Leaders & Participants

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus is a Swiss businesswoman and philanthropist, serving as the chairperson of the Louis Dreyfus Group—one of Europe's oldest and largest merchant companies, specializing in trading commodities such as sugar, coffee, and oilseeds. Born Margarita Olegovna Bogdanova in Saint Petersburg, she spent her early years in Russia before relocating to Switzerland. In 1992, she married Robert Louis-Dreyfus, then CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Group. Following his passing in 2009, she inherited a majority stake in the group and assumed leadership as Chairperson. Today the privately-owned company generates annual revenues of $50 to $60 billion.

Beyond her business endeavors, Mrs. Louis-Dreyfus is a dedicated philanthropist. Concerned about the challenges facing children's well-being, she founded Human Change, a global advocacy campaign focused on children's mental health. This initiative aims to raise awareness of the harmful effects of social media and digital devices on children's healthy development, emphasizing the urgent need for a supportive environment that prioritizes their mental and emotional health. The campaign was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024, bringing together experts from various fields to address these pressing issues.