José María Figueres

After a successful business career, José María Figueres transitioned into public service in 1987 when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade and later Minister of Agriculture. In 1994 he was elected President of Costa Rica at the age of 39. As President he pioneered a comprehensive national development strategy combining environmental, social and economic policies. Furthermore he led the linkage between sustainable development and technology. For his work he received numerous international awards, including the first ever Leadership Prize from the Global Environmental Facility (1999).

After twelve years of public service, José María began his international career in 1999 when he was selected to lead the United Nations ICT Task Force. He joined the Management Board of the World Economic Forum in 2000 and was appointed its first CEO in 2003. In 2005 working with Diego Hidalgo, founder of FRIDE and the Club of Madrid, he was responsible for the organization of the Conference on Democratic Transition and Consolidation, attended by 22 heads of state with the objective of countering growing global terrorism. As of 2009 he became the chairperson of the Carbon War Room, created by Sir Richard Branson, later also becoming its chief executive. José María helped launch the Global Ocean Commission in 2012 and became its cochair together with David Miliband and Trevor Manuel. Today he is the co-chair of Ocean Unite and serves on the board of Rocky Mountain Institute - Carbon War Room.

José María holds an Engineering Degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is married to Cinthya Berrocal, and has two children, José María and Eugenia from his first marriage.