ZURICH, Feb 26 (Reuters) – The president and chief executive of the World Economic Forum, Borge Brende, announced on Thursday that he is stepping down, a few weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Brende, who became president of the WEF in 2017, announced his decision in a statement following revelations from the United States Department of Justice that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and also communicated with the financier via email and text message.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as president and chief executive of the World Economic Forum. My time here, which lasted 8 1/2 years, has been deeply rewarding,” he said.
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“I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners and constituents, and I believe that now is the right time for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” added Brende, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway. Brende made no mention of Epstein.
In a separate note, Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink, co-chairs of the Geneva-based forum that organizes the annual Davos summit, said that the independent review conducted by an outside lawyer into Brende’s ties to Epstein had been completed.
The conclusions are that there were no additional concerns beyond what had already been disclosed previously, according to the note.
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The co-chairs stated that Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and chief executive, and that the forum’s Board of Directors will oversee the leadership transition, including a plan to lead a process to identify a permanent successor.
(Reporting by Dave Graham)
