Speakers

Speakers

Prof. Muhammad Yunus Nobel Peace Prize Laureate  Father of Microfinance and Founder of Grameen Bank Chairman and Co-founder of Yunus Social Business

Professor Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank, pioneering the concepts of microcredit and social business, founding more than 50 Social Business companies in Bangladesh. For his constant innovation and enterprise, the Fortune Magazine named Professor Yunus in March 2012 as “one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time”.

In 2006, Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Professor Yunus is the recipient of 63 honorary degrees from universities across 26 countries. He has received 143 awards from 33 countries including state honours from 10 countries.  

Preeti Sinha Executive Secretary at United Nations Capital Development Fund

Preeti is a globally experienced investment and development banker with a 30-year track record associated with raising and managing institutional public and private development capital.

Preeti served as CEO & President of FFD Financing for Development LLC, a specialist development finance firm focused on financing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

As the UNCDF Executive Secretary, Preeti works to support sustainable food systems in the world’s 46 least developed countries. At the Forum, Preeti will present the Alliance for Local Food Supply Chains, which aims to transform local food systems to withstand disruption and shocks in the short term and support resilient and inclusive economies and societies in the long term.

Vanessa Erogbogbo Chief of Sustainable & Inclusive Value Chains at International Trade Centre

Vanessa has over 20 years of experience in trade and private sector development both international development and with the private sector. The section she leads comprises three programmes; the SheTrades initiative, which is connecting 3 million women to market by 2021, GreenToCompete which leads ITC’s strategy on trade and environmental sustainability, and Trade for Sustainable Development which provides solutions for improving sustainability across value chains.

Vanessa is a member of ITC’s management action group and holds a number of advisory and steering positions, including Geneva Trade Platform, Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs, EQUALSGlobal Partnership, and the Ford Foundation Plus Fund Initiative. 

Rebecca Marmot Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever

Rebecca is responsible for Unilever’s sustainability strategy and implementation globally. This includes embedding sustainability across the functions and divisions as well as heading external engagement, advocacy and partnerships across Unilever’s priority areas on climate & environment, health & wellbeing and the social agenda. Rebecca is a Non-Executive Director at WSUP (Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor), the Global Solidarity Fund and a member of the TENT Advisory Council.

Maria Munther Sustainability Manager at Icebug

Maria is Sustainability Manager at Icebug and has over 30 years of experience in working with sustainably issues. Icebug is a Swedish outdoor footwear brand committed to improve their sustainability and traceability with and along their value chain. In 2019, Icebug became the first climate positive outdoor footwear brand.