November 2023 CEO Letter

Dear colleagues,

Inspiration and human connection. These are the words that come to mind when I reflect on the Global Leadership Conference (GLC) that just wrapped up in Thailand. Last month, we held GLC Virtual attracting participants from over 100 countries across the JA network who joined online sessions spanning four days. This month, we held our in-person GLC in Bangkok with leaders from more than 60 countries and an array of speakers leading workshops, adding their voices to plenary panels, and delivering a content-rich experience.

This was our first Global Leadership Conference held outside Europe and North America—and the JA network experienced Asian hospitality at its finest. The team from JA Thailand, under the leadership of Perry Diskul, exceeded everyone’s expectations with a flawless event that introduced us to Thai culture. Special gratitude to Erin Sawyer, Sarah Rapp, Lorrie Noggle, and Tere Stouffer from JA Worldwide, who worked closely with the JA Thailand team to make it happen.

For me, GLC Bangkok offered several highlights, centered on learning, connecting, and advancing our collective goal to reach more students and magnify our impact in communities across the world. For example:

  • McKinsey.org provided leadership training for all participants, introducing us to key leadership best practices—and reminding us to serve as conscious leaders who stay “above the line” (I would encourage you to watch this video from Conscious Leadership Group for an introduction to the concept of “above the line” and “below the line” mindsets). Some additional good news announced at GLC: McKinsey.org will continue to partner with JA Worldwide to provide additional training for staff from the JA network in 2024.

  • We hosted two discussions for the JA network on AI, one focused on practical, staff-facing activities that help us become more effective in our roles, and another focused on how AI is impacting student learning experiences and JA programs. These sessions included leaders from Accenture and Microsoft, plus innovative JA alumni Howard Leong and Christian Erfurt.

  • We heard from Ayse Birsel, an industrial designer and TED speaker, who helped us deepen our understanding of JA and our lives in the context of design principles. There were many take-aways from her keynote speech (which received a well-deserved standing ovation), but my favorite was when we all realized that identifying our heroes helps us understand our own values . . . and these values connect to JA’s values, which were visually suspended on banners from the rafters in the conference room. It was an “aha!” moment for me and many of us in the room.

  • The JA Worldwide Fellows from 2021–22 and 2022–23 were passionate about gelling as a team with colleagues from around the JA network. These small teams of high-performing JA staff not only learned critical leadership skills but also became lifelong friends. Apply soon to join the 2024 cohort. The deadline is December 10, and the application does not take long.

  • We announced the expansion of Youth Voices, our partnership with MIT Center for Constructive Communication and Cortico, which enters a third phase, whereby JA is the official founding partner for Fora, a new app that expands the Youth Voices project and makes it accessible on-the-go.  Watch the announcement from Deb Roy, Director, MIT Center for Constructive Communication and Cortico co-Founder.

  • We led a wide-ranging discussion about how JA can do more to create a peaceful world. For me, one of the takeaways is to encourage more JA locations to include modules about “global citizenship” in our programs. JA India/tGELF has developed a teacher-led curriculum that includes these modules and offered to share it at no cost with anyone in the JA network.

  • We gave GLC participants a preview of the book, Modern Achievement, which I’m writing with Marshall Goldsmith and which we’ll release in spring of 2024, with all proceeds donated to JA.

  • We honored finalists and winners of the much-coveted GLC Awards, in nine different categories.

Finally, three long-term leaders within the JA network—Akef Aqrabawi, Rob Gardner, and Jack Kosakowski—received 25-year, 30-year, and 50-year service awards, respectively. Akef has enabled INJAZ Al-Arab and the entire MENA network to flourish, first by leading operations, and then as CEO for the last eight years, helping the region reach its aspirational goal of serving one million students this year. Rob has served the JA network with distinction as the leader of Prestasi Junior Indonesia (JA Indonesia) and was awarded the JA Lifetime Achievement Award by his peers, a well-deserved recognition. Jack has been a transformational leader for Junior Achievement USA and has personally showcased many of the values that have defined JA’s culture for several years. I had the pleasure of making the speech to honor Jack’s contributions to JA, which is a memory that I will treasure. Akef, Rob, and Jack were emotional in receiving this recognition from the JA network at GLC and their inspiring remarks touched us all.

Until next time,

Asheesh