
Sean de Cleene
Profile
Biography
Sean de Cleene is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum. He is highly regarded internationally for his work in brokering relevant transformational partnership and business solutions, often involving a range of complex government, business and civil society interactions that have led to significant positive change in the area of food security, agricultural development, natural resource management, climate change, blended finance and innovation. He specialises in developing high ambition collective platforms for action in support of country transition pathways, inclusive and innovative business models and investment strategies that deliver impact at scale both globally and nationally and often involve systems wide change. He is seen as a highly accomplished team leader and leadership executive with an ability to work comfortably across all sectors.
Education
- Senior Executive ProgrammeHarvard Business School , United States
- MSc International Development Practices (Distinction) Dissertation: Strategic Capacity Building, applying business strategy development to the management of international NGOsOxford Brookes University , United Kingdom
- Post Graduate Diploma TESOLUniversity New South Wales , Australia
- BA (Law)University of Sydney , Australia
Corporate Experience
- Leadership Council of the Regenerative Fund for NaturePresent
- Member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic ForumPresent
- The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH)Present
- Trustee – The Partnering InitiativePresent
- Non - Executive Director – Grow Asia–
- Chair, Innovation Lever of Change, UN Food Systems Summit–
- Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, AGRA–
- Secondment UN Special Advisor to the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Food Security and Nutrition–
- Senior Vice President Global Initiatives, Strategy and Business Development Yara International - (Chair World Economic Forum NVA Project Board, Co-Chair Grow Africa with CEO NEPAD)–
- Vice President Global Business Initiatives, Yara International–
- Vice President Global Public Affairs Yara International–
- Member of Africa Progress Panel Business Advisory Committee–
- Vice President Africa Programmes & Business Development Yara International–
- Joint initiator - Business Action Against Corruption (formerly operating in 12 countries) rated by Africa Progress Panel as one of two best initiatives on curbing corruption in Africa–
- Special Advisor – UNEP Finance Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland–
- Co-Chair - South Africa Government Africa best practice framework and report for intergovernmental Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity (hosted in South Africa)–
- Founder/Chair - Business Action Against Corruption, Malawi–
- Founder /Chair - Malawi Agricultural Partnership–
- Board Member - Business Consult Africa–
- Senior Advisor – Synergy Global–
- Senior Advisor – UNDP Global Compact Malawi. Jointly established UN Global Compact Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa between 2001 and 2004–
- Co-founder and Executive Director - SR&I South Africa (which developed and managed the data provision and technology component of the JSE SRI Index)–
- Joint chair AU African Peer Review Mechanism South African Corporate Governance consultation–
- Co - Chair UNEP Finance Initiative Africa Taskforce (lead role in establishing UN PRI)–
- Member of the inaugural JSE/FTSE SRI Index Advisory Committee–
- Ex Co / co-founder University of Southern Africa (UNISA) Centre Corporate Citizenship–
- Member - UN Economic Commission for Africa Corporate Governance Special Advisory Group–
- Co-founder and Executive Director of African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (subsequently disbanded except Malawi)–
- Co-founder of Australian Institute of Corporate Citizenship (later disbanded)–
- Senior Manager, VSO, Beijing China (overall responsibility for all non-ELT positions nationally and included VSO’s first worldwide funding into agro-forestry and landuse)–
- Development worker, VSO, Jiangxi China (awarded Friendship Medal)–
- International and Australian Journalist Associations accredited Journalist–
- Senior Coordinator, Australian Institute of Languages, Course designer at University of Western Sydney School of Nursing ( now part of University of Sydney) and University College Dublin–