When leaders fail, democracy fails—and too many leaders in too many places are failing. That’s exactly why the Tällberg Foundation has sought out and honored great global leaders over the past decade. Leaders who are innovative, courageous, dynamic, with global worldviews, and whose leadership is rooted in universal values.

The three winners of the 2024 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize recently came together at a seminar on leadership at the Collegio Cairoli, University of Pavia in Italy. Kristian Olson (medical innovator and educator developing global healthcare solutions), María Teresa Ronderos (champion of press freedom and collaborative journalism across the Americas), and Fernando Trujillo (marine biologist and conservationist working to protect Amazonian ecosystems) discussed how they evolved as leaders, learned from failure, and imagine their future challenges.

Listen to how successful leaders cope with some of the great issues confronting our societies today. Then tell us what you think in the comments below

*Photo from the left: Alan Stoga, Fernando Trujillo, María Teresa Ronderos and Kristian Olson.

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ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Kris Olson is an Internist, Pediatrician, and Vice President of Design Impact at Mass General Brigham Health, where he leads the Springboard Studio. He is a founding member of the Core Educator Faculty, Chief Innovation Officer for the Department of Medicine’s Residency Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech). An Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Kris develops innovative healthcare solutions globally, combining design thinking with a focus on humility and empathy. A serial innovator with multiple patents, he has launched both non-profit and for-profit ventures and holds degrees from the University of British Columbia, Vanderbilt, Harvard, and the University of Sydney, as well as a Diploma in Tropical Medicine.

María Teresa Ronderos is a Colombian journalist and co-founder of the Latin American Centre for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), where she has led over 40 cross-border investigations on critical issues like migration, disinformation, and energy transition. A champion of collaboration in journalism, she has mentored reporters, supported those at risk, and expanded the impact of investigative stories. As co-founder and director of VerdadAbierta.com, she exposed abuses by warlords in violence-stricken areas of Colombia, and her acclaimed book Guerras Recicladas delves into this complex history. Formerly director of the global journalism program at Open Society Foundations, she has fostered media alliances worldwide. Ronderos is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Maria Moors Cabot Award and the Ortega & Gasset Prize, and serves on the boards of press freedom organizations such as CPJ and Media Defence.

Dr. Fernando Trujillo, a Marine Biologist and PhD in Zoology, is the founder of Omacha, an NGO dedicated to aquatic conservation. His career spans work across rivers in the Americas, Asia, and Antarctica, focusing on aquatic ecology, endangered species, wildlife trafficking, and environmental impact assessments. He chairs the Small Cetacean Subcommittee of the International Whaling Commission and is a member of IUCN Specialist Groups on Cetaceans, Sirenians, and Otters. With over 300 publications, including books and scientific articles, Fernando’s contributions have earned him numerous accolades, such as the Whitley Gold Award, Colombia’s Chancellor Order of National Merit, and National Geographic/Rolex Explorer of the Year 2024.