Fabio Barbosa Joins the United Nations Foundation as the Newest Member of its Board of Directors

The United Nations Foundation announced today that Fabio Colletti Barbosa, President of the Supervisory Board of Banco Santander Brasil, and leading social change visionary, has joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“Fabio Barbosa has a proven record of bringing together leaders in the Western Hemisphere, the business community and the people of Brazil to focus on global problems,” said Ted Turner, Founder and Chairman of the UN Foundation’s Board of Directors. “He shares the UN Foundation’s vision of finding new and innovative approaches to help the United Nations fulfill its mission, and we are honored that he is joining the Board of Directors.”

Fabio Barbosa is President of the Supervisory Board of Santander Brasil, one the largest banks in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, and is responsible for its long-term strategic planning. He transitioned into this position in February 2011 from his previous role as the bank’s President. His vision of a transparent financial market that supports societal aspirations led him to the presidency of the Brazilian Banks’ Association (Febraban), and after 4 years he became president of the Association Board. Barbosa is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and has been a prominent figure in the country’s banking industry for over 20 years. He is widely recognized as one of the earliest and most successful banking executives to integrate sustainable, environmentally and socially conscious practices into his leadership. He has received many accolades for his progressive vision, including recognition last year as a Leader for Social Change by the UN and the Foundation for Social Change.

“I am delighted to join Ted Turner and the members of the UN Foundation Board to help advance the UN’s work around the world. The United Nations is the one international organization with the reach and vision capable of solving global problems including climate change, children’s health, peace and security, and poverty,” said Fabio Barbosa. “The UN Foundation invites people from all sectors – from all walks of life – to get involved in helping tackle these problems. I look forward to serving side-by-side with my fellow Board members to help drive positive change at a time when the world needs it most.”

In May 2011, Barbosa received the prestigious “Person of the Year” award from the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding contributions to Brazil-U.S. relations.

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About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public/private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through campaigns and partnerships, the organization connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

Members of the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors are: 
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah (Jordan), Chairperson of the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and the Jordan River Foundation; Kofi Annan (Ghana), former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Fabio Barbosa (Brazil), President of the Supervisory Board of Banco Santander Brasil; Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway), Director-General Emeritus, World Health Organization; Igor Ivanov (Russia), Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; N.R. Narayana Murthy (India), Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited; Hisashi Owada (Japan), President, International Court of Justice; Emma Rothschild (U.K.), Jeremy and Jane Knowles Professor of History, Harvard University; Nafis Sadik (Pakistan), Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General; Ted Turner (U.S.A.), Chairman United Nations Foundation and Turner Enterprises; Timothy E. Wirth (U.S.A.), President, United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund; Andrew Young (U.S.A.), Chairman, Good Works International; Yuan Ming (China), Director of the Institute of International Relations at Peking University; and Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh), Founder, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. For more information, visit http://www.unfoundation.org/about-unf/our-board.