Till Alexander Leopold is a Project Lead of the Global Challenge on Employment, Skills and Human Capital at the World Economic Forum. His responsibilities include leadership of the Global Challenge’s insights and analysis workstream, co-authorship of the Forum’s Human Capital Report, co-development of the Future of Jobs project and management of the Global Agenda Council on the Future of Jobs and the Global Agenda Council on Gender Parity. He also co-organizes community activities at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting and regional summits. Till previously served as an economist and project manager at the United Nations and International Labour Organization, where his work focused on policy analysis, research and technical cooperation in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, and as a consultant and analyst in the field of impact investing and social entrepreneurship, with particular first-hand experience in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has co-authored several research reports on inclusive business and private sector development in emerging and frontier markets and moderated workshops on these topics at international development conferences. Till holds Masters degrees in Social Anthropology, Finance and Development Economics from the University of Cambridge and London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Vesselina Ratcheva is a Data Analyst working in the World Economic Forum’s Human Capital and Gender Parity team. She is responsible for data processing, analysis and visualization. Vesselina was previously responsible for Data, Research and Evaluation at National Numeracy, a skills charity in the United Kingdom. She has worked on a variety of research projects for the past 10 years, covering international migration, experiences of urban infrastructure, political mobilization, organizational culture and national identity—consistently using mixed research methods. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology, an MSc in Comparative and Cross Cultural Research Methods and a BA in Social Anthropology and Maths. Ratcheva is dedicated to exploring the best ways to ensure more just social and political systems with a specific focus on skills, employment and work, identity (gender, ethnic) and culture.

Saadia Zahidi is Head of the Global Challenge on Employment, Skills and Human Capital, Head of the Global Challenge on Gender Parity and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum. Zahidi founded and co-authors the Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, the Corporate Gender Gap Report, the Human Capital Report, the Future of Jobs Report and the Industry Gender Gap Report. In her work on gender as well as employment, Zahidi has translated analysis into action by mobilizing a wide network of constituents—business leaders, governments, civil society and academia—to work together to set targets, share best practices, create new public-private partnerships, muster resources and change mindsets. In past roles, she has managed civil society and international organization portfolios at the Forum and was also previously an Economist with the Forum’s Global Competitiveness Programme. Zahidi serves as a board member and advisor for several organizations and is a frequent speaker at international conferences and in the media. She earned her BA in Economics at Smith College, MPhil in International Economics at the Graduate Institute of International Studies and MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her research interests include issues of gender equality, women’s leadership, skills gaps, employment and human capital. She is currently writing a book on Womenomics in the Muslim World and was awarded the inaugural Bracken Bower Prize by the Financial Times and McKinsey for this project. She is a native of Pakistan.