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Meredith Preston McGhie

 Secretary General, Global Centre for Pluralism
About

Meredith Preston McGhie is the Secretary General for the Global Centre for Pluralism, an independent, global institution co-founded by His Highness the Aga Khan and the Government of Canada. In this role, Ms. Preston McGhie provides strategic leadership for the Centre and acts as an ambassador of pluralism to develop strong relationships with diplomatic communities, governments and other institutions.

Previously Ms. Preston McGhie mediated and advised a range of peace processes as the Regional Director for Africa with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and before that with the UN. Ms. Preston McGhie served as an advisor to the late H.E. Kofi Annan during the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation. Through more than 25 years across Africa, she has helped to establish and facilitate peace processes in Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan and elsewhere.

Her work has spanned a range of issues, including electoral conflict, disarmament and demobilisation, and inclusion. She contributes to policy discussions on peacemaking and pluralism globally, including teaching peace process design at ETH in Zurich and elsewhere. Ms. Preston McGhie began her career supporting conflict resolution efforts of leaders in the Naga community of North East India and among Indigenous minorities in Myanmar with the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact.

Learn more about Meredith Preston McGhie
A respected voice in conflict resolution and inclusive dialogue
Sessions by speakers
2:35 pm - 3:20 pm Main Stage
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Sharing Responsibility: The Private Sector’s Rising Role in Global Peace, Stability & Multi-Layered Diplomacy

Keynote Collaboration Diplomacy Negotiation
Session Speakers
A respected voice in conflict resolution and inclusive dialogue

Meredith Preston McGhie

Secretary General, Global Centre for Pluralism
Session Details

In an era defined by geopolitical volatility, shifting power structures, and rapid technological disruption, the traditional frameworks of diplomacy are being reimagined. Meredith Preston McGhie, an internationally recognized peacebuilding leader and Secretary-General of the Global Centre for Pluralism, brings decades of experience working in conflict zones, negotiating with armed groups, and advising governments, corporations, and international institutions. Her keynote invites C-suite leaders to explore a powerful reality: business is no longer a bystander in global peace and stability – it is an indispensable actor.

As markets stretch across borders and supply chains intersect with fragile states, the private sector now sits at the crossroads of geopolitics, ethics, and economics. Preston McGhie will illuminate how companies can strategically engage in multi-layered diplomacy: a growing model where government, civil society, corporations, and multilateral actors collaborate to prevent conflict, strengthen governance, and foster sustainable peace.

She will challenge leaders to consider not only corporate resilience and compliance, but their influence as convener, investor, communicator, and trusted stakeholder—roles once reserved solely for states and diplomats.

Drawing from her years negotiating in some of the world’s most complex conflicts, Preston McGhie will share highly transferable skills for leaders navigating uncertainty, geopolitical pressure, and shifting alliances.
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