INSEAD and the INSEAD Alumni Association (IAA) partner to recognise outstanding alumni
Sadia Khan MBA’95D, IAA President, Marcelle Speller MBA’82, recipient of the 2018 Force for Good Award and Ilian Mihov, Dean of INSEAD
Three alumni have received the first-ever INSEAD Force for Good Award, an award that recognises alumni who exemplify the values of the school, with the aim to strengthen these efforts and inspire business and government leaders around the world to be a force for good.
The award recipients are:
Marcelle Speller MBA’82, Founder of Localgiving. Marcelle believes that using business to solve the greatest problems in the world by collaborating with NGOs and governments is the surest way to create change. Localgiving.org has raised more than £20 million for 5,000 organisations.
“I didn’t want to just write cheques; I wanted to be involved in building things, doing things and leveraging my money.”
Denis von der Weid MBA’61, Founder and Director of Antenna Foundation. Denis established Antenna Foundation to lead scientific research for technological, health and economic solutions to meet the basic needs of marginalised populations in developing countries.
“We are not pretending to change the world, but let’s do what is within our reach.”
Sameer Hajee MBA’04D, Co-Founder and CEO of Nuru Energy. Sameer believes in the power of technology to create a better world. He founded Nuru Energy to provide clean energy access to households living below the poverty line in both Africa and South Asia.
“Even the most basic technology can significantly transform the lives of the poorest.”
Sadia Khan MBA’95D, President of the INSEAD Alumni Association, says that, “We have a vibrant alumni community doing excellent work in countries around the world and embracing our INSEAD values. These awards recognise alumni who are delivering value beyond the bottom line of the companies they lead. Today, we shine a light on the positive impact our alumni have on business and society – and we recognise those who support our community and enable and encourage these efforts.”
The Force for Good Award is among the four categories of Awards jointly produced by INSEAD and the INSEAD Alumni Association (IAA). The other three categories are: Global Entrepreneurship Award, Emerging Entrepreneur Award and Volunteer Leader Award.
Harjeev Kandhari MBA’02J, Denis von der Weid MBA’61, Alexandra von Schroeter MBA’87J and Sameer Hajee MBA’04D receiving their award
INSEAD Alumni Global Entrepreneurship Award 2018
Award recipient Kevin Ryan MBA’90D is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of AlleyCorp. His business experience includes leading DoubleClick from a 20-employee start-up into a 1,500-employee online advertising giant with his strong vision and passion for online ventures. The company sold for US$1.1 billion in 2005. Today, as Founder and Chairman of AlleyCorp, he helps launch and invest in online start-ups. One recent success is MongoDB (valued at $3 billion) where he is also its Founder and Chairman.
“It [the experience] made me a better businessperson and put me in a position to have judgment and expertise that was helpful in managing the CEOs of the new companies I started.”
INSEAD Alumni Emerging Entrepreneur Award 2018
Award recipient Harjeev Kandhari MBA’02J is the Founder and CEO of Zenises, the world’s first premier global tyre subscription service where 10% of company profits go toward initiatives to educate and feed impoverished children in the developing world through the Zenises Foundation.
“Anybody can write a cheque, but it’s very difficult to build a sustainable organisation that will continue going forward to educate children, build homes and feed people.”
INSEAD Alumni Volunteer Leader Award 2018
The award recipients are:
Leonidas Los MBA’75, Retired Shipping Agent and Broker, Tri-Marine S.A., Leonidas has been engaging alumni as well as leading fundraising efforts as Chairman of the INSEAD Alumni Fund Board for many years. He was a member of the INSEAD Board and has been an INSEAD Circle of Patrons Member since 2014.
“By making the necessary funds available to our Dean to invest in the future of the school, we will all be winners.”
Alexandra von Schroeter MBA’87J, CFA, IDP-C, Partner and Co-Owner, Cumberland Private Wealth Management. Alexandra had taken over as INSEAD Fundraising Chair for Canada and eventually joined the INSEAD Alumni Fund’s Global Board, serving three terms in 15 years.
“The most fulfilling aspect of the work is knowing that I’m invested in INSEAD.”
Tsunehiro Nakayama MBA’75, Retired Chairman, Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co. Tsunehiro helped re-establish the INSEAD Japan National Council as President and leveraged his strong network with the Japanese business community to boost INSEAD’s profile in Japan.
“You felt you were working among peers on an international level [during his time at INSEAD], and that kind of experience gave me an open-mindedness.”
INSEAD and the IAA continue to develop new initiatives, programmes and events that benefit all alumni. To stay updated, visit: insead.edu/alumni.
