Stephen Kinnock to head World Economic Forum’s Europe and Central Asia team

Contact: Mark Adams, Director, Head of Communications, Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 1212 - mark.adams@weforum.org

Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday 2 December 2008 - Stephen Kinnock will join the World Economic Forum as Director, Head of Europe and Central Asia as of 5 January 2009. "Stephen shares the Forum's mission to engage leaders from all walks of life to improve the state of the world. He brings a wealth of experience to further dialogue among Europe and Central Asia's decision-makers in concert with international leaders to address the challenges facing this region," said Børge Brende, Managing Director, in charge of Governments, Regional Activities and Constituents.

Kinnock has worked for the British Council for more than 12 years where he has held senior UK-based and international positions in Europe, Russia and Africa. Most recently, he was Programme Leader for Inter-Cultural Dialogue where he led the design and development of "Sharing Futures", the British Council's multi-country programme to engage with young people who are potentially vulnerable to negative radicalization, with a focus on the Middle East and South Asia. Prior to this, Kinnock was a British Council Director for Sierra Leone, north-west Russia and Brussels. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

Kinnock holds a BA degree from Queens' College, Cambridge, in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) and an MA in European and EU Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges.
"Europe and Central Asia continue to play a strategic role in global affairs, and the World Economic Forum as a neutral platform engages its leaders to shape not only the region's agenda, but also that of the globe and of industry. It is this multistakeholder approach to tackling the issues that are holding both the region and the rest of the world back that offers so much potential here at the World Economic Forum. I'm really looking forward to starting in my exciting and challenging new role." said Kinnock.

Last month, the Forum held the first World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul which was hosted by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It brought together nine heads of state/government, 21 ministers and over 40 other public figures, while business leaders included Güler Sabanci, Chairman, Sabanci Holding, Turkey; Jean Lemierre, Senior Adviser to the Chairman, BNP Paribas Group, France; and Piotr Czapski, Partner, EQT Partners, Poland.

Kinnock is married to the leader of the Danish Social Democrat party, Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Notes to Editors:

For more information about the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul, visit http://www.weforum.org/europecentralasia2008

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (http://www.weforum.org)