Jose Maria Figueres Olsen

From 1994 to 1998, Jos \u00e9 Maria Figueres served as the President of Costa Rica. When elected, he was only 39 years old and was the youngest president in modern Latin American countries. At present, his work mainly revolves around the issues of innovation and competitiveness as the main driving force of the new global economy. As the chairman of the Carbon Warfare Room, he helps develop market-oriented solutions to mitigate climate change conditions. He is also a member of the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change and serves as the head of the Organization of American States Electoral Observation Mission. Before becoming president, he served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister of Agriculture. He opened up the connection between sustainable development and technology. As President, with Intel's landmark $500 million investment in 1997, he led Costa Rica to rise as a world leader in environmental protection, ecotourism, and ICT services. After resigning as president, he helped create and lead the United Nations Information and Communication Technology ICT Task Force. In 2000, he joined the World Economic Forum and became its first CEO in 2003. Currently, Jos \u00e9 Maria Figueres has delivered speeches on the global challenges facing the world in business and international affairs, as well as how to make changes through innovation and effective leadership. Jose Maria Figueres is recognized as a world-class speaker and host. He has always been the keynote speaker of many world-renowned conferences and forums. He often provides insights on future trends in an educational and thought-provoking manner. His current positions include the Chairman of the Carbon Warfare Room, the Chairman of the Global Equity Action of the United Nations Secretary General's Climate and Energy Advisory Group, the Trustee of the International Relations and Dialogue Foundation, a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, and a member of the Earth Council Geneva.