The Aspen Institute And The Global Markets Institute At Goldman Sachs Work Together To Develop Emerging Leaders In Africa

Washington — The Aspen Institute and the Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs will work together to provide accomplished young business, government and civic leaders in Africa with the opportunity to engage in cross-cultural leadership development. This new relationship will support the continuing growth and progress of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI).

 

ALI is a joint program of the Aspen Institute, the international development agency TechnoServe, the Letsema Foundation of South Africa, and three African business leaders from Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Its goal is to develop a new generation of African leaders – primarily business men and women between the ages of 30 and 45 – with the energy, the skills and the commitment to tackle the foremost challenges facing their countries and their continent. At present, there are 76 ALI participants, or ALI Fellows, from six African countries participating in the initiative.

The Global Markets Institute has committed to supporting the launch of a new class of 20 ALI Fellows from South Africa. This support includes sponsoring four leadership development seminars for the Fellows over the coming two years.

Additionally, the Global Markets Institute established the Goldman Sachs Africa Aspen Fellowship. Twelve senior leaders at Goldman Sachs were selected as GS Africa Aspen Fellows in a competitive, firm-wide nomination process to join the ALI Fellows in their leadership development activities.

From April 10 - April 20, 2005 in Aspen, Colorado, the South African ALI Fellows will convene with the GS Africa Aspen Fellows for the first of the four leadership development seminars. The GS Africa Aspen Fellows are further committed to provide mentoring and advice to the ALI Fellows as they advance in their careers and undertake required leadership projects.

Walter Isaacson, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, stated, "Growing our global leadership network is one of the most important things the Aspen Institute is doing today, working with our partners around the globe to reach an expanding number of motivated young people and develop enlightened leaders – often the missing ingredient in struggling societies. We are grateful that the Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs, which has adopted this program as part of its own commitment to shaping a better world, is joining us in this critical mission."

Suzanne Nora Johnson, Chairman of the Global Markets Institute, said, "We strongly believe that values- based leadership is essential to efficient and equitable global markets. We are pleased to partner with the Aspen Institute on this program, and to have a group of Goldman Sachs and African emerging leaders participate in this learning process."

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE fosters enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues. Through seminars, policy programs, public conferences, and an array of leadership initiatives, the Institute and its international partners promote the pursuit of common ground and nonpartisan inquiry.

THE GLOBAL MARKETS INSTITUTE AT GOLDMAN SACHS provides information to policy makers and the public about the role of the capital markets in society. Its mission is to examine how global markets create economic opportunity, foster prosperity and ensure financial security.

TECHNOSERVE helps entrepreneurial men and women in poor rural areas of the developing world to build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, their communities and their countries.

THE LETSEMA FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization with the aim of catalyzing individual empowerment in post-apartheid South Africa. The organization focuses on education, leadership and entrepreneurship.

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