Marianne is a former teacher for students with special needs. Since 2000, Marianne has founded numerous cultural and educational projects supporting young people in and outside of schools. Marianne’s passion is ensuring the best possible development of children and young people. She is also a supporter of the Arts and is a member of various supervisory boards, among them Bürgerstiftung Berlin.

Prof. Dr Barbara Ischinger headed the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills in Paris from 2006 to 2014. Previously, she was Vice President for International Relations and Public Affairs at Humboldt University in Berlin, Director of the German-American Fulbright Commission and Director at UNESCO. Prof. Ischinger is a member of several supervisory boards, including the University of Geneva and the Natural History Museum Berlin. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Forum Thomanum in Leipzig. Barbara was Managing Director a.i. of the Fulbright Commission from 2020 to 2022.

Since 2017, Alexander is a Member of the German Bundestag and Deputy Chairman of the FDP-fraction. Alexander is responsible for Foreign, Security, European and Development Politics. From 2004 to 2017 he was a Member of the European Parliament. Among many other positions with Non-Profit Organizations, Alexander is a founding member of the German-Turkish Foundation and a Member of the Board of Trustees of Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Hilko is Managing Director of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in Germany (MIRA). Hilko is passionate about the outdoors and – having seen the impact of the fast-growing DofE Award in the Czech Republic – is keen on supporting a similar growth in Germany for the benefit of as many students from disadvantaged backgrounds as possible.