Ernesto Zedillo

A trained economist, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo has been the Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization at Yale University since 2002. He is also the Latin America co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue and on the board of directors at Citigroup.

Throughout Ernesto’s political career he served as Secretary of Education of Mexico; Secretary of Economic Programming and the Budget; Undersecretary of Budget; Deputy Director of the Central Bank of Mexico, and Professor of Economics at the National Polytechnic Institute and Colegio de México. In 1994 he ran for the presidency and won. Known for instigating profound electoral reforms, he is one of Mexico’s leading lights.

A formidable figure, with notable political credentials, the new President was faced with a financial crisis just days after taking office. Implementing drastic changes and economic reforms which helped the country recover, he became a national hero. He is best remembered for the creation of the Progresa programme, which helped some of Mexico's poorest families – so long as their children went to school.

In 2013 he joined The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work together on peace and human rights issues.

Other posts filled by Ernesto during his career include Chair of the Commission on Modernization of the World Bank Group Governance; Chair of the Commission for the Future Course of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and he has served as a member of the Commission on Growth and Development.

Ernesto is a member of the G30; the Trilateral Commission; the foundation board of the World Economic Forum, and the board of directors of the Institute for International Economics, amongst many other organisations and international advisory boards.

He has edited books on global warming, globalisation and previously wrote for Forbes magazine for eight years. He was elected an international member of the American Philosophical Society in 2011.

He is the recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom from Fear Award; the International Award of Lifetime Achievement by the Cristobal Gabarron Foundation of Spain; the Gold Insigne of the Council of the Americas; the Berkeley Medal -University of California's highest honor; the Tribuna Americana Award of the Casa de America of Madrid, and the Sustainable Development Leadership Award presented by the Energy Resources Institute in New Delhi.

He also holds academic and honorary degrees from many of the world’s leading universities.

Extremely intelligent and a champion of social responsibility, Ernesto can deliver an interesting and memorable keynote speech.