World Economic Forum CEO Børge Brende Steps Down After Review Of Epstein Links; Alois Zwinggi Named Interim President & CEO

Børge Brende has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), weeks after the organisation began an independent review into his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Co-Chairs announced that Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim President and CEO while the Board of Trustees oversees the leadership transition and begins the process to appoint a successor.

Brende began his career as a political adviser in 1985 and went on to hold key ministerial positions in Norway. He served as Minister of the Environment from 2001 to 2004 and as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2005. Between 2005 and 2013, he was a Member of the China Council for International Environment and Development, an advisory body to the State Council of China. He also served as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment in the Norwegian Parliament from 2005 to 2009. Brende later became Managing Director (MD) of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, served on the Board of Statoil, and chaired the Board of Mesta. Brende graduated with a BA in economics, law, and history from NTNU in Trondheim.

Before joining the Forum, Zwinggi spent more than 20 years with Swiss construction materials producer Holcim, working across diverse markets such as Mexico and Venezuela in both executive line management and corporate functions. He became a Member of the Managing Board of the WEF in 2010, bringing deep organisational knowledge and operational experience to his interim leadership position. Zwinggi studied at the University of St Gallen and Harvard Business School, blending Swiss and global perspectives into his leadership.