World Economic Forum President and CEO Borge Brende announced Thursday that he is resigning, weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, who became WEF president in 2017, announced his decision in a statement following the release of information from the US Department of Justice that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and also communicated with the disgraced financier via email and text.
Who is Borge Brende?
Brende was born in 1965 and served as Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Climate and Environment. He was the deputy chairman of the Norwegian Conservative Party as well as a full-time MP and city councilor in his hometown of Trondheim.
Borge Brende graduated with a BA in Economics, Law and History, NTNU, Trondheim. He started his career as a political consultant in 1985.
Other key positions remained
Brende has served as Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross, and was a member of the Board of Directors of Statoil and the Norwegian School of Economics. In addition, he was chairman of Mesta, Norway’s largest road and highway maintenance contracting group, according to the WEF website.
He previously served as director of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Hoffman Center for Global Sustainability and serves on the advisory board of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, the website said. He is also a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) and Sciences Po’s Strategic Committee and sits on the board of Bilderberg Meetings.
Brende’s resignation
In a statement issued Thursday, Brende said, “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been deeply rewarding.”
He added: “I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners and constituents and believe now is the right time for the Forum to continue its important work without distraction. Brende did not mention Epstein.”
Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum that hosts the annual Davos summit, said in a separate statement that an independent review of Brende’s connection to Epstein by outside legal counsel had been completed.
The findings do not indicate any concerns beyond what has already been published, he added.
The Co-Chairs announced that WEF’s Alois Zwinggi will serve as Interim President and CEO. They also said the forum’s board of directors will oversee the leadership transition, which includes developing a plan to find a permanent successor.
