Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Foundation in September 2019. A pioneer in the field of youth empowerment, over the last five years Al Shamsi has led the Foundation through an outstanding period mobilization, engagement and partnership-building that has firmly established the organization’s longterm strategic operations. In 2023, he spearheaded further evolution within the organization, repositioning Emirates Foundation within the UAE social sector ecosystem. Taking it from a delivery agent of beneficiary programs to a sector-level facilitator, under Al Shamsi’s strategic direction, the Foundation is now responsible for driving social transformation by deploying active vehicles, like subsidiaries and JVs, that are creating meaningful societal change. In addition to his role as the CEO of Emirates Foundation, Al Shamsi continues to hold the role of the Director of National Experts Program. From 2017 to early 2019, Al Shamsi was also the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Youth Council and the first UAE UN Youth Ambassador. During his role as the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Youth Council, Al Shamsi spearheaded the design and successful launch of multiple youth empowerment programs and initiatives through forging valuable public and private partnerships. He also led youth engagement networks and programs, especially in underserved areas in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, through establishing corporate youth councils across government entities. His establishment of value-based youth programs and centers is based on – and inspired by – the vision laid out by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE. In his role as the UAE UN Youth Ambassador, Al Shamsi focused on enhancing young people’s involvement and contributions to the National Development Agenda and ensuring their voices and needs are heard by different stakeholders. Al Shamsi also successfully steered and oversaw the organization and execution of major events, including Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi since 2015, project managed the UAE-China Week, the events operationand strategic communication for the Special Olympics MENA, the operation lead for the opening of the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi. He alsoheaded many strategic aspects of the visits of Heads of States and International VIPs. He is a graduate of the American University of Washington DC with a degree in International Relations with post-graduate courses from Georgetown University, Oxford University, Harvard University, Columbia University and Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst