Wadia Ait Hamza has a unique perspective on leadership: “I define myself as a Servant Leader.” This definition, drawn from the language of oxymoron, takes on full meaning in light of his explanation: “Leadership is not about a title, but about responsibility toward others. My role is to create the conditions for everyone around me to express themselves fully, feel safe, and grow within a framework of trust and clarity.” A vision shaped by a path rooted in engagement.

After studying international relations at Al Akhawayn University, a formative exchange at Montana State University in the United States, and strong involvement in the student activities office, Wadia Ait Hamza began his career as exchange program coordinator at AUI in 2002. “I then pursued a master’s degree in Euro-Mediterranean affairs, followed by an internship at the European Institute of the Mediterranean in Barcelona, a think tank affiliated with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he notes. This journey gave him a nuanced understanding of regional dynamics, strengthened his geopolitical awareness, and expanded his international network.

To serve and to pass on

Back in Morocco in 2008, he joined Toyota as Human Resources and Training Development Coordinator, before moving to the École de Gouvernance et d’Économie in Rabat in 2010. Three years later, he took up a position at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, joining the Global Shapers Community team, and was appointed Executive Director in 2017. He then led “the expansion to over 500 cities and 15,000 members, strengthening governance, evaluation, and local impact mechanisms,” he notes. He also made a difficult but necessary decision: to close more than 250 hubs worldwide, “not because of a lack of results, but because they had drifted away from the community’s values and standards.”

In 2022, he took the helm of the Forum of Young Global Leaders, a global network of leaders under the age of 40.

Now Director of Leadership Programs at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, his mission is to “build bridges between leadership and emerging technologies.” Between these two most recent positions, he took the time to write a book reflecting on what twenty years of commitment had taught him: How Can I Serve? Navigating Leadership & Building Communities. It is both a personal testimony and a call for leadership grounded in trust, service, and collective impact. “This project allowed me to reconnect with what truly drives me: service, integrity, and transmission,” he tells us.

Written in French by TelQuel Impact, edited in English by Eric Nielson