After a successful career in business, José María Figueres entered public service in 1987, appointed as President of Costa Rica’s National Railroad System. He later served as Minister of Foreign Trade and then as Minister of Agriculture. In 1994, at age 39, José María was elected President of Costa Rica, leading a comprehensive national development strategy that integrated environmental, social, and economic policies. For his work, he received several international environmental awards, including the inaugural Leadership Prize from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Following twelve years in public service, José María expanded his work internationally. In 1999, Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed him to lead the United Nations ICT Task Force, the first of its kind. In 2000, he joined the Management Board of the World Economic Forum, collaborating with founder Klaus Schwab and later becoming the Forum’s first CEO. In 2005, with Diego Hidalgo, founder of FRIDE and the Club of Madrid, he organized the Conference on Democratic Transition and Consolidation, bringing together 22 heads of state to counter the growing threat of global terrorism. In 2009, alongside Sir Richard Branson, he co-founded The Carbon War Room, where he served as chairperson and CEO, leading efforts to identify profitable, gigaton-scale reductions in carbon emissions across key sectors, including global shipping.

In 2013, José María co-founded the Global Ocean Commission with David Miliband and Trevor Manuel. In 2014, the Commission issued its report, “From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean,” presenting eight actionable recommendations to restore ocean health. José María also serves on the boards of ‘Pristine Seas’ and the ‘Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance’ (ORRAA) and is a founding member of ‘Antarctica 2020.’ In 2024, he joined the UNESCO Advisory Board for the Ocean Decade and participates in the ‘Friends of Ocean Action’ at the World Economic Forum. In international business, he is Chairperson of SICPA Latin America and Co-Chairperson of the Board of Tojoy Shared Holding Group in China.

José María lectures widely on the importance of the Ocean, Antarctica, the clean energy transition, sustainable development, and environmental technology. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

He is married to Cinthya Berrocal and has two children, José María and Eugenia from his first marriage, and Melissa from Cinthya’s first marriage.