Congratulations to Namibian serial entrepreneur, Ally Angula, who has been chosen as one of the 17 Sub Saharan Members on the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) by the World Economic Forum. Ally co-founded Leap Investments in Namibia and South Africa, an integrated group of companies involved in the growing of fresh produce, garment manufacturing and retail. She also recently launched Namibia's first commercial clothing brand, My Republik, which is proudly manufactured in the country. Ally is an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow.
The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multi-stakeholder community of more than 900 exceptional young leaders. Bold, brave, action-oriented and entrepreneurial, these individuals commit both their time and talent to make the world a better place. Over the last 10 years, the Forum has been identifying some of the world's most outstanding next-generation leaders and building a platform for them to engage in global affairs and make an impact. According to John Dutton, Director and Head of the Young Global Leaders Community at the World Economic Forum, “The YGLs include the world’s most pioneering, next-generation leaders who have developed in their journey to produce positive, tangible impacts in their countries, industries and societies.”
“The class of 2015, together with the community over the past 10 years, shows how the future of business and public leadership is becoming more geographically diverse, more varied in its expertise, more gender-equal, and is challenging established ways to get things done.”
- John Dutton, Director and Head of the Young Global Leaders Community at the World Economic Forum
The YGL Class of 2015 was drawn from a pool of over 2,000 candidates who were evaluated by Heidrick & Struggles and screened by a selection committee chaired by H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The class of 2015 includes 23 people from East Asia, 17 from Greater China, 39 from Europe, 13 from Latin America, 16 from the Middle East and North Africa, 44 from North America, 18 from South Asia and 17 from sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking about her Young Global Leader nomination, Ally said: "This recognition is for Namibia as much as it is an individual recognition being the first Namibian to have made the list. I will continue to represent Namibia proudly."
Current and former Young Global Leaders include 11 heads of state and government, 10 heads of Fortune 500 companies, 15 UN Goodwill ambassadors, six Guinness World Record holders, four Oscar winners, three Olympic gold medallists, two Nobel Prize winners and an astronaut. Each year, the Forum selects the very best candidates from thousands of nominations worldwide to join its community, and this year's class of Young Global Leaders come from 66 countries.
The good news is that women are strongly represented in this year’s class, with half the intake coming from emerging economies. Other women entrepreneurs from Africa joining Ally Angula on this year's list include: Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru, founder of Honeysuckles PTL Ventures; Nigeria, and Lorna Rutto CEO of EcoPost, Kenya.