Zurich: How economic prosperity supports the path to peace
In this session our partners at Z Zurich will discuss the importance of economic prosperity in delivering lasting peace
Speakers
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Gary ShaughnessyChair, Z Zurich FoundationGary Shaughnessy
Chair, Z Zurich Foundation
Gary ShaughnessyGary worked in the Insurance and Investment sectors throughout his professional career, most recently as a member of the Group Executive Committee at Zurich Insurance Group, as CEO for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region as well as having global responsibility for Bank partnerships. Having been a Trustee of the Zurich Community Trust in the U.K., Gary took on the role of Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, a global corporate foundation funded by various members of the Zurich Insurance Group. He has overseen the increasingly positive impact made by the Z Zurich Foundation team and Zurich people to the vulnerable in our societies worldwide. Gary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015. Gary became a Trustee of Parkinson’s UK in 2018, was appointed as Chair in 2019. He took on a further role, as Chair of England Athletics in 2021. In support of his community involvement and as part of his approach to managing his Parkinson’s, Gary has taken on numerous challenges including wingwalking, abseiling, kayaking, cycling across Europe, and swimming from Nevis to St. Kitts. He has now completed over 50 marathons including 10 in 10 days recently. In 2022, he became only the 47th person to complete the challenging “Arch to Arc” triathlon. He is also now a double Guinness world record holder: having recently broken the records for the furthest distance run 3 legged over 24 hours and 12 hours with a friend, Andy Tucker. Together they completed over 117.1km. They also broke back the 12 hour record. These sporting challenges have helped raise over £1/2 million for Parkinson's awareness, research and support together with funding for numerous local, national and international charities since 2015, with a focus on mental wellbeing, social equity and crisis support. In 2023, Gary was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to business and to charity from His Majesty the King.
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Asheesh AdvaniCEO, JA WorldwideAsheesh Advani
CEO, JA Worldwide
Asheesh is the President and CEO of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide, one of the largest youth-serving NGOs in the world. During his tenure leading JA Worldwide since 2015, the organization has been recognized as one of the ten most impactful NGOs in the world in annual rankings and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Prior to joining JA, Asheesh was a technology entrepreneur and led two businesses successfully from start-up to acquisition. His entrepreneurial endeavors have been profiled in case studies at Harvard Business School and Babson College. Asheesh is actively involved in the World Economic Forum (WEF) and has been an annual speaker in Davos for the last seven years. He started his career as a consultant at Monitor Company (now Monitor Deloitte) and at the World Bank. Asheesh is the author of Modern Achievement (released in August 2024) with celebrated leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith, a book that reconsiders the definition of achievement for aspiring leaders. He is a sought-after keynote speaker with experience speaking at Fortune 500 corporate gatherings, the Great Hall of the People in China, the United Nations, and at major universities. Asheesh holds degrees from the Wharton School and Oxford University, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.