Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-2023); Senior Fellow, Harvard University; Special Envoy, Christchurch Call; Board Member, The Earthshot Prize
The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern: Biography at a Glance
- The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern was elected the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age of 37, becoming the country’s youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years.
- Ardern commanded global respect for her leadership style which focused on people, kindness, and “pragmatic idealism.”
- Ardern championed women's empowerment, achieving 50% representation of women in parliament and on government-appointed boards.
- She also decriminalized abortion, improved pay equity laws, and extended paid parental leave to 6 months.
- Under her leadership, New Zealand achieved some of the lowest losses of life through the COVID-19 pandemic, led the ban of military-style semi-automatic weapons, and created the Christchurch Call to eliminate violent extremism online.
- Ardern is now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University with fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership as well as Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, where she is focused on ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online.
- A passionate advocate for climate action, she is a board member of The Earthshot Prize which searches for and scales the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. She is also an Arnhold Distinguished Fellow, Conservation International where she is advocating for climate action and better treatment of the environment.
- Ardern is a highly sought-after speaker on authentic leadership, gender equity, social justice, online extremism, and climate change.
Videos
Biography
The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern became the Prime Minister of New Zealand at just 37 years of age. During her time in office, she faced the challenges of a live-streamed domestic terror attack against New Zealand’s Muslim community, a volcanic eruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Ardern’s focus on people, kindness, and what she has called “pragmatic idealism” saw New Zealand achieve some of the lowest losses of life experienced by any developed nation through the pandemic, the ban of military-style semi-automatic weapons in her country, and the creation of the Christchurch Call to eliminate violent extremism online, which Ms Ardern continues to hold the role of Special Envoy.
Ms Ardern is a champion of women's empowerment. While in office, New Zealand reached 50 percent representation of women in parliament, and on government-appointed boards. She decriminalized abortion, improved pay equity laws, and extended paid parental leave to 6 months - all while being only the second woman in the world to have a baby while leading her country.
Ms Ardern is a passionate advocate of climate action and is a board member of The Earthshot Prize, focusing on solutions to climate change and environmental issues. She is also an Arnhold Distinguished Fellow, Conservation International where she is advocating for climate action and better treatment of the environment.
Ms Ardern is the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Hauser Leader in the School’s Center for Public Leadership, a program where leaders from public, private, and nonprofit sectors engage with students and faculty on building skills in principled leadership.
She is also the Knight Tech Governance Leadership Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, where she is focused on ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online.
Ms Ardern holds an Honorary Doctorate from Harvard University.
Topics
Lead As You Are: Lessons from Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern
When The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern took office, she worried she would need to change drastically in order to become the leader her country needed. As she faced challenges, however, she learned that her sensitivity, compassion, and authenticity were her true gifts.
In this talk, Ardern inspires audiences to find strength in who they are and stresses that authentic leadership is about putting people first. Drawing upon her own experiences, Ardern shares how to create a culture of inclusivity and belonging where everyone feels valued for their unique perspectives and experiences.
Taking the Politics Out of Climate Change
A visionary leader and champion of climate action, The Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern urges us to recognize climate change not as a political issue, but as a humanitarian crisis.
Drawing upon her experiences as the Prime Minister of New Zealand and board member of The Earthshot Prize, Ardern weaves together compelling stories and astute policy insights to issue a profound call to collective action. Illuminating the urgent need for global cooperation in the face of our planet's greatest challenges, she reveals how we can forge a path towards a more sustainable existence for all living beings. By sharing practical solutions and innovative approaches, Ardern leaves audiences optimistic about their role in the climate solution.