Dean Hirsch: President and CEO of World Vision International

Dean Hirsch is President and Chief Executive Officer of World Vision International, a Christian relief and development organization devoted to improving the lives of poor children and families around the world. Last year, World Vision assisted more than 75 million people in 92 countries.

Mr. Hirsch has helped set up de-mining programmes in Southeast Asia, AIDS prevention programmes in Africa and reconciliation initiatives in several countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador and Rwanda. He has testified before both the United Nations Security Council on the issue of children and armed conflict and before the World Trade Organization on how trade can help alleviate poverty.

Mr. Hirsch, 54, is also one of the chairs of the Global Movement for Children and the Non-Governmental Organization Advisory Committee to UNICEF. He is a member of the board of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. He, his wife and their son live in Pasadena, California.