrition access, reaching millions of people through innovative financing and behaviour change interventions, including water filtration solutions in South Africa and reproductive health education programmes across multiple markets. Hamzah’s approach to social innovation is characterised by a conviction that corporate resources, when deployed strategically and in genuine partnership with communities, can catalyse change at a scale that traditional philanthropy alone cannot achieve. He is also a long-standing One Young World Ambassador, deeply committed to the community.
At OYW2025, Hamzah contributed to sessions on social impact and business as a force for good, sharing insights from his extensive experience at Reckitt and offering practical strategies for the kind of corporate social intrapreneurship that can create lasting change within large organisations.
Title: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Expert
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Tamy is an innovation and entrepreneurship expert based in Munich, Germany, working as Innovation Manager for the City of Munich. In this role, she spearheads flagship initiatives, including the Munich City Lab, a dedicated innovation space that brings together startups, researchers, city government, and corporate stakeholders to prototype and test solutions across areas, including the circular economy and smart urban development. Her work emphasises the creation of practical innovation ecosystems that enable scalable entrepreneurship through events, funding bridges, and cross-sector dialogues that address real-world challenges such as resource efficiency and community resilience in one of Europe’s most dynamic and ambitious cities. Tamy is particularly skilled at the crucial interface between public and private sectors, cultivating collaborative environments where entrepreneurial ideas can move from concept to tested prototype with the kind of institutional support that independent startups often struggle to access alone. She believes that city governments have both the responsibility and the unique ability to act as platforms for innovation rather than simply as regulators of it. Her work in Munich reflects this conviction in practice.
At OYW2025, Tamy served as a speaker in the session “Innovations in Circular Economy: Bridging Urban Projects and Munich’s Business Landscape,” sharing her expertise on how city-led initiatives can be effectively linked with corporate actors and entrepreneurs to advance circular systems. She shared concrete examples from Munich’s innovation landscape that demonstrate how public-private collaboration can accelerate the transition to a genuinely circular economy.
Title: Impact Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation Manager
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Impact Entrepreneurship
Birgit is Impact Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Manager for the City of Munich, based in Munich, Germany, where her expertise in impact entrepreneurship focuses on fostering startups that generate meaningful societal and environmental change aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She acts as the primary contact and champion for Munich’s impact startups at all stages of development, offering tailored advice, facilitating access to relevant networks such as Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland and Munich Urban Colab, and actively bridging the gap between city administration and the innovators whose work can help Munich become a more sustainable and inclusive city. Birgit supports ventures tackling challenges from waste reduction and refugee integration to family-work balance through innovative childcare models and food waste reduction through community kitchens. She champions rigorous impact measurement, funding access, and entrepreneurship education programmes designed to embed impact-oriented thinking in schools and to inspire the next generation of social innovators. Her work illustrates what it looks like for a city to take the SDGs seriously as a framework for local action rather than simply as global aspirations.
At OYW2025, Birgit participated in discussions on energy optimisation, corporate sustainability, and education for sustainable development. She contributed insights on leveraging social innovation as a practical and powerful strategy for advancing energy efficiency and broader sustainability goals, sharing examples from Munich’s thriving impact startup ecosystem.
Title: Chair of the Zurich Foundation
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Philanthropy in Sport
Gary chairs the Z Zurich Foundation, based in London, UK, and brings to this role a career in senior financial services leadership, including roles as CEO EMEA at Zurich Insurance, UK Managing Director at Fidelity International, and senior positions at Prudential and Bank of Scotland. Despite receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015, Gary accelerated rather than retreated from his leadership responsibilities, overseeing 20,000 employees across 22 countries and driving significant cultural and digital transformations. His philanthropic expertise lies in the creative and impactful use of sport, and since becoming Chair of both Parkinson’s UK and England Athletics in 2021, he has channelled his personal experience of living with Parkinson’s into powerful advocacy, raising over £600,000 through endurance challenges and consistently promoting the physical and mental health benefits of running and regular physical activity. Elected Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation in 2024, Gary steers the Foundation’s grants towards climate resilience, mental health, and social justice for vulnerable communities, embodying a philosophy of transparent, impactful giving as an active member of SwissFoundations. He was awarded a CBE in 2023 for his contributions to business and charity.
At OYW2025, Gary participated in sessions on philanthropy and sport’s role in building social capital and supporting individual resilience, sharing strategies for leveraging corporate foundations to support young leaders in health and broader wellbeing initiatives.
Title: Director of Global Policy & Advocacy at Women for Women International
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Empowerment of Female Sports
Stephanie directs Global Policy and Advocacy at Women for Women International, based in London, UK. Her expertise centres on advancing policies that amplify the voices of women in conflict zones and promote gender equity throughout humanitarian and peacebuilding responses, with sport playing a particular role in her empowerment-focused advocacy. With extensive experience in humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work, Stephanie coordinates efforts to integrate women’s leadership into global agendas including the Women, Peace and Security framework. She draws constant inspiration from the stories of survivors whose resilience in the face of extraordinary hardship speaks more powerfully than any policy document. Her advocacy has focused on economic empowerment, land rights, and community-led change in places including the Democratic Republic of Congo, where her work has contributed to securing formal land titles for women and influencing the development of more equitable policies. As a key figure in networks such as Bond’s SDG Steering Group, she bridges civil society with decision-makers to ensure that marginalised women have a genuine and sustained say in the peace processes and recovery initiatives that will determine the shape of their communities and their futures.
At OYW2025, Stephanie participated in sessions advancing women’s empowerment and policy advocacy for gender equity in sports and beyond, contributing her insights on how sport can be a particularly powerful vehicle for female leadership development and community resilience in divided and conflict-affected contexts.
Title: Founder & CEO at Charter Oak Impact
Where are they based: New York, USA
Area of expertise: Social entrepreneurship
Will founded and leads Charter Oak Impact as CEO from New York, USA. His expertise in social entrepreneurship spans education, sports for development, social justice, and sustainability, with a career built on the conviction that business and sport can and should be powerful tools for empowering young people in underserved communities. He established LEAD Edu, which includes the LEAD Monrovia Football Academy in Liberia and LEAD Morocco, programmes that together serve 325 students daily with a combination of academic classes, elite sports training, and structured pathways to higher education and professional careers, with an impact that has reached over 135,000 children globally to date. Through Charter Oak Impact, Will advises companies, nonprofits, and individual philanthropists on bespoke social impact strategies covering gender equality, racial justice, economic empowerment, and crisis relief, working across Africa, Europe, and the Americas. He speaks regularly at prestigious forums, including Oxford and FIFA and serves on boards, including that of William and Mary’s Global Research Institute. Holding an MSc from Oxford and degrees from William and Mary and Santa Clara University, he blends his own athletic background with rigorous strategic impact thinking to drive measurable and lasting change.
At OYW2025, Will participated in sessions on social entrepreneurship and sports for development, sharing lessons from founding Charter Oak Impact and LEAD Edu on scaling youth empowerment through the powerful combination of education and sport in the world’s most underserved communities.
Title: Local Governance ambassador UNALFA 2020| CEO Youth Institute for Peace and Local Governance
Where are they based: Tokyo, Japan
Area of expertise: Local Governance
Emmanuel leads as CEO of the Youth Institute for Peace and Local Governance and serves as a UNALFA 2020 Local Governance Ambassador, based in Japan. His expertise in local governance drives youth-led initiatives for peacebuilding, decentralisation, and community empowerment, rooted in his formation as an Ashinaga Scholar and his academic focus on international relations. Originally from Burkina Faso, Emmanuel founded Children’s Smile, an organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable children through education and humanitarian aid, while simultaneously advancing the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies through sustained advocacy, academic research, and structured community dialogues. He champions the cause of effective local administration, financial inclusion, and leadership training that genuinely equips young people to participate in and eventually lead their communities. Emmanuel works across Africa and internationally to bridge significant policy gaps, foster the conditions for changemaking, and integrate youth voices into the governance structures that shape their daily lives and long-term futures. His perspective combines the academic depth of his research with the urgency of someone who has seen the consequences of governance failure for young people in fragile and conflict-affected states.
At OYW2025, Emmanuel participated in sessions on local governance and peacebuilding, sharing strategies for youth-driven decentralisation and the kind of sustained dialogue that can contribute to the peaceful resolution of community conflicts.
Title: Partner and Sustainability Lead at EY Switzerland
Where are they based: Switzerland
Area of expertise: Sustainability
Barbara is a Partner and Sustainability Lead at EY Switzerland, based in Switzerland, with over twenty years of experience in business transformation across multiple sectors. She specialises in the embedding of sustainability across the full spectrum of EY’s service lines, including assurance, consulting, strategy, transactions, legal, and tax, ensuring that environmental, social, and governance considerations are genuinely integrated into client work rather than treated as a separate and optional add-on. Barbara coordinates EY Switzerland’s go-to-market approach on sustainability, helping clients integrate ESG into supply chains, product development, data strategies, and performance management in ways that create real business value as well as positive environmental and social outcomes. Previously Head of Sustainability at a major multinational insurance group, she was among the pioneers of ESG integration in operations and product offerings within that sector. Her consulting work has included advising consumer goods companies on net zero pathways using geospatial tools for climate risk assessment and developing sustainable insurance pledges. She champions the idea that profitable growth and operation within planetary boundaries are not contradictory goals but the only genuinely viable long-term business strategy.
At OYW2025, Barbara spoke in the session “What’s Next for ESG?” alongside Dr Chitkala Kalidas, sharing strategies for advancing ESG frameworks with a focus on resilience, value creation, and the practical integration of sustainability considerations into core business models.
Title: CEO Rio Ferdinand Foundation.
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Philanthropy in sport
Gary leads as CEO of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation from London, UK, bringing over twenty-five years of experience in youth work, sports coaching, and leading large multi-million-pound charitable organisations to one of the UK’s most prominent foundations working at the intersection of sport and social impact. Awarded an MBE in 2009 for his extraordinary services to young people, he has since taken the Rio Ferdinand Foundation to new levels of scale and impact, expanding its reach across the UK and Ireland since becoming CEO in 2019. The Foundation delivers programmes that transform the lives of disadvantaged young people aged 13 to 25 through the combined power of sport, creative arts, and structured personal development. Gary’s strategic vision has built strong partnerships with corporations, statutory bodies, and policymakers, generating the sustained funding and systemic buy-in needed to maintain long-term programme quality. Initiatives spanning football academies, digital skills training, and cross-community events in London, Greater Manchester, and Northern Ireland reflect the Foundation’s conviction that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve access to the same opportunities for discovery, achievement, and belonging as their more privileged peers. Gary’s leadership drives measurable impact, supporting thousands of young people annually while advocating for sport’s unique and powerful role in social mobility, community development, and mental health.
At OYW2025, Gary participated in sessions on philanthropy in sport, sharing his expertise in leveraging sport as a vehicle for youth empowerment and lasting social impact.
Title: Digital Transformation Manager at City of Munich
Where are they based: City of Munich
Area of expertise: Digital Transformation
Simone directs digital transformation efforts for the City of Munich, working as Digital Transformation Manager within the city’s economic development function. In this role, she promotes innovation and cross-sector networking, collaborating with teams such as Munich Urban Colab to integrate digital solutions thoughtfully into urban planning, business promotion, and sustainability initiatives throughout one of Europe’s most economically significant cities. Her work emphasises building bridges between city administration and the startups, researchers, and corporations whose ideas and technologies can make Munich a smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive city for its residents and businesses. Simone fosters environments where technology drives inclusive growth, from artificial intelligence applications in public services to digital tools that strengthen the city’s innovation ecosystem and its international business relationships. She understands that successful digital transformation in a city context is as much about convening the right conversations and building the right partnerships as it is about deploying any particular technology.
At OYW2025, Simone moderated the session on innovations in the circular economy, bridging urban projects and Munich’s business landscape. She facilitated a rich dialogue among speakers, including Christian Aschenbrenner of PA GmbH, Andrea Schneller of koorvi, and Tamy Saurer, focusing on the digital strategies and cross-sector collaborations needed to support sustainable urban development and the transition to a genuinely circular economy in a city that aspires to be a global leader in both innovation and environmental responsibility.
Title: Chief People Officer and Labour Director
Where are they based: Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Area of expertise: HR
Gina is the Chief People Officer and Labour Director at SAP, based in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Her HR expertise drives people strategies at one of the world’s most important technology companies, focusing on talent development, inclusive cultures, and the thoughtful integration of human-AI collaboration to build workforces that are ready for a profoundly changing world. Gina champions agile leadership, empathy-driven management, and a genuine commitment to lifelong learning, transforming HR at SAP into a strategic partner for innovation and organisational resilience. She leads initiatives that embed diversity, equity, and well-being into the fabric of SAP’s operations, creating environments where employees can genuinely thrive amid the constant pressure of digital disruption and market change. Her philosophy of “unlearning and relearning” reflects a conviction that the skills and assumptions that made organisations successful in the past may be precisely the ones they need to let go of in order to thrive in the future. She equips leaders at SAP to navigate volatility by building high-performing teams through mentorship, skills development, and purpose-aligned policies that keep human potential at the centre even as technology reshapes every aspect of work.
At OYW2025, Gina spoke in the SAP session “The Skill Revolution: Powered by People, Enabled by Technology” and participated in “The Talent Landscape: What Does the Future Hold?”, sharing her vision for human-AI partnerships, empathetic leadership, and the reimagining of employee experience at a global scale.
Title: Cybersecurity Lead Architect
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Cybersecurity for Peace
Martina is a Cybersecurity Lead Architect at Siemens, based in Munich, Germany. Her expertise in cybersecurity for peace integrates digital identity protection with broader global security strategies, safeguarding critical infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated threats while actively promoting the ethical use of technology as a foundation for international stability and cooperation. Martina designs resilient systems for digital identities, with particular emphasis on self-sovereign models that empower users to maintain meaningful control over their own information in an environment of escalating cyber risks and geopolitical tensions. She bridges the technical and the human dimensions of cybersecurity, advocating for growth mindsets in leadership that foster innovation capable of countering threats rather than simply reacting to them. Her work spans Siemens’ global digital transformation agenda, and she is increasingly recognised as a thoughtful voice on questions of data sovereignty, secure networks, and the role that cybersecurity can play in supporting rather than impeding peaceful digital ecosystems and international collaboration.
At OYW2025, Martina spoke in the Security and Peace Plenary Challenge on “Cybersecurity for Peace,” exploring how robust cybersecurity architecture can actively enable global cooperation by creating the conditions of trust and stability that are prerequisites for productive international engagement. She shared insights on protecting digital identities as a practical means of preventing the conflicts and instabilities that cyber vulnerabilities can trigger and amplify in an interconnected world
Title: Executive Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Deutsche Bahn
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Talent Acquisition
Kerstin is Executive Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Deutsche Bahn, based in Munich, Germany, responsible for innovative hiring strategies at one of Europe’s largest employers. Her expertise in talent acquisition drives a bottom-up innovation culture within Deutsche Bahn’s HR function, with a particular focus on integrating AI into targeted use cases that deliver measurable efficiency gains, such as reducing the time to complete high-value hires from nine months to three through the aggregated application of small-scale technology improvements. Kerstin’s approach to recruitment is rooted in the principle of treating candidates as customers, combining sophisticated employer branding, cross-border recruitment from fifteen countries, and upskilling programmes that address Germany’s tight labour markets, the emergence of new skills requirements, and the growing demand for flexibility in work models. She brings both strategic clarity and operational credibility to the challenge of attracting, assessing, and onboarding talent at scale in a complex, safety-critical organisation. Her approach fosters lifelong learning, data-driven workforce forecasting, and agile hiring teams capable of adapting to constant change while maintaining a genuine commitment to diversity and an authentic employer value proposition that connects with the widest possible talent pool.
At OYW2025, Kerstin participated as part of the OYW community, contributing to discussions on talent strategies and the future of work, sharing her practical insights on transforming large-scale recruitment through people-powered innovation and responsible AI enablement.
Title: P&O Business Partner Global Functions at Sandoz
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Employee Relations
Paul is the People and Organisation Business Partner for Global Functions at Sandoz, based in Munich, Germany, with expertise in employee relations and building inclusive, high-performing workplaces during complex organisational transitions. His most significant recent experience has been supporting global teams through the major cultural and structural transformation of the Sandoz spin-off from Novartis, a process that required navigating significant labour dynamics while maintaining employee trust and a coherent organisational identity. Paul supports teams across Sandoz by promoting empathy-driven cultures and addressing the subtle but damaging forms of exclusion that can undermine belonging and psychological safety in large organisations, even when overt discrimination is absent. He champions collective action as the most effective response to hate and exclusion, working to build the kind of workplace environments where every individual feels genuinely valued, safe to speak up, and supported to do their best work. Leaders to build cultures of genuine safety and belonging. His approach to employee relations reflects a deep conviction that the daily experience of belonging or exclusion in the workplace is not a soft concern but a strategic one, directly affecting performance, innovation, and retention.
At OYW2025, Paul spoke in the session “The Courage to Belong: Changing the Temperature in the Room,” representing Sandoz. He explored how empathy, personal courage, and conscious leadership can counter the subtle forces of silence, conformity, and fear that prevent organisations from becoming truly inclusive, inspiring young l
Title: Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Sustainability
Judith is Chief People and Sustainability Officer and a Member of the Managing Board at Siemens AG, based in Munich, Germany. Her expertise in sustainability integrates people strategies directly with environmental goals, driving Siemens’ transformation towards net-zero operations and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in ways that treat human and planetary flourishing as deeply connected rather than competing objectives. With over two decades in HR leadership across companies including Mars, DSM, and Siemens, Judith has built a career on the conviction that the way organisations treat their people and their impact on the natural environment are both expressions of the same underlying values. She oversees Global Business Services and regional operations, including Latin America, championing trust, lifelong learning, and organisational agility as the foundations of a workforce capable of navigating the digital and green transitions simultaneously. Her dual role as Chief People and Sustainability Officer is itself significant; it reflects Siemens’ acknowledgement that these two domains of corporate responsibility must be managed in an integrated rather than siloed way if they are to deliver genuine and lasting impact.
At OYW2025, Judith participated in sessions on leadership, people development, and sustainable transformation, sharing strategies for combining HR and sustainability responsibilities to build truly future-ready workforces. She emphasised the critical roles of empathy, employee empowerment, and the thoughtful deployment of technology in meeting the global challenges that will define the next generation of corporate leadership.
Title: Global Head of Talent Engagement & Belonging at Rolls-Royce
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Talent Acquisition
Natasha is Global Head of Talent Engagement and Belonging at Rolls-Royce, based in London, UK. Her expertise in talent acquisition and inclusion focuses on building the kind of genuinely diverse and welcoming recruitment practices needed to attract the best talent to one of the world’s most technically demanding engineering organisations. Natasha drives employer branding, skills-based hiring, and employee resource groups that collectively transform Rolls-Royce’s workforce culture, fostering the sense of belonging that research consistently shows is a powerful driver of innovation, engagement, and retention. Previously in diversity roles at Reach plc and HR leadership at Rapport Guest Services, she co-hosts the ‘D&I Spy: Inclusion Uncovered’ podcast, providing a platform for frank and constructive conversations about the DEI topics that too many organisations still treat as uncomfortable or risky to discuss openly. Recognised on the Global Diversity List 2020 and as a Top 10 HR Champion, Natasha’s approach integrates practical tools such as Read and Write for neuroinclusion, directly connecting inclusion strategy with measurable gains in employee engagement and organisational innovation. Her work is underpinned by the conviction that inclusion is not a nicety but a competitive necessity for engineering companies facing significant skills shortages and the need for transformative innovation.
At OYW2025, Natasha participated in sessions on talent engagement and belonging, sharing insights on how lived experiences and authentic human connection can advance inclusive hiring and neurodiversity in high-technology sectors.
Title: Associate Director, Market Access Strategy – Multiple Sclerosis at Novartis
Where are they based: New York, USA
Area of expertise: Pharmacy Communications
Anthony is Associate Director of Market Access Strategy for Multiple Sclerosis at Novartis, based in New York, USA, with expertise in pharmacy communications and the complex challenge of ensuring that innovative therapies reach the patients who need them most. His role focuses on bridging the gap between breakthrough scientific developments and practical patient access, ensuring that timely treatments reach people living with MS through sophisticated payer negotiations, robust reimbursement strategies, and carefully managed stakeholder engagement. Anthony navigates some of the most complex dynamics in healthcare, advocating for value-based care models that demonstrate the alignment between clinical outcomes and economic realities in ways that satisfy both payers and the communities of patients whose lives depend on access to effective therapy. Drawing on his MBA and deep life sciences background, he excels in data-driven insights, cross-functional collaboration, and policy advocacy, working persistently to overcome barriers such as prior authorisations and formulary restrictions that can prevent patients from accessing treatments that have been approved as safe and effective. His work ultimately serves the people living with MS who deserve access to the best available care, and he brings both professional expertise and personal commitment to that mission.
At OYW2025, Anthony participated in the Novartis session “Leadership and Science,” sharing his perspectives on market access innovation and the importance of patient-centric strategies and scientific leadership in advancing more equitable healthcare delivery.
Title: CEO of Aris Mining
Where are they based: Vancouver, Canada
Area of expertise: Mining
Neil leads Aris Mining Corporation as CEO, with operations primarily in Colombia and corporate headquarters in Vancouver, Canada. His extensive expertise in mining development and growth strategy through mergers and acquisitions is rooted in a remarkable entrepreneurial track record, including founding Endeavour Financial in 1988 and transitioning it into Endeavour Mining, which became a major West African gold producer through a series of acquisitions and new mine builds. Neil replicated this success with Leagold Mining in 2016, developing significant assets in Mexico and Brazil before the company’s 2020 merger with Equinox Gold, creating a substantial North American gold producer. At Aris Mining, formed via the 2022 merger of Aris Gold and GCM Mining, Neil drives a disciplined “buy-and-build” model focused on scaling annual production from existing mines, including Segovia and Marmato, towards over 500,000 ounces by 2027, while advancing major development projects such as Soto Norte with a strong emphasis on ESG standards, community partnership, and financial discipline. His approach to mining development recognises that long-term licence to operate depends on genuine engagement with and benefit for the communities where mines operate.
At OYW2025, Neil participated in sessions on sustainable mining and leadership in extractive industries, sharing his considerable experience on partnering with artisanal miners, balancing commercial growth with genuine community benefits, and applying proven strategies for value creation in Latin American mining contexts.
Title: Managing Director of Virgin Unite
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Philanthropy
Sheetal leads Virgin Unite, the independent non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group and the Branson family, from London, UK. Her expertise in philanthropy focuses on backing entrepreneurs and social movements tackling the most intractable systemic challenges of our time, including climate change, deep inequality, and growing threats to civic space around the world. With a background spanning public interest media, venture building, and impact investment accumulated over two decades of advising governments, startups, and foundations across more than twenty-five countries in Africa and Asia, Sheetal brings both global reach and operational depth to her leadership of Virgin Unite. Her philanthropic approach is distinctively entrepreneurial, built on co-creating solutions with partners rather than distributing grants to passive recipients, and on backing unusual alliances that bring together actors from across traditional boundaries of sector, ideology, and geography. Prior to joining Virgin Unite, Sheetal held senior roles, including founding leadership of an International Fund for Public Interest Media and board positions with organisations focused on technology education and Black community empowerment.
At OYW2025, Sheetal took part in “The New Now: Peace and Security | Radical Collaboration,” sharing how Virgin Unite convenes diverse allies from activists and artists to business and political leaders to drive peace, justice, and planetary protection. She highlighted radical collaboration as both a strategy and a value, explaining how it underpins Virgin Unite’s backing of initiatives such as The Elders, The B Team, and Planetary Guardians.
Title: Colombian, peace builder and manager of sustainable development projects.
Where are they based: Bogotá, Colombia
Area of expertise: Peace Ambassador
Daniel is a celebrated peace builder and sustainable development project manager from Bogotá, Colombia. Holding degrees in industrial engineering and a master’s in human and organisational development, he serves as a One Young World Ambassador with particular responsibility for fostering youth leadership and building community bridges across Latin America. Daniel co-founded initiatives including Global Shapers Pereira and Mi Colilla, an environmental innovation project focused on cigarette butt recycling and pollution reduction, while leading Corpo Ayuda Humanitaria in humanitarian aid and peace education that addresses Colombia’s profound post-conflict challenges. His work emphasises grassroots peacebuilding, the creation of genuine partnerships across divided communities, and social innovation that tackles Colombia’s complex legacy of violence and inequality with the patience and relational depth that lasting reconciliation requires. Daniel approaches peace building with a distinctive philosophy that values slow, relational processes grounded in non-violent resistance, multispecies care, and multigenerational engagement, recognising that rushed interventions often fail to address the deep roots of conflict. His work in Colombia has taught him that meaningful peace is built person by person, relationship by relationship, over years and decades rather than weeks.
At OYW2025, Daniel participated in sessions on leadership and peacebuilding, sharing his insights on countering hate and division through hope, complex and sustained community dialogues, and the kind of youth-driven sustainable development that can rebuild trust where it has been most deeply damaged.