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Board of Trustees
The Transform Fund Board of Trustees provide counsel and expertise to ensure the fund is able to achieve its ultimate goal of driving economic and social progress in the developing world through science, technology and innovation.
Dr. Bandar M.H. Hajjar
President, Islamic Development Bank. Chairman of Board of Trustees
Dr. Bandar Hajjar assumed presidency of the Islamic Development Bank Group on October 1, 2016. As the head of one of the most important development banks, he has revolutionized the development banking industry. He developed his 5- year plan (P5P) which has special focus on Science, Technology and Innovation. He has served as the Minister of Hajj and Acting Minister of Culture and Information in Saudi Arabia prior to assuming his current role. He was also a member of the Shura Council.
Richard Curtis
Creator of Project Everyone,
Film Writer and Director.
Richard Curtis is a film writer and director, having worked on for films such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill", "Bridget Jones’ Diary", "Mr. Bean", "Love Actually", "The Boat That Rocked", "About Time" and most recently "Trash and Esio Trot". In the other half of Richard’s life, he is co-founder and vice-chair of Comic Relief, which he started after visiting Ethiopia during the 1985 famine. Richard is currently leading Project Everyone - an initiative to “launch” the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals for 7 billion people in 7 days and drive towards ending poverty by 2030.
H.E Helle Thorning-Schmidt
CEO of Save the Children International.
As former CEO of Save the Children International, Mrs. Helle oversaw the humanitarian and development programs that reach 55 million children in around 120 countries. Mrs. Helle joined Save the Children International after her public service career. As the Prime Minister of Denmark, she led a coalition government from 2011 until 2015, successfully steering Denmark through a difficult period of transition after the global financial crisis. Prior to her time as Prime Minister, Mrs. Helle was a member of Danish Parliament and the Leader of the Social Democratic Party for 10 years.
H.E. Mehmet Şimşek
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey.
Mehmet Şimşek served as Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from November 2015 to July 2018, and was responsible for the management of macroeconomic policies. He previously served as the Minister of Finance (2009-15), one of the longest serving Finance Ministers of Turkey, and as the Minister of Economy (2007-09). He was elected to the Parliament in 2007, 2011 and 2015 representing the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar
Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, Bangkok, Thailand.
Dr Akhtar is a Member of the Advisory Committee for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Secretariat of United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. In December 2013, Shamshad Akhtar was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the tenth Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She also serves as UN Sherpa for the G20.
Matthew Freud
Chairman of Freuds.
Matthew Freud is the Chairman of freuds, the international marketing agency he founded in 1985 which is regarded as one of the UK’s pre-eminent communications companies. He is involved in a wide range of charitable, political and cultural activities, including acting as a trustee of Comic Relief, a Governor of the British Film Institute and sitting on the board of the National Portrait Gallery and the Communications Committee for the London 2012 Olympic Games.