LEAD-Europe
Leadership for Environment And Development
Fondation LEAD, Geneva, Switzerland

Last updated November, 1997

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Document Sections

Introduction • Current Associates • Associate Profiles • Institutions Represented • Selected Candidates • Criteria • Commitment • Number of Candidates • Costs • Announcements • Application

Introduction

Every year, LEAD-Europe invites candidates for a new group of mid-career professionals, whom it will support with training individually and as a group of "LEAD-Europe Associates" over a two-year period. At any point in time, LEAD-Europe assists therefore two groups of Associates separately but also fosters co-operation between all present and former Associates in all LEAD programmes. A considerable network of potential future leaders in many walks of life is being built up. The aim is that these leaders will help to establish sustainable development actions globally to replace much of the more profligate and environmentally damaging practices currently in place.

World-wide over 600 professionals are currently collaborating with LEAD. At present, LEAD-Europe brings together a group of 32 LEAD-Europe Associates. LEAD-Europe will maintain the balance between industry, media, government, academia and NGOs within each group of Associates, as part of the didactic approach oriented towards the inter-sectoral dialogue. The following tables show their institutional affiliation and their professional positions:

Current LEAD-Europe ASSOCIATES

Average age: 34, Countries represented: 16

Over a longer period, the selection will result in an even distribution of Associate origin amongst all European countries and all sectors of society. The foremost criteria being the professional potential of an individual, LEAD-Europe does not maintain an even distribution within each group. LEAD-Europe continues to look for leadership talent, irrespective of the direct professional context.

Associate Profiles

To demonstrate the diversity amongst the previous careers of these Associates, ten short descriptions will give an impression of their motivation to join LEAD-Europe:

• Volker Angres has been a leading producer and presenter of environment television programmes from the largest television station in Germany for several years and is one of the foremost innovators in this medium. LEAD has spurred his appreciation of an even wider range of environmental subjects that stimulate the public's interest.

• Imre Biczó's experience as a researcher and as a lecturer comprise the standard field of surface physics as well as environmental engineering, combining both. Directing a laboratory in Budapest University, he developed instruments for environmental analysis. Furthermore he has participated in East-West co-operation efforts regarding the cleanup of the military bases of the former Warsaw Pact. He has also been involved in ISO 14000 consulting in different sectors. Since joining the LEAD-Europe programme, he has taken up a position as marketing director for Rhone-Poulenc Hungary, developing a practice in site remediation.

• Andrea Déri pursued a multifaceted career after receiving her university degree in biology. Having worked in various research fields, most significantly assessing water quality of River Danube through investigating nutrient cycles (at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), she changed her focus towards capacity building. She wants to share her LEAD experience with community leaders through her new professional endeavors in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

• Zsuzsa Foltányi directs the Environmental Partnership in innovating support for environmental grassroots groups throughout Hungary. As a LEAD Associate she seizes advice on real partnerships between the non-profit sector, government and the business sector. The expanding privatisation in Hungary and the EU ascension are her major interests at present.

• Anders Hagfeldt performs R&D on solar cells, batteries and displays based on a new type of nano-technology. These systems are easy to prepare and expected to be produced at low cost. LEAD helps him to appreciate the wider context in which solar energy applications can make a contribution.

• Boris Velikov Petkov runs his own consulting company in Bulgaria as a partner of US-AID and multi-national corporations, with a track record in energy efficiency performance contracting. Institutional questions are also vital to the energy efficiency association he founded in Bulgaria. LEAD assists him in remaining at the forefront of this market.

• Stavroula Pouli's work in the Greek Environment Ministry is oriented to encouraging the introduction of environmental management systems (EMAS) in Greek industries. LEAD has enabled her to develop new skills that have increased her vision of sustainability issues.

• Hans Smeets has followed KLM's efforts to introduce environmental management since its beginning. He had been in flight operations, finally as head of international affairs, for 12.5 years before acting as manager strategy and planning, responsible for policy on environment and air traffic control in 1989. Like many other corporations KLM learnt the hard way, by being subject to increased criticism for noise pollution around Schiphol airport. Mr. Smeets' interest and perspective is formed by his experience of public opinion not responding to aviation's efforts in this field. KLM, offering a service and responding to growing demand, does not find opportunity space between environmental concern and economic growth and sees itself caught in a Catch-22 style dilemma.

• Boris Strecansky pursued various initiatives to establish links between Czechoslovakia and educational institutions in the USA and when Minnesota University was awarded an US-AID contract for environmental training in Central and Eastern Europe, he became the Slovak country coordinator. Mr. Strecansky managed to transform the training programme in Slovakia into a Slovak Foundation and continued after US-AID was phasing out support. This foundation (ETP) has become an important NGO supporting sustainable development initiatives in Slovakia through training and research projects.

Institutions represented in other LEAD programmes:

World-wide, around 70 Associates come from Federal ministries in major countries as well as Kyrghyz, Altai Republic and Moldova, but also from regional governments from Alberta to Shanghai Municipality and from the Province of the Eastern Cape to the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. Over 110 Associates come from major research and teaching institutions from Bejing University to the Colegío de Mexico, and an equal number of Associates come from NGOs, from the WWF to Physicians for Global Survival.

To demonstrate the diversity of the institutional affiliation, the following tables present the commercial institutions who have encouraged their employees through participation in LEAD:

A comprehensively searchable database of all LEAD Associates and LEAD Members with position, skills, contact information, etc., is available only through LEADNet at the LEAD International Website.

Selected Candidates:

• are on an up-slope in their careers,

• have a strong interest in economic development and environmental protection,

• have demonstrated a record of achievement,

• have a high intellectual capacity,

• have outstanding creativity and energy,

• are able to work comfortably in English,

• provide written confirmation of employer co-operation with regard to leave and development of the LEAD training activities

Criteria:

The European Steering Committee selects the Associates from a pre-screened group of candidates during the month of June every year. LEAD-Europe is open to candidates from all European countries and keeping in mind the differences in economic structure, the diversity within a group of Associates is crucial. Institutional factors do result in different criteria to judge the career of a candidate. A professional trajectory in a large corporation is quite different from a career in a grass-roots NGO. Thus there is no single uniformly applied criteria for the selection.

Commitment:

Candidates must be ready to attend three residential training sessions per year (10 days each), for which they are expected to get paid leave from their employers, and participate in various electronic distance learning sessions. Every year, two residential sessions gather the European Associates, and the world-wide LEAD session brings all Associates to Costa Rica in the first year as an Associate and to Zimbabwe during the second year. A candidate commits him/herself to participate over the full two years. Failing to attend a training event is only accommodated in severe circumstances.

Number of candidates:

LEAD-Europe does not intend to have a large group of candidates. But unfortunately, there is a trade-off between the number of similar candidates rejected and the diversity of the accepted candidates. The cause for this trade-off is the composition of the group of Associates. Since not all candidates come from the same professional background or country in the relative numbers in which they are presented amongst the chosen Associates, there is always the kind of candidate who, for example, has more potential than another, but comes from a country or background which is not yet represented in the group. Because the group diversity is important, the selection has to weigh these other factors against variations in the candidate's potential.

Costs:

Costs should be covered by the employer in the case of West Europeans from commercial organisations but not from governmental or non-governmental organisations. For these, LEAD-Europe provides funding, as well as for Eastern European Associates. The full cost per Associates amounts to 30,000 Swiss Francs per year.

Programme announcements:

LEAD uses a variety of strategies to find suitable candidates. Specialised magazines, newsletters and the Internet are used for advertisements, but no large circulation media. Furthermore, LEAD approaches outstanding institutions and individuals asking for suggestions. This is particularly suitable given the larger number of countries LEAD-Europe covers. Within the narrower field of sustainable development, LEAD-Europe uses in-house judgment on professional merit and offers the participation to particularly talented individuals. Since the candidates come from very different professional fields, LEAD-Europe also relies on competent advice from other types of institutions. Therefore, all individuals who see the programme's relevance for their career are encouraged to apply, whether they have been recommended or not.

Application procedures:

Applications are received in February - April each year. There are no standard forms to be used. The applicants can present themselves in the format they judge appropriate and provide all evidence they see as relevant. Normal requirements are:

• Name

• Country

• Age

• Education and professional training

• Present affiliation and duties

• Interests

• Brief statement of how you could contribute to the LEAD-Europe programme as an Associate

• One person to whom reference can be made (name and coordinates)

  • or a curriculum vitae containing the above, if preferred

  • a 400-word essay about your professional objectives

• a written statement from the employer confirming the availability for about 30 days per year

Candidates are selected based on their record of accomplishments and achievements, the essay, references as provided and on occasion an interview. Based on that information, summary profiles of the candidates are reviewed by the European Steering Committee who then appoints the Associates. Applications can be submitted by letter, Fax or Email. Additional evidence, references or an interview can be requested for the pre-screening and for the final decision by the Steering Committee.

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