Business champions to help shape historic early years summit
Leaders of major companies have joined an international council whose mission is to help all young children have access to quality childcare and early education.
Business leaders from across the world are stepping up to be champions for the early years.
Heads of major companies have joined the International Early Years Business Champions Council – a body set up by the Global Business Coalition for Education. Its mission is to support the global campaign to ensure all young children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preschool education.
This is crucial for business because today’s children are the talented workers, consumers, entrepreneurs, and leaders of tomorrow, while caregivers cannot fully contribute to the workforce when they lack access to affordable, reliable, quality childcare.
The International Early Years Business Champions Council will help shape the first-ever Global Early Years Finance Summit, to be held in London in June 2027. It will also inspire other business leaders to get involved or take actions to drive investment and prioritise the needs of the world’s youngest children.
The council will feature champions who are CEOs, founders, and C-Suite leaders representing their respective industries, countries, and regions in Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. They will be supported by other senior business executives acting as council members.
The first business champions to be named are:
- Alessandra Lezama, CEO of TOOTRiS (USA)
- Abdul Muqeed Majumdar, Vice-Chairman, Impress Group (Bangladesh)
- Dima Sharaffdeen, CEO, Group ILS (Lebanon)
- Laura Pagani, President, Fundacion Arcor (Argentina)
- Miguel Herdade, Executive Director Communities & Partnerships, Jeronimo Martins Foundation (Portugal)
Other business champions will be named in the coming weeks.
Fareeda Ehtesham, Senior Manager, Business Impact & Head of Early Years at the Global Business Coalition for Education, said: “The role of business champion is designed to amplify and complement the vital work already underway in organizations and through national coalitions and networks. Our goal is to build a business platform where each organization brings their unique perspectives to join a global movement.”
Supporting early childhood is one of the smartest investments a society can make.
Laura Pagani, International Early Years Business Champions Council
Dima Sharaffdeen, CEO of Group ILS, said: “The earliest years of a child’s life are not a social issue, they are an economic one. When we fail to invest early, we pay the price for generations. That is why I am proud to stand with the International Early Years Business Champions Council and bring the voice of the Middle East and Africa to this global movement.”
That view was echoed by another of the business champions, Laura Pagani, President of Fundacion Arcor. She said: “We believe that investing in early childhood is one of the most powerful ways to contribute to sustainable development.
“Scientific evidence consistently shows that the quality of relationships, care, and learning opportunities children experience during this period has a profound impact on their future. Supporting early childhood is not only the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments a society can make.”
To join the International Early Years Business Champions Council or learn more about it, email fareeda@gbc-education.org.
Another way business leaders can take action is by joining the Act For Early Years campaign – a global movement to ensure all young children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preschool education.
By joining, business leaders agree to champion early childhood in their businesses and communities through:
- Investing in community programs, partnerships, and initiatives to reach the children and families who need the most support.
- Advocating for public policies which expand access to quality and inclusive early learning.
- Supporting caregivers in the workplace by fostering family-friendly practices.
- Using their voice to make the case that early childhood investment is a smart policy and good business practice.
More than a quarter of parents say they have quit a job or dropped out of their studies to avoid childcare costs and $3 billion in revenue is lost annually because of employee absenteeism due to childcare breakdowns.
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