International Experience

After finishing his Presidential term (1) President Figueres has dedicated himself to pioneering the linkage between Technology and Sustainable Development, in the realms of business, public service, and large non-profit organizations.

Figueres helped create and lead the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (ICT), first as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Information and Communications Technologies Advisory Group and then as the ICT Task Force’s first Chairperson. Together with Nicolas Negroponte and Jeffrey Sachs, José María is a founder of the Digital Nations Program at the Media Lab, MIT. To pursue these efforts, he established the Fundación Costa Rica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Entebbe) in Costa Rica.

In September 2000 Figueres moved to Geneva, Switzerland, upon becoming a Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, overseeing the Center for the Global Agenda. He became the first CEO of the World Economic Forum in 2003, having amongst his responsibilities the overall coordination of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, at Davos, which gathers prominent business leaders and Heads of State and Government, as well as respected academic personalities. One of his main achievements as CEO was strengthening global corporate ties to social and governmental sectors by identifying their common long-term interests.

Evidence of his ability to bring together the best of the governmental and non-profit sector with the private sector at an international level is seen in current and previous advisory and board of directors’ positions. Currently he serves on the boards of World Resources Institute (USA), Earth Council Geneva (Switzerland), Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (USA), Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (Jordan), the Dubai Recycling Park, the ACIPP Qualification Advisory Board Committee of the Arab Society for Intellectual Property and Grupo San Cristobal SAISC (Costa Rica), among others. Together with President Carter he is also an International Advisor at Global Environmental Action (Japan). In addition, Figueres is a Member of the Dean’s Alumni Leadership Council at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a founding Member of the Club de Madrid. He previously served on the Boards of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and FUNDES Internacional.

Today he continues to work in the fields of technology and development, and is currently the CEO of CONCORDIA 21, based in Spain, dedicated to supporting organizations which promote development and democratic values around the world.

(1) The Costa Rican Constitution stipulates that Presidents can only serve one term. This, however, was amended in 2003, allowing former Presidents to again stand for election after a minimum of two periods out of office.