The Global Leadership Foundation exists to make available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today’s national leaders.
It does so through its network of Members – former Presidents, Prime Ministers, senior government ministers and other distinguished leaders – drawn together by a desire to give something back to the world.
Working in small teams, in their personal capacity, Members offer private and confidential advice to Heads of Government.
GLF is a not-for-profit foundation, registered in Switzerland and is independent of any government or corporate interest.
Feature Videos
Vaira Vike-Freiberga tells her extraordinary life story
GLF Message from Founder FW de Klerk
Helen Clark explores what it takes to be a leader
Network News
GLF welcomes Elita de Klerk as a Patron
The Global Leadership Foundation is delighted to announce that Elita de Klerk has accepted the invitation from the Chair to join the foundation as a Patron.
Statement on the death of FW de Klerk
With deepest sadness, the Global Leadership Foundation announces the death today in Cape Town of its Founder, former President and Nobel Laureate FW de Klerk. In 1997, FW de Klerk left office after serving as President and then Vice President of South Africa. He did...
Statement by Helen Clark
It is a special honour to be invited by the Chairman and Founder FW de Klerk, on behalf of the Members, to take the Chair of the Global Leadership Foundation. In so doing, I pay tribute to FW’s vision of an organisation that would allow former leaders to help today’s...
Statement by FW de Klerk
I have decided that, due to ill health, the time has come for me to hand over the leadership of the Global Leadership Foundation after 17 years as the Chairman. My intention, when I set up the GLF in 2004, was to provide a means by which former national leaders could...
GLF Members Sign Letter to G20
A total of 29 GLF Members have signed a letter to Italian Prime Minister Mari Draghi ahead of the 2021 G20 Summit. The letter calls for the urgent redistribution of Covid-19 vaccines from the US, the EU, the UK and Canada and for the World Bank to make additional...
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf receives Emily Winifred Dickson Award
GLF Member Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been awarded the Emily Winifred Dickson award from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The award recognises women who have made an outstanding contribution to their field. Find out more about the award here.
Helen Clark elected President of Chatham House
GLF Vice Chair Helen Clark has been elected President of Chatham House, replacing Sir John Major who is retiring from the role. Helen Clark will serve alongside Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller and Lord Darling as the institution's three Presidents. For more...
Groupe Filatex join the International Council
GLF is delighted to welcome Groupe Filatex to its International Council
GLF Members Sign Letter to G7
Twenty Five GLF Members and Three GLF Patrons have signed a letter to G7 governments ahead of their meeting on 11 June. The letter asks that those leaders support dose sharing of Coronavirus vaccines and financially assist in the rebuilding of the global economy. The...
GLF Welcomes Barbara Barrett as a Member
The Global Leadership Foundation is delighted that Barbara Barrett has accepted an invitation to join the GLF as a Member. She served as the United States' Secretary of the Air Force (2019-2021) and Ambassador to Finland (2008-2009).
Articles & Speeches By GLF Members
Reeling In A Deal To Save The Ocean
by HELEN CLARK
Redefining Engagement with China
by JAVIER SOLANA
Learning From Failure
by ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF
How International Institutions Die
by ANA PALACIO
US Nuclear Arms Race Shift Could Raise Risk of Inadvertent Conflict
by GEORGE ROBERTSON
Competition and Coexistence
by CARL BILDT
GLF ANNUAL MEETINGS
Our Annual Meeting is a pivotal event in our calendar as it brings together the GLF family to create and develop opportunities to achieve what GLF has sought to do since its earliest days.
Bern, 2018:
