Leadership Transition at the Global Solutions Initiative

Professor Dennis J. Snower, founder and long-time President of the Global Solutions Initiative Foundation gGmbH (GSI), has handed over the presidency of the organization to Professor Dr. Christian Kastrop, who has previously served as CEO.

With this transition, Christian Kastrop assumes overall leadership of the Global Solutions Initiative, serving in a dual capacity as President and CEO.

Following years of active engagement, Dennis Snower is stepping back from operational leadership but will stay involved with GSI as Founding President and Fellow and will continue the Human Flourishing Program within this framework. The GSI expresses its deep gratitude for his visionary work and tireless commitment. By founding the Global Solutions Initiative, he created a unique international platform that bridges research, policymaking, and civil society to jointly address global challenges through concrete solutions. Under his leadership, the GSI has become a respected voice in international policy discourse, particularly within the G20 and G7 processes.

“We thank Dennis Snower for his exceptional contributions and the intellectual and personal imprint he has left on the GSI. His work will remain a cornerstone of our network,” says Christian Kastrop. “I am honored to build on Dennis’s legacy and look forward to shaping next momentum for a sustainable global future with our partners.”

Professor Dr. Christian Kastrop brings extensive experience in both national and international policy advisory roles. Most recently, he served as State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Prior to that, he led the Economics Department at the OECD in Paris, chaired the Economic Policy Committee of the ECOFIN Council in Brussels, and held senior positions at the German Federal Ministry of Finance as well as the Bertelsmann Foundation.

About the Global Solutions Initiative (GSI)
The Global Solutions Initiative is an independent, non-profit organization based in Berlin. It connects international think tanks, research institutions, businesses, civil society, and policymakers to develop evidence-based policy recommendations for multilateral fora such as the G20 and G7. Its mission is to align economic progress with social equity and environmental sustainability. The Initiative is particularly well known for its annual Global Solutions Summit in Berlin, which provides global impetus for a fair and future-oriented globalization.