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March 11, 2010
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF JEANNE SAUVÉ FOUNDATION DÉSIRÉE MCGRAW NAMED YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER BY WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
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Montreal, March 11, 2010 – The Board of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation is pleased and proud that our Executive Director, Désirée McGraw, has been named one of the 2010 Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum.
The honour, bestowed each year by the Forum, recognizes and acknowledges up to 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.
One of five Canadians – and the only one from Québec – Désirée was selected in recognition of her long-standing work on climate change and international development.
Désirée began her public advocacy career at age 16, when she embarked on a national speaking tour promoting global peace and security issues during the Cold War era. At age 21, she was appointed by UN Under-Secretary-General Maurice Strong to serve as one of two Youth Ambassadors to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. Ever since, she has devoted her talents and energies to international and sustainable development.
With twenty years of experience as a consultant, researcher, reporter, senior advisor and spokesperson in the field of sustainable development, Désirée has been described by the national media as “one of Canada’s ten most influential people on environmental issues”. She has served on a number of Canadian delegations to UN conferences, including on Environment and Development (Rio, 1992), the Biodiversity Convention (Nairobi, 2000) and the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol (Montreal, 2005). She has also lectured on Sustainable Development and Globalization at McGill University since 2002, prior to which she coordinated outreach for the University’s new School of Environment.
Prior to becoming Executive Director of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, Désirée was Director of Policy and acting Chief of Staff to Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation (2003-2006). She coordinated all key ministerial files in the areas of sustainable development, stakeholder relations and multilateral organizations. As chair of a national 2006 Taskforce on Environment and Sustainable Development, her ground-breaking report and recommendations are credited with providing a blueprint for reconciling Canada’s social and economic objectives with its environmental concerns and commitments. As co-founder of Al Gore’s Climate Project leadership program in Canada, Désirée helped spearhead a national climate leadership training, personally led by Mr. Gore. She continues to serve as Canadian Vice-chair of the Climate Project.
Today, in her role as Executive Director of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, Désirée is responsible for its flagship Sauvé Scholars Program. She leads this unique Canadian global youth leadership program working with young leaders from around the world. Now in its seventh year, the Sauvé Scholars Program, whose academic home is McGill University, has welcomed 87 young leaders from 44 countries and all 5 continents.
It is fitting that Désirée’s first international youth leadership award was presented to her in 1988 by the Right Hon Jeanne Sauvé, then Governor General of Canada. She is an inspiring example of the young global leaders whom Jeanne Sauvé envisioned when she created her Foundation.
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Source :
Francois-Xavier Tremblay
Communications Officer, Jeanne Sauvé Foundation
T 514-848-9292
C 514-473-2150
