Wellington, April 19, 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been named among a list of 50 of the world’s greatest leaders by Fortune Magazine.
The list ranks leaders who “are transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same.”
It acknowledged the Prime Minister for her efforts in navigating through New Zealand’s worst terror attack in history, in which 50 people were killed.
“Rallying people behind the theme ‘We are one,’ she channelled the country’s-and Muslim community’s-grief as she opened speeches with Arabic greetings and quietly wore a head scarf.
The magazine also recognised how Ms Ardern refused to speak the accused’s name and was swift in making moves for a ban on semiautomatic weapons of the kind used in the attack.
“Future leaders can look to Ardern for a master class in how to guide a country through a crisis,” it said.
Bill and Melinda top
The Prime Minister was beaten to the top spot by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, who, the magazine said, have, through their years of philanthropy work, alongside their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, managed to fund $US 45.5 billion towards treating illnesses around the globe.
“That funding has launched, and then continually supported, what global health experts widely acknowledge to be some of the most successful international, private-public partnerships ever formed: GAVI, which has helped developing countries immunize 700 million children against preventable diseases. The second is The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.”
Ardern’s follower
Ms Ardern was followed by Robert Mueller on the list – who overnight released a 448-page report that disclosed the findings of a 22-month investigation into Russian election interference in the US.
The reported detailed how US President Donald Trump tried to impede the probe, raising questions of whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.
Fortune said that while few may have been satisfied on either side of the political divide after the report’s release, it was an example of how the former FBI director was able to lead an “arduous, sensitive investigation.”
About Robert Mueller
“He and his team didn’t uncover the smoking guns that President Trump’s critics craved, nor did they grant the President the exoneration he demanded. Instead, sticking to the evidence and tuning out the hype, they exposed serious wrongdoing and shed light on systemic flaws that the nation is now more likely to address.”
The magazine said Mr Mueller took on the role and was willing “to sacrifice his own reputation for a cause.”
“He proved that the country’s institutions still work, even in the face of unprecedented political turmoil. That’s unquestionably good for the country, whatever the next act of the drama may be.”
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