Mr Jiří Zrůst, Senior Managing Director of Macquarie Group and Chairman of the Board of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Czech Republic, also becomes Chairman of the Board of the World Fellowship Programme, which brings together individual business donors from around the world who want to contribute to the development of DofE on all continents. Jiří Zrůst has been a committed supporter of the DofE for many years and has been instrumental in the growth of the programme not only in the Czech Republic but also in Slovakia. He is also a member of the board that decides on the global development of the DofE. It is chaired by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex himself, KC GCVO.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Awards are currently attended by 1.3 million young people aged 14-24 in over 130 countries. The programme is financially supported both locally and internationally in each country, and the World Fellowship Programme is key to these activities. Jiří Zrůst, who is the new chairman of the programme, has more than 20 years of experience in the management, financial services and logistics sectors. He is currently a Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Group, where he is primarily responsible for, among other things, sourcing new investment opportunities.
John May DL, Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, says: "George has been a committed supporter of the DofE for nine years and we are delighted to welcome him as Chair of the World Fellowship Programme. With his extensive experience in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, we can define new opportunities for the DofE and take the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award further than we have ever been able to before. We would also like to thank Gregory Belton, who has held this post for the previous three years."
