Ms Margot Wallström began her political career in 1979 when she was elected to the Swedish parliament. She then served as Minister for Youth, Local Authorities and Consumer Affairs from 1988 to 1991, Minister of Culture from 1994 to 1996, and Minister of Social Affairs from 1996 to 1998.
Before taking up her appointment as EU Commissioner in 1999, she was Executive Vice-President of Worldview Global Media in Colombo, Sri Lanka. From 1999 to 2004, Ms Wallström served as the European Commissioner for the Environment. She then served as first Vice President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2010.
In 2007, Ms Wallström became Chair of the Ministerial Initiative of the Council for Women World Leaders. In 2010, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon appointed her the first Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict until 2012. She then served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden from 2014-2019.
The Right Honourable Dame Jenny Shipley is a former Prime Minister of New Zealand and today is a Director, Advisor and Keynote Speaker with a special interest in mega trends in business, economic and social development opportunities globally. She was the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and to date the only female leader of the New Zealand National Party. In the preceding 7 years she was a Senior Minister in the New Zealand Government and a driving force in the successful decade of economic and social reforms in NZ.
She retired from NZ politics in 2002 and has since established a very successful new career.
Shipley is chair of Genesis Energy, China Construction Bank NZ Senior Money International, the Advisory Board for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority transitional and an Executive member of the New Zealand China Council.
Jenny chairs Global Women NZ and gives her time to a number of causes including as Vice president of the Club of Madrid, a group of 102 former Presidents and Prime Ministers and a member of the World Women's Leaders Council. Both groups work in many countries, promoting democracy, the advancement of women and every aspect of social and economic improvement and progress. She is Patron of Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre and the New Zealand Heart Foundation’s "Go Red for Women". She has also established a Namibian Education Trust that supports a cluster of schools in Northern Namibia.
