Jose Maria FIGUERES was the 42nd President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.  He also served the Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.  After his mandate, he has been involved in global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and technology.  In 2000, Figueres joined the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. In 2004, he resigned over the undeclared receipt of more than 900,000 US dollars in consultancy fees from the French telecommunications firm Alcatel.  Later, he worked with Concordia 21 in Madrid. Since 2010, he has been Chairman of the Carbon War Room, an independent non-profit organization focused on the global transition to a low-carbon economy. On 27 March 2012, Sir Richard Branson announced that he was appointed as the new President of the Carbon War Room.  The former President of Costa Rica is internationally recognised for his work on Environmental Issues and Technologies that promote Competitiveness and Development.  Wikipedia