Leading international trade lawyer Anahita Thoms has become the only Partner from a global law firm to be chosen to join the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum Class of 2020. The forum brings together diverse, dynamic and globally representative leaders for a 5-year personalized leadership program.
With 1,300 members and alumni representing over 100 nationalities, Young Global Leaders (YGL) head governments and Fortune 500 companies, are recipients of Nobel Prizes and Academy Awards, and serve as UN Goodwill Ambassadors. The ambition is to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future.
Anahita Thoms heads Baker McKenzie's International Trade Practice in Germany and is a Member of its EMEA Steering Committee for Compliance & Investigations. She is a Board Member of the Atlantik-Brücke and a Steering Committee Member of the ABA International Human Rights Committee.
Anahita will join the 2020 class of Young Global Leaders on 11 March. As she explains, her main goal is to make a difference, “I am thrilled to be chosen among such an esteemed 2020 class of individuals. The YGL program has always appealed to me, in bringing together a community of responsible leaders to build bridges across sectors, regions and identities, to make meaningful contributions to our world. I look forward to working with this class to break silos and build bridges, tackling some of the most challenging issues of our times, such as sustainability, human rights and free trade.”
Speaking after this announcement, Milton Cheng, Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, said, “Our relationship with the World Economic Forum spans many years, most recently, our collaborative partnership with the Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the goal to contribute to society and gain knowledge about innovation which benefits how we serve our clients. This is an outstanding recognition for Anahita and I am confident that she will be an extraordinary ambassador for our firm and values.”
Constanze Ulmer-Eilfort, Baker McKenzie’s EMEA Chair and Global Chair of Diversity & Inclusion added, “I have worked closely with Anahita ever since she joined our Firm. Her passion to make a difference and thirst for knowledge are qualities she brings to the table when dealing with clients and will no doubt be important qualities on this new journey. As a Firm, we are very proud of her achievement and look forward to seeing the fantastic contribution she will make to the YGL class of 2020.”
“By championing these promising and accomplished leaders we hope to create positive ripple effects that benefit entire communities. In response to a startling decline in trust in leadership over the past decade, these Young Global Leaders inspire the world through their dynamism, passion and integrity,” said Mariah Levin, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum.
Find out about the new class which includes Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin and Annalena Baerbock, Chairwoman of The Green party of Germany here, and find out about the Forum of Young Global Leaders here.