Who we are

Generation Unlimited brings together partners from government, multilateral organizations, civil society, the private sector and young people from around the world.

Leaders

The most visible drivers of the partnership, leaders use their influence to open opportunities, advocate for Generation Unlimited and mobilize resources.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Founder and Chairman, BRAC

Mr. Gordon Brown
UN Special Envoy for Education, United Nations

Ms. Julia Gillard
Chair, Global Partnership for Education

H.E. Ms. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
President, Republic of Croatia

Mr. António Guterres (Co-Chair)
Secretary General, United Nations

H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame (Co-Chair)
President, Republic of Rwanda

Dr. Jim Kim
Former President, World Bank Group

Ms. Graça Machel
Founder, Graça Machel Trust

Mr. Paul Polman
Former Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

H.E. Paula Mae Weekes (Co-Chair)
President, Trinidad and Tobago

Members of the Global Board provide expertise, strategic direction, resources and leadership, and oversee the partnership.

Mr. Tariq Al Gurg
CEO, Dubai Cares

Ms. Shamma bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrui
Minister of Youth, United Arab Emirates

Ms. Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen
Chief Executive Officer, Plan International

Ms. Alice Albright
Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnership for Education

Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi
Secretary-General, World Organization of the Scout Movement

Ms. Audrey Azoulay
Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Ms. Harriett Baldwin
Minister of State, Department for International Development, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Mr. Sigve Brekke
Chief Executive Officer, Telenor Group

Ms. Sarah Brown
Executive Chair, Global Business Coalition for Education

Ms. Ilwad Elman
Director, Elman Peace Centre

Mr. Tony Elumelu
Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation

Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat
Chairperson, African Union Commission

Mr. John Fallon
Chief Executive Officer, Pearson Education

Ms. Henrietta Fore
Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Mr. Michael Froman
Vice Chairman and President of Strategic Growth, Mastercard

Mr. Napoleón García
Youth Director, Nuestro Tiempo and Censura Cero

Ms. Kristalina Georgieva
Chief Executive Officer, World Bank

Mr. José Ángel Gurría
Secretary General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Mr. Ralph Hamers
Chief Executive Officer, ING Group

Ms. Kate Hampton
Chief Executive Offer, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

Mr. Per Heggenes
Chief Executive Officer, IKEA Foundation

Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati
Minister of Finance, Republic of Indonesia

Mr. Safiqul Islam
Director of Education, BRAC

Mr. Alan Jope
Chief Executive Officer, Unilever

Ms. Sigrid Kaag
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, The Netherlands

Ms. Natalia Kanem
Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund

Ms. Lise Kingo
CEO and Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact

Mr. Michael Kocher
General Manager, Aga Khan Foundation

Ms. Tsitsi Masiyiwa
Co-Founder & Co-Chair, Higher Life Foundation

Ms. Rosemary Mbabazi
Minister of Youth, Republic of Rwanda

Mr. Norbert Meder
Chief Executive Officer, SOS Children’s Villages International

Ms. Federica Mogherini
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Union

Mr. Sobel Aziz Ngom
Founder and Executive Director, Social Change Factory

Mr. Mohamed Nouri Jouini
Vice President, Partnership Development, Islamic Development Bank

Mr. Hernán Rincón
Chief Executive Officer, Avianca Holdings

Mr. Guy Ryder
Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO)

Ms. Vibhu Sharma
Co-Chair, Global Partnership for Disabilities Youth Council

Ms. Mary Snapp
Corporate Vice President and Head of Microsoft Philanthropies, Microsoft Philanthropies

Ms. Liesbet Steer
Director, Education Commission

Mr. Achim Steiner
Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mr. Justin W. van Fleet
President, Theirworld

Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake
Secretary General's Envoy on Youth, United Nations

Ms. Saadia Zahidi
Head of Centre for the New Economy and Society and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum

Mr. Liu Zhenmin
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations

In addition to the governance bodies, high-profile individuals support Generation Unlimited by lending their voices as Champions.

Mr. Nikolai Astrup
Minister of Digitalization, Kingdom of Norway

Mr. Ciarán Cannon
Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Ireland

Mr. Alexander De Croo
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation, Kingdom of Belgium

H.E. Mr. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta
President, Republic of Kenya

Mr. Takehiko Nakao
President, Asian Development Bank

Her Royal Highness, Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud
Secretary General, Alwaleed Philanthropies

Ms. Vera Songwe
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

The ambitious goals set for Generation Unlimited require a lean and flexible Secretariat that can harness and coordinate the expertise of multiple partners from around the world.

The Secretariat is responsible for strategic planning; partnership and investment support; young people’s engagement and participation; communications, advocacy and engagement; administration and operations.

The team is led by Mr. Roberto Benes, Director of Generation Unlimited’s Secretariat. Read more about Mr. Benes.