Tackling Inequality through Private Sector Leadership

State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda has been Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since August 2022. Prior to that, she was Switzerland’s ambassador in Bangkok, Thailand, with additional accreditations to Cambodia and Laos. Until 2019, she held the same position in Pretoria, South Africa, with cross-accreditations to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius and Namibia. From 2008 to 2015, Helene Budliger Artieda was head of the Directorate for Resources at the FDFA. In this capacity, she was advisor to the Head of Department on resource matters and a member of the FDFA Management Board. In 2000 she graduated from the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogotá (Colombia) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). After graduating from commercial school in Zurich with a Federal VET Diploma in Commerce, she completed internal training at the FDFA as a consular officer.

Peter Bakker has been the President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) since 2012, a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. He is also an Advisory Committee Member of the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UN FSS) 2021, Ambassador against Hunger at the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Supervisory Board Member at Capitals Coalition and EAT, Vice-Chairman for the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and Co-Chair at the Sustainable Developments Solution Network (SDSN). Peter also sits on a number of corporate sustainability advisory boards including at BASF, Daimler, Nespresso and P&G. He started his career in the private sector and worked as CFO and later CEO of a global transport and logistics company TNT NV. Peter received the royal order Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 in recognition of his long-lasting commitment to engaging business in tackling global sustainability issues.

Marie-Laure Schaufelberger is Head of ESG and Stewardship for the Pictet Group where she drives corporate strategy for the Pictet Group’s Responsible Vision across investments and its own assets. She is also President of Sustainable Finance Geneva. Ms. Schaufelberger began her career at Pictet in 2007 in the media relations and public affairs team where she was also responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. In 2014, she joined Pictet Asset Management’s Thematic Equities team as a Product Specialist, covering business development and client portfolio management across several environmental and social thematic impact strategies. Ms. Schaufelberger holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute and is a CFA charter holder.

Patrick Odier has been Chair of the Board of Directors of Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd. from 2014 to 2022. He was Senior Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group from 2008 to 2022. Mr. Odier joined the Lombard Odier Group in 1982 and completed his training in Zurich, New York, and Montreal, before becoming a Managing Partner in 1986. He holds an economics degree from the University of Geneva and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. Mr. Odier is president of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF). He is also Chairman of Building Bridges. He is a member of the Board of economiesuisse (Swiss Business Federation). He was Chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association from 2009 to 2016. He is also a board member of several Swiss and international academic institutions and philanthropic organizations.

Sandrine Dixson-Declève is Co-President of The Club of Rome and divides her time between leading The Club of Rome, advising, lecturing, and facilitating conversations. Mrs. Dixon-Declève currently Chairs the European Commission, Expert Group on Economic and Societal Impact of Research & Innovation (ESIR) and sits on the European Commission's Mission on Climate Change & Adaptation. She also sits on several Non-Executives & Advisory Boards including EDP, BMW, UCB Climate KIC, Leonardo Centre, Imperial College London and is a Senior Associate and faculty member of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), an Ambassador for the Energy Transition Commission (ETC) and the Well Being Alliance (WeAll) and a Fellow of the World Academy of Science & Art. Mrs. Dixon-Declève is a TED global speaker and recently published “Quel Monde Pour Demain” lucpire editions and Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity. She was recognised most recently by Reuters as one of 25 global female trailblazers and by GreenBiz as one of the 30 most influential women across the globe driving change in the low carbon economy and promoting green business.

Nik Gowing has a distinguished career in international journalism with over forty years of BBC broadcasting experience and expert moderating skills. He combines his skills to create dynamic, energetic and interactive event experiences. He is the Founder and Co-Director of Thinking the Unthinkable – an independent project helping leaders understand the threats and opportunities in the new era of radical uncertainty and disruption. Mr. Gowing was a main presenter for the BBC’s international 24-hour news channel BBC World News from 1996 to 2014. He presented “The Hub with Nik Gowing”, BBC World Debates, Dateline London, and location coverage of major global stories. His peer-review study at Oxford University entitled “Skyful of Lies and Black Swans” identifies the inevitable threat to leaders from what has now been labelled “fake news”. This ground-breaking work highlights the vulnerability, fragility and brittleness of institutional power in the new all pervasive public information space. Nik Gowing was appointed a Visiting Professor at King's College London in the School of Social Science and Public Policy in 2014. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Exeter University in 2012 and Bristol University in 2015, that both recognized his ongoing cutting edge analyses and distinguished career in international journalism.