World Madam Foundation Appoints H.E. Dr. Srgjan Kerim, 62nd President of the UN General Assembly, as Chairman; Anni Huang Named Chairman of World Madam Group
Dr. Srgjan Kerim during his early tenure as President of the General Assembly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 1, 2026 — World Madam Foundation Global Release
NEW YORK / GLOBAL — The World Madam Foundation Inc. today announced the appointment of H.E. Dr. Srgjan Kerim, former President of the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2007–2008), as Chairman of the World Madam Foundation, effective immediately. Dr. Kerim will lead the Foundation's strategic advancement across global women's empowerment, youth diplomat training, and sustainable development initiatives.
Anni Huang, Founder of the World Madam Foundation and Founder of the EmpowerHER World Women Entrepreneurs Forum, has concurrently been named Chairman of the Board of World Madam Group Co., Limited, continuing to spearhead global brand operations and program implementation under the Group's commercial framework following the Foundation's governance upgrade.
This appointment marks the most significant elevation of global governance in the Foundation's history—pairing a multilateral diplomat and scholar with over four decades of experience at the highest levels of international affairs with a Chinese women's leader who has built a global women's platform over more than ten years, forming a dual-core structure of "diplomatic authority + execution network."
About the Foundation: From Global Brand to SDG Execution Platform
The World Madam Foundation operates under the motto "One small step for Madams, One giant leap for the World." Its mission is to advance gender equality and enhance the comprehensive capabilities of women, empowering female and youth leaders through teen diplomat training and philanthropic initiatives to foster inclusive global development.
To date, the Foundation has secured independent intellectual property rights in 42 countries and territories, with operations spanning over 100 countries and regions. It has organized more than 100 high-level forums, launched over 100 charitable initiatives, and directly or indirectly benefited over 1 million women leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide. Its work is closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 4 (Education), SDG 3 (Good Heatlth-Wellbeing)Autism，SDG 13 (Climate Action), digital innovation, and the green economy.
Core assets under the Foundation include: the World Madam global event series, the Teen Diplomat Program, the EMPOWERHER World Women Entrepreneurs Forum, and the global "World Madam City Salon & Women's Growth Platform" network.
The New Chairman: Dr. Srgjan Kerim's UN Legacy and Academic Distinction
Dr. Kerim is a rare "scholar-diplomat" in the contemporary multilateral system. Holding a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Belgrade, he served as President of the 62nd UN General Assembly (2007–2008), during which he presided over the adoption of UN Resolution A/RES/62/139, establishing April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. He subsequently served as UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Climate Change and chaired the High-Level Dialogue among Civilizations.
Academically, Dr. Kerim is a member of both the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is a full professor at the University of Belgrade and has served as a visiting professor at the University of Hamburg, Harvard University, and New York University. He has published over 100 papers and 15 books, and is fluent in seven languages: English, French, German, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian.
"On three issues—climate, gender equality, and education—women are not beneficiaries; they are the engine." — This statement Dr. Kerim has repeatedly emphasized in UN contexts is deeply congruent with the Foundation's mission. He will become one of the very few former UN General Assembly presidents to lead a global women's philanthropic foundation full-time after leaving office.
Anni Huang: Architect and Operator of a Global Women's Network
Anni Huang — Founder of the World Madam Foundation, Chairman of the Board of World Madam Group, and Founder of the EmpowerHER World Women Entrepreneurs Forum — has built multiple international brands and foundations across more than 40 countries. She has established "World Madam City Salons" in over 100 cities worldwide, hosted hundreds of large-scale international events and charitable donations, launched the EMPOWERHER Global Women's Entrepreneurship Forum, and actively participated in core international agendas including the UN Peace Concert, the Boao Forum for Asia, and the Asia Philanthropy Forum.
With a particular focus on youth development, she is building a "Global Teen Diplomat Training System" and has been invited to speak repeatedly at UN Headquarters in New York, earning high praise from UN leadership and dignitaries worldwide. She is the first Chinese woman to receive the title of "World Cultural Ambassador" from the UN Arts Foundation, and serves as Chief Special Advisor to Ambassador Daniel del Valle Blanc, Permanent Representative of the former International Organization of Youth (OIJ) to the UN, as well as Women's Empowerment Advisor to the African Renaissance Alliance.
In Group operations, Huang and her team continue to drive global city salon network expansion, continental pageant落地, and brand matrix advancement, complementing Chairman Kerim's strategic leadership at the Foundation level.
Ms. Anni Huang (left) and Dr. Srgjan Kerim (right) at the EmpowerHER World Women's Entrepreneurship Forum
Strategic Directions Under the Dual-Core Leadership
Per the Foundation's directional statements, Chairman Kerim will advance three priority lines:
1. Elevating "Women's Leadership" and "Inclusive Health" into Multilateral Agendas:
Leveraging his former UNGA President network, the Foundation will pursue regular side-event slots and youth observer status at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), UNFCCC COPs, and UNESCO forums. Specifically, "Autism Awareness and Inclusion" will be highlighted as a key sub-theme under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) to advocate for neurodiversity and mental health support on global platforms.
2. Academic Institutionalization of the Teen Diplomat Program:
Integrating the Teen Diplomat Program with Dr. Kerim's university teaching network to establish certifiable global youth diplomacy training modules.
3. SDG-Aligned Impact Quantification (Incorporating SDG 3 Autism Initiatives):
Re-evaluating over 100 existing charitable initiatives against SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and critically, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). This includes launching a dedicated Autism Care and Support Program to ensure transparent annual impact reports that measure health outcomes, social inclusion, and community support for individuals with autism.
Huang's focus will remain on expanding the "City Salon + Entrepreneurship Forum + Crown Gala" trinity matrix across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with priority on new IP registrations and deep project deployment.
About the World Madam Foundation and World Madam Group
World Madam Foundation Inc.is dedicated to advancing gender equality and enhancing women's comprehensive capabilities through cross-sector collaboration, integrating women's empowerment with digital innovation, education, sustainable development, health, and economic opportunity.
World Madam Group Co., Limited, operates globally with dual headquarters in China and the United States. Guided by the philosophy that "One small step for a woman is one giant leap for the world," the Group serves as a comprehensive empowerment platform for women worldwide. In its business model, the Group centers on international cultural events while partnering deeply with the global consumer supply chain for women and families. By adopting a modern online-to-offline operational model and establishing a compensation incentive mechanism, it supports women around the world in employment and entrepreneurship, thereby achieving a closed-loop commercial ecosystem for Brand 1.0 and completing the Group's global ecological layout.
In2026, theWorldMadam brand launches its comprehensive 2.0 upgrade-expanding into education and multimedia, building a global livestream network, and focusing on helping highly educated women who have interrupted their careers due to family or postpartum reasons re-enter the workforce. These initiatives will further amplify the brand's global influence and demonstrate its social responsibility and leadership.