John founded Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance with a mission to harness the strategic value of private philanthropy to promote a more peaceful world.
John helped established the first ever Chair in Peace Mediation in Switzerland at the Geneva Graduate Institute to offer a vibrant space for identifying new approaches in conflict resolution and to re-establish dialogue as the primary avenue for preventing and resolving violent conflicts. John also set up the first private-sector scholarship fund for the world-class ETH Zurich’s Master of Advanced Studies Mediation in Peace Processes to inspire more diverse peer learning with participants from the Global South. With the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), John helped launched the HD Asia Peace Fund, a platform to support peacemaking work across Asia.
A strong advocate for mental health and fostering healthy, sustainable workplaces, John teamed up with Swisspeace on the Keep the Spark Initiative to develop a training course in support of the well-being of peacebuilders. He has also partnered with Temasek Foundation, Asia Community Foundation and Kofi Annan Foundation to launch Champions for Peace, a programme aimed at strengthening youth resilience to social and environmental challenges across five Southeast Asian countries.
A Singaporean, John began his professional career as an international corporate lawyer at Rajah & Tann and Herbert Smith Freehills working in London, Shanghai, Jakarta and Singapore. In 2010, he relocated with his family to Switzerland to work at Pala Investments, a private equity firm dedicated to investing in businesses that are critical to the development of sustainable supply chains for the energy transition. With over 20 years in the private sector, John is a people-centric leader, with expertise in building teams, nurturing strategic partnerships, and managing complex business, ethical and regulatory considerations across the world.
John is active in the mentorship and coaching of young leaders at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He is also a Senior Advisor at Resource Resolutions, a firm focused on tackling growing societal and geopolitical divisions over natural resources by creating spaces for finding common ground among key stakeholders through dialogue and mediation.
John graduated in law from King’s College London and the National University of Singapore. He resides in Switzerland with his wife, Dorothy, together with their three daughters.
“I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve on the Board of the Kofi Annan Foundation. There has never been a more critical time in history to amplify Kofi Annan’s commitment to peace, the empowerment of our young people, and creating a more inclusive and equitable multilateral system. Being a product of small states, a Singaporean living in Switzerland, I am excited to lend support to the incredible team at the Kofi Annan Foundation and our trusted partners to strengthen good governance and international cooperation, and to work together towards a fairer and more peaceful world.”
John Nagulendran
