Margareta Wahlström
Special Representative of the Secretary-General For Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (Switzerland)

In November 2008, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Ms. Margareta Wahlström as his first Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Ms. Wahlström is the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the UN system and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields. Under her leadership, the UNISDR supports the implementation of the "Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters" and now the "Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030" throughout the world.

Ms. Wahlström has extensive experience in both disaster relief operations and disaster risk management, with the UN system and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Her broad experience spans conflict and non-conflict emergencies, and addressing long-term issues of sustainable development.

Her previous appointments include Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2004-2008); UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance to the Tsunami-Affected Communities (2004-2005); Deputy Special Representative for Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (2002-2004); and Under-Secretary-General for Disaster Response and Operations and Deputy Director Operations, IFRC (1995-2000).

Mike Pritula
Director, McKinsey & Company (USA)

Michael S. Pritula is a Director of McKinsey & Company. He is a partner in McKinsey's New York Office, where he is a senior leader in its strategy practice, serving the insurance industry on issues of strategy. His work includes extensive experience in all areas of the world, and he serves clients based in Asia, North America, and Europe.

Mr. Pritula’s views on the insurance industry are published widely, with articles on strategy, industry structure and other topics appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Best’s Review and other publications. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and management retreats.

Mr. Pritula serves on the Boards of New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, the St. John's School of Risk Management in New York, the International Insurance Society (IIS), the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and The Joyce Ivy Foundation.

He is a graduate of Princeton University, and holds a graduate degree from Stanford University.

Monica Woodley
Editorial Director, Thought Leadership, The Economist (UK)

Monica manages a team of editors across EMEA who produce bespoke research programmes for a range of clients. In her six years with the Economist Group, she personally has managed research programmes for companies such as Barclays, BlackRock, State Street, BNY Mellon, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard, EY, Deloitte and PwC, on topics ranging from the impact of financial regulation, to the development of innovation ecosystems, to how consumer demand is driving retail innovation.

Monica regular chairs and presents at Economist conferences, such as Bellwether Europe, the Insurance Summit and the Future of Banking, as well as third-party events such as the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, the Geneva Association General Assembly and the Globes Israel Business Conference.

Prior to joining The Economist Group, Monica was a financial journalist specialising in wealth and asset management at the Financial Times, Euromoney and Incisive Media. She has a master’s degree in politics from Georgetown University and holds the Certificate of Financial Planning.

Holly Ransom
2014 co-Chair G20 Youth (Y20) Summit and CEO, Emergent Solutions (Australia)

Holly Ransom is the CEO of Emergent Solutions, a company specialising in the development of high performing intergenerational workforces, leadership and social outcomes.

In 2012, she was the youngest person to be named in Australia’s ‘100 Most Influential Women’, and also became the world’s youngest-ever Rotary President. In 2014, the Australian Prime Minister appointed Holly to chair the G20 Youth (Y20) Summit, and her corporate career has involved working as Chief of Staff to NAB Wealth Chief Executive Andrew Hagger and for Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh. Holly’s company Emergent Solutions has worked with the likes of INPEX, CBH, Conoco Phillips, KPMG, as well as local, state and federal government departments around the world.

Holly is renowned for generating innovative solutions to complex multi-stakeholder problems for corporations, governments and non-profit organisations, and for coaching and professionally mentoring leaders of all generations around the world.

Steve Garrity
CTO and Founder, Hearsay Social (USA)

Steve Garrity is CTO and founder of Hearsay Social, and an expert in developing scalable enterprise software solutions. Hearsay Social is the leading social business platform for the financial services industry, empowering global financial services teams to efficiently and successfully use social media to attract prospects, retain customers, and grow business.

Before founding Hearsay Social, Steve worked as an engineer at Microsoft Corporation in Seattle on the Azure.net Services platform, live mesh and mobile search technologies. He is a graduate of Stanford University with a BS and MS in Computer Science. While at Stanford, he was selected as a Mayfield Fellow in the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. During which, he joined Fortify Software as a product manager.

Steve is also an investor in, and advisor to a number of Silicon Valley start-ups. In his spare time, he enjoys ultra-marathons and Ironman – distance triathlons.

Dame Pauline Green
President, International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)

Dame Pauline Green is the first woman President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in its 120 year history. Re-elected for a second term at the end of 2013, Pauline urged co-operatives to build on the success and momentum of the UN International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) in 2012. Speaking at the UN General Assembly during the launch of the IYC, Pauline asked the representatives of governments to recognise the impact on the global economy of a model of business that is owned by nearly one billion of the world’s citizens, and which puts people at the centre of its economic decision making.

Since then, Pauline has taken the voice of the billion into the UN and its institutions, the FAO, ILO, the World Bank, IMF and the B20 arguing that co-operatives are a more sustainable model of business and bring greater stability and balance to national economies. She has been invited to the Vatican by Pope Francis to support his argument that ‘it is time for the human being to be put back into the global economy’.

In 1989, Pauline was elected as a Co-operative Member of the European Parliament. Over the next ten years she rose to be the leader of the largest political group in the European Parliament. In 2000 she became Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK, the apex body for co-ops in the UK. She retired from Co-operatives UK in 2009 after being elected as President of the ICA.

On the 25th June 2015, Pauline Green announced that she will retire from her role as President of the Alliance at its forthcoming General Assembly in November 2015.

Rowan Douglas
CEO Capital, Science & Policy Practice, and Chairman, Willis Research Network, Willis Group (UK)

Rowan Douglas is CEO Capital, Science & Policy Practice at Willis Group, a global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker with approximately 20,000 personnel operating in around 100 countries. Previously, Rowan served on the board of Willis Re as CEO Global Analytics. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the International Insurance Society (IIS), USA.

Rowan is also Chairman of the Willis Research Network of approximately fifty universities and science institutions across the world confronting challenges of resilience, finance and sustainable growth. He serves on the UK Prime Minister's Council for Science & Technology, the Natural Environment Research Council and of the Royal Society's Working Group on Resilience to Extreme Weather.

In 2015 he was elected and founding co-chair of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF). The IDF brings together national and regional Governments, the global re/insurance sector, UN Agencies and other international institutions to enable the development of insurance-related capabilities and capacity to support disaster resilience and the wider objectives of the Post-2015 Agenda. The IDF meets on the margins of IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings & the UN General Assembly, with a secretariat provided by the World Bank.

Following degrees in Geography at Durham (BA Hons.) and Bristol (M.Phil) Universities, Rowan began his career underwriting reinsurance at Lloyd’s Syndicate 1095 before founding the international risk information company WIRE Limited in 1994 which was purchased by Willis in 2000.

In 2014 he received the Kenneth R Black Distinguished Service Award from the International Insurance Society.

Sebastian von Dahlen
Chairman, Global Systemically Important Insurers (G-SIIs) Analysts Working Group (G-AWG), International Association of Insurance Supervisors (Switzerland)

Dr. Sebastian von Dahlen is the Chairman of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Global Systemically Important Insurers (G-SIIs) Analysts Working Group (G-AWG). This work within the IAIS is guided by the respective G20 / Financial Stability Board (FSB) requirements.

Prior to his appointment, Sebastian was part of the IAIS Secretariat, most recently as Economic Counsellor (Chief Economist). His current responsibilities also include tasks with both the World Bank and the United Nations where he contributes to increasing disaster risk reduction (Sendai Framework), improving regulatory requirements, advancing access to insurance, and progressing risk- and change-management. In helping to progress related tasks on the ground in different regions Sebastian works with governments, regulators, companies and other relevant organisations.

At the same time, Sebastian has been contributing recognised research together with his co-authors. His most recent publications include: “Effective regulation for mutual and cooperative insurers” (in ICMIF’s Voice magazine), “Insurance regulation for sustainable development: protecting human rights against climate risk and natural hazards” (University of Cambridge report), “Integrating disaster risk and resilience in financial & wider regulation” (in Exploring Extremes: building resilience for the future), and “Reinsurance and stability: catering to the needs of countries at different stages of development” (in The Journal of Financial Perspectives). Furthermore, Sebastian has been quoted in distinguished international media, such as The Economist report on “The cost of inaction: Recognising the value at risk from climate change” (August 2015).

Sebastian studied economics and natural sciences at different universities in Europe and the USA, including a period as research fellow at the University of California at Berkeley. Sebastian´s experience includes senior roles in regulation, academia and experience within the insurance sector.

Marc Gordon
Coordinator, HFA Review, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (Switzerland)

Marc Gordon is the Coordinator, HFA Review, in the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). He coordinates the biennial governmental review of progress in implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and now the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and is a contributing author to the Global Assessment Report (GAR). He is also responsible for managing and coordinating collaboration with the OECD, the G20, G8 and G7. From 2006 – 2012 he established and led the UNISDR Donor and Business Partnerships Unit, and continues to support the UNISDR Private Sector Partnership for Risk Sensitive Investment, notably with the insurance industry and financial regulators.

Prior to this, he was the Manager of the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Programme (DIPECHO) - South East Asia of the European Commission, operating out of Bangkok, Thailand. From 1997-2003, he served in various capacities from Country Director to Emergency Officer, with both the United Nations & the international non-governmental sector in conflict, complex emergencies, political and chronic crises.

Having spent the early part of his career developing multi-disciplinary intervention strategies to respond to the needs of vulnerable populations in fragile states and other situations of instability, since 2003 he has been working to proactively build the resilience of societies, systems and individuals to shocks (current and future), through a better understanding and management of disaster risk. He has extensive experience in supporting and navigating political agenda, and has an extensive track record in building partnerships, whether with community members, public institutions at all levels, or global policy change agents, business and industry.

Nick Shufro
Director, Sustainable Business Solutions and AR!SE, PwC (USA)

Nick is the PwC US lead for AR!SE in the Americas and Southeast Asia. AR!SE is United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Private Sector Alliance for Risk-Sensitive Investment. AR!SE is a multi-stakeholder, global initiative operating under the UN umbrella – mobilizing businesses, public sector, academia, civil society, insurance industry and investors to make investments risk-sensitive and create risk-resilient societies – and includes several insurance related projects.

Nick has more than 25 years of sustainability, energy, financial, supply and EH&S management and performance reporting experience including working and consulting for industry, government, utilities, trade associations and non-governmental agencies in the US, Europe, Asia and Central America.

Nick joined PwC in 2003 after working for the US-Asia Environmental Partnership, United Technologies Corporation and Merrill Lynch. Recent engagements include the Carbon Disclosure Project 2008-2013; Co-chair World Business Council for Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Scope 3 Standard; Walmart's Supply Chain GHG Innovation Project; and developing the PwC US carbon footprint baseline.

Nick holds a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, an MBA in Finance and International Business from New York University’s Stern School of Business Administration, and a B.A. in Honors History from the University of Michigan.

Antony Spalton
Risk Reduction and Resilience Specialist, UNICEF (USA)

Antony has worked for the humanitarian and development sector for more than 20 years. With an M.A. in Rural Social Development, Antony has worked for NGOs and has spent 16 years with the Red Cross Movement including work in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Rwanda and Tanzania.

In 2008, Antony joined UNICEF as the organisation’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and resilience adviser. Currently based in New York, Antony works through UNICEF’s country offices to support governments and partners to strengthen the resilience of children and the systems that support them to shocks and stresses. This includes working with UNISDR, other UN partners and the private sector to deliver on commitments to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

UNICEF has a focus on child sensitive risk assessment, disaster preparedness and social services including education, water, health and child protection, that reduce risk and strengthen resilience. Safe school structures, school preparedness and teaching and learning materials that promote a culture of safety and resilience at the local level is a particular niche for the organization.

Jessica Fries
Executive Chairman, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Project (UK)

Jessica Fries is Executive Chairman of The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2004. She has led A4S since 2008, working with the finance community to catalyse a shift to a sustainable economy, with a focus on practical actions and targeted interventions capable of achieving global change. While at A4S, Jessica has been responsible for establishing the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), as well as A4S's CFO Leadership Network and capital markets programme. Previously, Jessica held a number of roles at PwC advising a wide range of companies, governments, investors and not-for-profit organizations.

Jessica has written extensively on ways to integrate sustainability into business and finance, and has been a member of a number of International, European and UK Government Committees, including the UK Treasury’s Sustainability Reporting Steering Committee and the European Commission’s Expert Group on Non-Financial Disclosure. She currently sits on the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange Advisory Group and is an IIRC Board member.

Jessica is a chartered accountant, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, has an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.

Sean Kidney
CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative (UK)

Sean Kidney is the CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize debt capital markets for climate solutions.

Projects include a green bond definitions and certification scheme with USD 34 trillion of assets represented on its Board and some 50 organizations involved in its development and governance; developing proposals for the European Commission on Europe’s role in mobilizing private sector capital for climate solutions; and working with the China’s central bank on how to grow green bonds in China.

Sean is is Consultant (Green Bonds) to the United Nations Secretary General; a member of the German International Aid Ministry’s TRANSfer Expert Group on “Using Climate Financing to Leverage Sustainable Transport”; and was a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Expert Committee on Climate Finance.

He was previously an award-winning marketing advisor to a number of the largest Australian pension funds and a social marketer and publisher. Sean has four daughters and lives in London with his partner.