Samuel Neal Shiroff is the Bellagio Forum's new Executive Director, succeeding Michael Hanssler who now heads the Henkel Foundation in Dusseldorf.  Sam - formerly Vice President, Corporate Cultural Affairs, at Deutsche Bank - took up his new role on May 19th, 2003.

His appointment followed a search by the BFSD board which focused on finding a candidate capable of bringing added value to members by intensifying the Forum’s activities and programs

Sam, a former Fulbright Scholar at Frankfurt University, has carried a broad portfolio, including involvement in a variety of fundraising, management, international network building and sustainable development issues. He played a key role in the creation of the bank’s Microcredit Development Fund for Germany and UK, as well as its Africa Foundation.

He brings to the Bellagio Forum valuable prior experience in the sustainable development arena, having worked with prime partners such as the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the World Bank and the United Nations; in particular the UN’s Global Compact initiative. He helped develop and draft the Forum’s activities and statements for the World Summit for Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg last September.

Announcing the appointment in April, BFSD Chairman, Michael Hölz commented, “From the beginning of the search process, we were trying to find an individual who could take the Forum to the next level; to energize our current members and make the Forum attractive for new ones. To accomplish this, the Forum needs a stronger international focus, especially in our trans-Atlantic relationships – Europe and North America.”

Sam noted in response that he looked forward to getting to know Forum members at the annual meeting and to developing new programs and strategies that will optimize the Forum’s resources and create added value for the membership.