Sigmar Gabriel Former Minister, Foreign Affairs Germany Chairman, Atlantik-Brücke e.V.

Sigmar Gabriel was Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2018. 

Born in Goslar in 1959, Sigmar Gabriel studied politics, sociology and German at the University of Göttingen. In 1987 he passed the second state examination as a grammar school teacher and worked as a teacher in adult vocational training until 1990.

In 1977 Sigmar Gabriel has become a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and was its chairman from 2009 to 2017.

After several different positions within his party in Lower Saxony, Gabriel was Prime Minister of the State of Lower Saxony from 1999 to 2003. From 2005 to 2009 he was Federal Minister of the Environment and from 2013 to 2017 Sigmar Gabriel was Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy. He was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2013 to 2018 and Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2018.

Sigmar Gabriel is chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke e.V., member of the Trilateral Commission and the European Council of Foreign Relations. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Deloitte advisory board. Since May 2020 he is member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bank. Sigmar Gabriel teaches at the University of Bonn and spent a research period at Harvard University in autumn 2018.

Sigmar Gabriel is a brilliant and convincing speaker who outlines his point of view frankly and straight and therewith captivates his audience.

José Manuel Barroso Chairman, Goldman Sachs International

José Manuel Barroso is chairman of Goldman Sachs International. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2016 after a high profile career in EU and Portuguese politics.

In 1999, Barroso was elected president of the Portugese Social Democratic Party and became the leader of the opposition. In 2002, he was elected Prime Minister of Portugal and in 2004 he was nominated as President of the European Commission. Barroso remained in the Presidency for two five-year terms where he played an influential role in the passing of the Treaty of Lisbon, responding to the financial crisis and incorporating new members in the European Union, as the EU went from 15 to 28 countries between 2004 and 2014.

On behalf of the EU, José Manuel Barroso received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 and gave the acceptance speech together with the President of the European Council.

Barroso’s academic positions included visiting professor at Georgetown University. Most recently, he was visiting professor of International Economic Policy and a policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School, at Princeton University.

Michelle Seitz Chairman & CEO Russell Investments

As chairman and CEO of Russell Investments, Michelle Seitz leads a global investment solutions firm with $300 billion in assets under management and $2.5 trillion in assets under advisement for clients in 32 countries around the world. Russell Investments is the world's fifth largest investment adviser.

In 2017, Seitz was recruited to Russell Investments to be Chairman and CEO. Since then, she has reset the vision and strategic direction of the firm, restructured the management team, strengthened the corporate culture, elevated diversity and inclusion programs, and upgraded and personalized client offerings, including enhanced private markets offerings and leading ESG portfolio management capabilities. Seitz continues to improve and fortify Russell Investments while focusing associates and clients around its core purpose.

Before joining Russell Investments, Seitz spent 22 years at William Blair, serving 16 years on the firm's board and as CEO of William Blair Investment Management. By driving continuous innovation, she dramatically expanded William Blair's institutional, mutual fund, and private wealth management businesses.

Seitz is a frequent keynote speaker at leadership conferences and industry events, notably on financial security, leadership, innovation, and diversity and inclusion.

She is a member of Challenge Seattle, a group of senior executives of the state’s major private sector employers, and is on the boards of Sana Biotechnology and the Washington Roundtable, a prominent alliance of CEOs. Seitz is also on the Dean’s Council at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, where she graduated in 1987 with a B.S. in Accounting. She became a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1990.

Patrick Lee CEO Standard Chartered

As CEO Singapore, Patrick is responsible for steering and executing business development strategy for the Bank in Singapore. Home to the Bank’s global businesses and Technology & Operations function, Singapore is an important market for the Standard Chartered Group.

He has over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, including corporate and investment banking, product and sector coverage, and has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong and London.

Patrick is a Co-Founder and Board Director of Leap Philanthropy Ltd, a Singapore-based charity active in Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar. He is also a Board Director of Clifford Capital (established as a specialist provider of structured finance solutions).