Klaus Schwab

For 52 years the World Economic Forum has been synonymous with its founder and executive chair Klaus Schwab. Schwab turns 85 in March, 2023. Schwab’s children Nicole and Olivier hold high-ranking positions in the organization, and his wife Hilde presides over a foundation and awards ceremony in Davos. WEF’s governing statutes give family members rights to board seats. The organization currently has a staff go more than 800 people. In 2017 Schwab brought in Børge Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, to serve as WEF’s president, while Schwab himself remained executive chair. Nicole Schwab holds masters degrees from Harvard and Cambridge universities, and was founding director of WEF’s Young Global Leaders program. Olivier Schwab, works full-time for WEF as head of technology, and is a member of WEF’s 10-member managing board. He formerly led WEF’s China operations.