Jarosław Królewski Named Young Global Leader 2025 by the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum has unveiled the list of laureates for its prestigious Young Global Leaders 2025 programme. Among the distinguished honourees—standing as the only representative from Poland—is Jarosław Królewski, CEO and co-founder of Synerise, owner and president of Wisła Kraków football club, and lecturer at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków.

The Young Global Leaders programme recognises individuals under the age of 39 (with nominations accepted only up to the age of 38) who have made an extraordinary impact in their respective fields—ranging from business and politics to science and technology. Each year, around 100 individuals are selected from thousands of nominees worldwide.

This title is widely considered one of the most prestigious distinctions available to individuals under the age of 40, across business, academic, and political spheres alike.

It also marks a historic moment, as Królewski becomes the first Polish representative from the deep tech and artificial intelligence sector to be included in this elite group. His inclusion comes at a time of heightened global tensions, geopolitical challenges, and rapid advances in AI-based tools. He is the first Polish honouree since 2019, and one of only a handful of Poles recognised in the 20-year history of the programme.

Candidates go through a rigorous selection process, beginning with evaluation by Heidrick & Struggles, a global leader in executive search, and concluding with a final review by the Selection Committee.

Jarosław Królewski has been associated with the AGH University of Science and Technology for over 15 years, becoming one of the youngest lecturers in the institution's history. He has been instrumental in the creation and development of several academic programmes in AI, data analysis, and digital business. He is also the author of two books published by PWN, including his latest title ALGOKRACJA. How and Why Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Everything.

As CEO and co-founder of Synerise, Królewski heads one of the most advanced AI and Big Data technology companies in Europe, specialising in proprietary fundamental AI models in the deep tech space. The Synerise platform makes over one billion autonomous decisions per day, managing complex analytical and recommendation processes in real time. The company employs some of Poland’s most talented engineers and AI specialists and conducts cutting-edge research and development.

Synerise technologies are also applied in the scientific domain. Open-source solutions such as Cleora are used for graph analysis, discovering hidden data relationships, and supporting research in fields like bioinformatics and cancer drug discovery.

In 2018, Królewski launched the first AI education programme for preschools, primary, and secondary schools in Poland—a pioneering project that sparked a national discussion on AI in the educational system.

In 2019, he played a crucial role in rescuing Wisła Kraków—one of Poland’s oldest and most decorated football clubs—from collapse. Today, he continues to oversee its rebuilding process, which led to the club’s victory in the 2024 Polish Cup and qualification for the 2024/2025 European competition qualifiers.

Królewski has received numerous awards for his contributions to business, academia, and society—from institutions such as Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, EY, and the Financial Times. He has been recognised both individually and through the organisations he helped establish, for his work in technology, innovation, education, digitalisation, and sustainable development.

In the 2025 cohort, Królewski is joined by notable figures such as:

• Hou Yifan – Chess Grandmaster, four-time Women's World Chess Champion, China
• Milojko Spajić – Prime Minister, former Minister of Finance, Montenegro
• Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu – Minister of Civil Aviation, India
• Joelle Gamble – Chief Economist, General Motors, USA
• Siviwe Gwarube – Minister of Education, South Africa
• Camiel Irving – Vice President, Uber, USA
• Ruben Brekelmans – Minister of Defence, Netherlands
• Timcho Mucunski – Minister of Foreign Affairs, North Macedonia
• Sana Mir – Former captain of the Pakistan women's cricket team and women's rights advocate
• Walid Abdulrazzag D. Bindawood – Chief Commercial Officer, BinDawood Holding, Saudi Arabia
• Assel Zhanassova – CEO of KazPost, Kazakhstan
• Domna Michailidou – Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Greece
• Shamma Al Mazrui – Minister of Community Development, United Arab Emirates
• James Longman – British journalist, foreign correspondent for ABC News (USA)
• Cesar de la Fuente – Professor, Machine Biology Group, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Described by BusinessWeek’s Bruce Nussbaum as “the most exclusive private social network in the world,” the YGL programme is often regarded as the most influential networking platform globally. It brings together leaders deemed “the voice of the future and the hope of the next generation,” forming a community committed to tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.

Past YGL laureates include:

• Sam Altman – CEO of OpenAI
• Mark Zuckerberg – CEO and founder of Facebook
• Sergey Brin – Co-founder of Google
• Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla
• Michelle Zatlyn – Co-founder of Cloudflare
• Jack Ma – Co-founder of Alibaba
• Peter Thiel – Co-founder of PayPal
• Jerry Yang – Co-founder of Yahoo!
• Jimmy Wales – Co-founder of Wikipedia
• Queen Mathilde – Queen of Belgium
• Frederik X – King of Denmark
• Fumihito – Crown Prince of Japan
• Roger Federer – Tennis champion
• Nico Rosberg – Formula 1 World Champion
• David Cameron – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Jacinda Ardern – Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Emmanuel Macron – President of France

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation that collaborates with public and private sector leaders to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. It is best known for its annual meetings in Davos, which serve as a premier global platform for dialogue on economics, innovation, technology, politics, and sustainable development.

Jarosław Królewski was born on 26 September 1986 in Gorlice, Poland. He holds degrees in computer science and sociology and is a member of the Lemko ethnic minority. He is an alumnus of the Marcin Kromer High School in Gorlice, AGH University (where he was honoured during the university’s centenary), and the University of Management and Banking in Kraków. He has been awarded academic scholarships by both the Rector of AGH and the Ministry of Higher Education. Today, he serves as the majority shareholder and president of Wisła Kraków, CEO and founder of Synerise S.A., and an academic lecturer at AGH.