WEF names Kenyan as 2008 young global leader

This annual award recognises and acknowledges the top 200 - 300 young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the shaping the future of the world. The Young Global Leaders for 2008 include 121 business leaders, as well as leaders from government, academia, media and society from 65 countries. The new class represents all regions, including East Asia (64), Europe (58), Middle East and North Africa (12), North America (45), South Asia (24), Sub-Saharan Africa (21) and Latin America (21).

Shikwati is the founder and president of the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), an independent think-tank focusing on development economics, and the founder and CEO of an online business magazine The African Executive. He is the Country Director of the biggest university-based business promoting program – Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE Kenya) currently operating in 14 Kenyan universities and he coordinates a business units program that encourages unemployed youths to set up retail businesses to bolster farm input accessibility and an anti-malaria indoor residual spraying project. Shikwati was named among the top 100 most influential Kenyans by the East African Standard in 2007.

“The World Economic Forum is a true multi-stakeholder community of global decision-makers. We need the Young Global Leaders to be a voice for the future in the global thought process and as a catalyst for initiatives in the global public interest,” said Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman.

The Young Global Leaders dedicate a part of their time to address global challenges and are committed to devoting some of their knowledge and energy to work collectively towards a better future. They give their time to task forces to initiate, develop and drive innovative solutions on important, globally-oriented issues, including health, education, the environment, global governance and security, and development and poverty.

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world. The Forum provides a collaborative framework for the world's leaders to address global issues, engaging particularly its corporate members in global citizenship.