GENEVA: World Economic Forum reforms trustees have stalled as trustees clash over proposals to slim down the organisation’s 28-member board after Klaus Schwab’s departure, the Financial Times reported.
The dispute centres on whether the Geneva-based forum should give a smaller leadership group more control over decisions, according to the FT. The proposal has support from BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink and Roche Vice-Chair André Hoffmann.
The World Economic Forum appointed Fink and Hoffmann as interim co-chairs in August 2025 and said the board would focus on institutionalising the forum as a resilient international organisation for public-private cooperation.
The FT reported that some trustees oppose the restructuring because they fear it could weaken the WEF’s multi-stakeholder model and narrow representation.
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The deadlock also reflects uncertainty over the search for a permanent chair. Several trustees view European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde as a possible stabilising choice, though her term at the ECB runs until October 2027.
Schwab stepped down in 2025 after decades at the centre of the Davos organisation. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that he has sought a return to influence through an advisory role, while the WEF board remains in transition.
The governance clash follows earlier scrutiny of Schwab’s conduct and workplace culture at the forum. Reuters reported in 2025 that the WEF closed an investigation into Schwab and appointed Fink and Hoffmann as interim co-chairs.
