KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

President Bill CLINTON

Founder of The William J. Clinton Foundation 42nd President of the United States of America

William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic President in six decades to be elected twice – first in 1992 and then in 1996. Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than twenty-two million jobs.

After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence.

Dr. Erhard BUSEK

Jean Monnet Professor ad personam

Dr. Erhard Busek started his political career in 1975 when he was appointed Secretary General of the Austrian People’s Party and was elected Member of Parliament. He held various political positions in Austria: Deputy-Mayor of Vienna (1978-1987), Minister for Science and Research (1989-1994) and Minister of Education (1994-1995). He was elected Chairman of the Austrian People’s Party and served as Vice-Chancellor of Austria from 1991 to 1995, and was the Special Representative of the Austrian Government on EU-Enlargement.

After 1995 he intensified his Central European and cultural interests and carried out various positions as Chairman of the “Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe” (IDM) (since 1995) and Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) (since 1996) and President of the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) since 2000.

Some of his other positions include Chairman of Advisory Board of Trustees of Erste Foundation, Chairman of the University Council of Medical University Vienna, President of Vienna Economic Forum, President of EU-Russia Centre, and President of “Senat der Wirtschaft“.

Tiffany PERSONS

Shine On Sierra Leone, Founder and Director

Tiffany Persons is the founder and director of the non-profit organization Shine on Sierra Leone and the hi-profile commercial casting company Tiffany Company Casting.

Currently celebrating Shine on Sierra Leone’s fifth anniversary, Tiffany’s passion and commitment for empowering the communities of Sierra Leone through innovative initiatives and strong cultural partnerships is stronger than ever. Since Shine on Sierra Leone’s inception, she has overseen the six cornerstone programs that have contributed to the phenomenal growth and success of the region.

Recognized for her work as the founder of Shine On Sierra Leone, Tiffany has been honored by 50/50 Leadership and the United Nations Foothill Chapter and as a Woman Of The World and Sustainopia 2011, selected as a moderator for the Opportunity Collaboration conference, on the board of iOnPoverty, and featured in various popular domestic and international publications including Elle, Vibe, Emirates Woman, and People.com.