Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, is an Australian humanitarian and an internationally renowned development advocate.
His passion for poverty eradication was sparked at the age of 14 while on a World Vision trip to the Philippines. The abject poverty Hugh was exposed to led him to begin his work challenging the status quo of extreme poverty. Following a trip to South Africa in 2002 as World Vision's inaugural Youth Ambassador, Hugh co-founded the Oaktree Foundation; Australia's first youth-run aid organization. Oaktree’s success under Hugh’s guidance as Director led to Hugh being named Young Australian of the Year (2004) and Junior Chamber International Person of the World (2005).
Hugh then worked to grow the Make Poverty History campaign in Australia, helping to run the 2006 Make Poverty History Concert fronted by U2 singer Bono. The impact of these campaigns were credited with playing a key role in the Government’s decision to increase its committed foreign aid budget.
In 2008, with grants from the United Nations, Australian government and British government, Hugh built his impact in the aid and development sector, co-founding the Global Poverty Project (GPP). GPP is an education and advocacy organization committed to increasing the number and effectiveness of individuals taking action to end extreme poverty.
In 2010 it helped launch the million dollar, international fundraising campaign Live Below the Line, and in 2011 Global Poverty Project worked alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation to execute The End of Polio campaign which leveraged $118 million in funds to eradicate Polio.
In August 2012, GPP launched the annual Global Citizen Festival — a free ticketed music event in New York City that coincides with the UN General Assembly meeting in September. Over the last four years through major campaign wins in areas of global health, food security and gender equality, Global Citizens have taken over 7.5 million actions in the fight against extreme poverty that are set to affect the lives of over 656 million people around the world.
Hugh was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012, was named as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2014, and received the GQ Man of the Year Award for Chivalry in 2014.
In 2015 Hugh was honored as Billboard magazine’s Humanitarian of the Year.
He lives in New York City with his wife Tanyella.
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