“I’m thrilled to welcome both Dominic and Louise to the Foundation,” says Jim Leech, Chair, Mastercard Foundation Board of Directors. “The depth of their knowledge and insight will be invaluable in our effort to achieve our goal of enabling 30 million young people in Africa to secure dignified and fulfilling employment.”
The Honourable Louise Arbour, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, served as the United Nations Special Representative for International Migration until December 2018. In this role, she led advocacy efforts on international migration, provided policy advice, and coordinated the engagement of UN entities on migrations issues.
She previously served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Arbour is currently a jurist-in-residence at Borden, Ladner, Gervais LLP, where she advises on issues pertaining to international disputes and mentors young lawyers. She has been a Companion of the Order of Canada since 2007.
“The Mastercard Foundation is committed to creating positive global change, to equity, and inclusivity, and they understand that this requires a long-term view as well as working collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders,” says Arbour. “These are values I share, and I look forward to being a part of what they do.”
Dominic Barton is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was previously Global Managing Partner from 2009 to 2018. In his 32 years with the firm, he has advised clients in a range of industries including banking, consumer goods, technology, and manufacturing. He is the Chair of the Canadian Minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth and of the Seoul International Business Advisory Council. Barton also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Teck Resources and is the Chancellor of the University of Waterloo. He is a Trustee of the Brookings Institution, and a member of the Boards of Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
“Youth unemployment in Africa is one of the most complex challenges facing the world today and I am energized to join an organization that is trying to address it,” says Barton. “The Foundation has set an ambitious goal and I am optimistic about the enormous potential for positive change in Africa.”
Last year, the Mastercard Foundation launched its 2018-2030 strategy, Young Africa Works. The strategy unifies the Foundation’s work around the challenge of youth employment in Africa. Using youth employment as a measure of success, the Foundation is working with governments and the private sector to reduce poverty through improving education and vocational training, connecting employers to job seekers, and expanding access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Current Board member Hutham Olayan is retiring from the Board after nine years of service. She was Chair of the Investment Committee.
“On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to recognize Hutham Olayan for her service and leadership,” says Leech, “Hutham joined the Foundation in 2010 because she was passionate about its mission, especially the role of education and entrepreneurship, and their impact on the lives of young men and women.”
The Mastercard Foundation Board of Directors currently includes:
- Jim Leech, CM, Chancellor of Queen’s University, Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company, and retired CEO of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
- Zein Abdalla, Retired President of PepsiCo, Inc.
- Valerie Amos, CH, Director of SOAS, University of London and former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator.
- Doug Baillie, Retired Chief Human Resources Officer of Unilever.
- Craig Calhoun, Professor of Social Sciences, Arizona State University.
- Jennifer Fonstad, Co-Founder, Aspect Ventures.
- Dr. Jendayi Frazer, Managing Partner, African Exchange Holdings Company, President of 50 Ventures, LLC and former U.S Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
- Jay Ireland, Retired President and CEO, GE Africa.
- Festus Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana.
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. The Foundation’s work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion for people living in poverty.
One of the largest foundations in the world, it works primarily in Africa and Canada. It was created in 2006 by Mastercard International and operates independently under the governance of its own Board of Directors. The Foundation is based in Toronto, Canada. For more information and to sign up for updates from the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org. Follow the Foundation @MastercardFdn on Twitter.