HUGH EVANS
Hugh Evans is an internationally renowned humanitarian and the CEO and Co-Founder of Global Citizen, the world's largest movement of citizens taking action to end extreme poverty. Over the past decade, Global Citizen has grown into a movement of tens of millions of people around the world working to defend the planet, defeat poverty, and tackle inequality.
Hugh's passion for poverty eradication began at age 14 after spending a night in a slum built on top of a garbage dump in the Philippines. Inspired by that experience, he co-founded the Oaktree Foundation, Australia's first youth-run aid organization, which creates educational opportunities across the Asia-Pacific and African regions and continues to be led by people ages 16 to 26. In 2006, he coordinated Australia's Make Poverty History campaign, culminating in a concert on the eve of the G20 meeting. With support from Bono and Pearl Jam, the campaign helped secure the Australian Government's commitment to double its investment in international development. Soon after, with a grant from the United Nations, Hugh co-founded Global Citizen with the mission of building an unstoppable movement to eradicate extreme poverty.
Global Citizen rewards people for taking action through acts of service, giving them access to experiences such as the Global Citizen Festival. Held annually on the Great Lawn of Central Park alongside the UN General Assembly, the festival has expanded to cities including London, Paris, Lagos, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Hamburg, Toronto, Berlin, and Johannesburg. In 2021, Global Citizen launched Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour global broadcast filmed across six continents that helped secure more than 60 million COVID-19 vaccines, plant 157 million trees, and generate over $1.1 billion in commitments for climate action, famine relief, and COVID-19 response efforts.
Over the past decade, Global Citizens have taken more than 30.7 million actions. Combined with high-level advocacy, these efforts have helped secure more than $41.4 billion for partners around the world, positively impacting 1.15 billion lives in the fight to end poverty and protect the planet.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hugh helped produce One World: Together at Home alongside Lady Gaga and the World Health Organization, raising $127 million to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline healthcare workers. More recently, Global Citizen coordinated Stand Up For Ukraine, a global social media campaign supported by artists and public figures including Billie Eilish, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Céline Dion, the Jonas Brothers, Elton John, Metallica, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lopez, and U2. The campaign culminated in an international pledging summit hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, raising $10.1 billion to support Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people.
For his leadership and humanitarian work, Hugh has been recognized as Young Australian of the Year, named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (2012), honored at Town & Country's Philanthropy Summit (2021), and recognized as Billboard's Humanitarian of the Year (2015). Under his leadership, Global Citizen has earned two Guinness World Records, multiple Webby Awards, and recognition as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies.
Hugh earned a Bachelor of Law and Science from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Cambridge in England. He has also received honorary doctorates from Utah State University and St. John's University.