PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL

The Presidency of the Council is the highest annual ceremonial office within the Council of Global Change.

Appointed for a one-year term, the President is entrusted with presiding over the Council’s high-level sessions, guiding the deliberative agenda, and serving as a principal representative of the Council’s mission on the global stage.

President of the Council – 2026

Sarah Boulos

Entrepreneur & Arts-Education Innovator

Sarah Boulos is an esteemed cultural entrepreneur and philanthropist, renowned for her pioneering work in arts education and social empowerment across Africa. As the founder of the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), Ms. Boulos has transformed access to creative expression, providing thousands of young people with training in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts—often in underserved communities.

Through her visionary leadership, SPAN has become a beacon for cultural development and personal transformation, nurturing talent, promoting social inclusion, and building bridges across cultural and socioeconomic divides.

Symbolic Leadership, Strategic Impact

While the Secretary-General serves as the permanent executive authority and strategic head of the Council, the President embodies the collective voice of the Council’s leadership for the duration of their mandate. This role is conferred upon a figure of exceptional standing whose life and work reflect the Council’s values of visionary leadership, cultural diplomacy, and systemic transformation.

Each Presidency marks a unique chapter in the Council’s institutional memory, advancing multilateral cooperation across continents and sectors. The office is both symbolic and strategic, elevating global priorities through high-level dialogue, international visibility, and unified representation.

The CGC

International organization advancing cooperation between governments, institutions & leaders

Former Presidents

Throughout its history, the Council of Global Change has been guided by distinguished leaders from diverse regions and professional backgrounds. Each President has contributed to strengthening the Council’s role as a platform for international cooperation, policy dialogue, and institutional collaboration.

President of the Council - 2025 Term

Consuelo Vanderbilt

During her tenure as President of the Council of Global Change, Consuelo Vanderbilt actively participated in official sessions held at the United Nations alongside the organization, in collaboration with governments such as Kiribati and The Bahamas, as well as multilateral and private sector actors including the World Bank, Malala Fund, Nobel Sustainability Trust, and the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

As part of the initiatives developed during her presidency, she contributed to the creation of the Vanderbilt–Daxsen Arts & Heritage Fund, conceived as a hybrid platform integrating social impact with financial sustainability, aimed at empowering emerging talents, cultural industries, and historically underserved communities.

During her leadership, she co-hosted alongside the CGC the private pre-screening of Fairyland, bringing together filmmakers, philanthropists, and cultural leaders for an evening centered on art, empathy, and international cultural impact.

She also supported initiatives focused on youth leadership and international education, including activities developed alongside the B. Wright Leadership Academy during the launch of the Girls Leadership Outreach Program, an initiative created to connect students with mentors, leaders, and guest speakers from diverse professional and personal backgrounds.