• July 3rd, 2010
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Bilderberg is governed by a Steering Committee which designates a Chairman; members are elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected. There are no other members of the Bilderberg conference.The Chair’s main responsibilities are to chair the Steering Committee and to prepare with the Steering Committee the conference program, the selection of participants. He also makes suggestions to the Steering Committee regarding its composition. The Executive Secretary reports to the Chairman

Steering Committee

Chairman
Etienne Davignon
Former Vice Chairman of EU Commission, Minister of State

D
Achermann, Josef
Chairman of the Management Board and the Group Executive, Deutsche Bank AG
USA
Altman, Roger C.
Chairman, Evercore Partners Inc.
P
Balsemão, Francisco Pinto
Chairman, IMPRESA, S.G.P.S.; former Prime Minister
I
Bernabè, Franco
CEO, Telecom Italia S.p.A.
F
Castries, Henri de
Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, AXA
E
Cebrián, Juan Luis
CEO, PRISA
CDN
Clark, Edmund
President and CEO, TD Bank Financial Group
GB
Clarke, Kenneth
Member of Parliament
GR
David, George A.
Chairman, Coca-Cola H.B.C. S.A.
DK
Eldrup, Anders
President, DONG Energy A/S
D
Enders, Thomas
CEO, Airbus SAS
NL
Halberstadt, Victor
Professor of Public Economics, Leiden University
USA
Johnson, James A.
Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC
USA
Jordan, Jr., Vernon E.
Senior Managing Director, Lazard Fréres & Co. LLC
GB
Kerr, John
Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc; Member of the House of Lords
USA
Kissinger, Henry A.
Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.
TR
Koç, Mustafa V.
Chairman, Koç Holding A.S.
USA
Kravis, Marie-Josée
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
USA
Mathews, Jessica T.
President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
F
Montbrial, Thierry de
President, French Institute for International Relations (IFRI)
I
Monti, Mario
President, Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
N
Myklebust, Egil
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, SAS
D
Nass, Matthias
Deputy Editor, Die Zeit
FIN
Ollila, Jorma
Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc
I
Padoa-Schioppa
Tommaso, President, Notre Europe
USA
Perle, Richard N.
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
CDN
Reisman, Heather
Chair and CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc.
A
Scholten, Rudolf
Member of the Board of Executive Directors, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank
IRL
Sutherland, Peter D.
Chairman, BP plc and Chairman, Goldman Sachs International
GB
Taylor, J. Martin
Chairman, Syngenta International AG
USA
Thiel, Peter A.
President, Clarium Capital Management, LLC
CH
Vasella, Daniel L.
Chairman, Novartis AG
S
Wallenberg, Jacob
Chairman, Investor AB
USA
Wolfensohn, James D
Chairman, Wolfensohn & Company, LLC

Member Advisory Group
USA
David Rockefeller

Former Steering Committee Members

Chairmen
NL
Bernhard of the Netherlands
GB
Alec Home of the Hirsel
D
Walter Scheel
GB
Eric Roll of Ipsden
GB
Peter Carrington
Honorary Secretaries General
USA
John S. Coleman
B
Paul van Zeeland
GB
Joseph H. Retinger
USA
Joseph E. Johnson
NL
Arnold Th. Lamping (Deputy)
NL
Ernst H. van der Beugel
USA
William P. Bundy
USA
Paul B. Finney
USA
Theodore L. Eliot, Jr.
USA
Casimir A. Yost
NL
Victor Halberstadt
GB
J. Martin Taylor
Members
I
Agnelli, Giovanni
NL
Korteweg, Pieter
I
Agnelli, Umberto
A
Kothbauer, Max
GB
Airey, Terence
CH
Krauer, Alex
USA
Allaire, Paul A.
F
Ladreit de Lacharrière, Marc
DK
Andersen, Tage
B
Lambert, Léon J.G.
A
Androsch, Hannes
F
Lévy-Lang, André
GR
Arliotis, Charles C.
USA
Lord, Winston
USA
Ball, George W.
S
Lundvall, Björn
S
Barnevik, Percy
CH
Lütolf, Franz J.
F
Baumgartner, Wilfrid S.
CDN
Macdonald, Donald S.
USA
Bennett, Jack F.
USA
MacLaury, Bruce K.
GB
Bennett, Sir Frederic M.
USA
Mathias, Charles McC.
INT/D
Bertram, Christoph
GB
Maudling, Reginald
TR
Beyazit, Selahattin
NL
Meynen, Johannes
TR
Birgi, Nuri
USA
Mitchell, George J.
CDN
Black, Conrad M.
USA
Moyers, Bill D.
CH
Boveri, Walter E.
USA
Murphy, Robert D.
USA
Brady, Nicholas F.
DK
Nørlund, Nils
GR
Carras, Costa
NL
Oort, Conrad J.
E
Carvajal Urquijo, Jaime
USA
Perkins, James A.
USA
Cary, Frank T.
GR
Pesmazoglu, John S.
GB
Cavendish-Bentinck, Victor F.W.
I
Prodi, Romano
DK
Christiansen, Hakon
CH
Pury, David de
I
Cittadini Cesi, Gian G.
USA
Ridgway, Rozanne L.
USA
Collado, Emilio
USA
Rockefeller, David
F
Collomb, Bertrand
USA
Rockefeller, Sharon Percy
USA
Corzine, Jon S.
E
Rodriguez Inciarte, Matias
USA
Dam, Kenneth W.
GB
Roll of Ipsden, Eric
USA
Dean, Arthur H.
F
Rothschild, Edmond de
DK
Deleuran, Aage
I
Ruggiero, Renato
NL
Duisenberg, Willem F.
NL
Rijkens, Paul
USA
Donilon, Thomas E.
GB
Sainsbury, John
CDN
Duncan, James S.
I
Saraceno, Pasquale
USA
Finley, Murray H.
D
Schrempp, Jürgen E.
GB
Frame, Alistair
INT
Schwab, Klaus
GB
Franks, Oliver
DK
Seidenfaden, Tøger
CDN
Frum, David
F
Seillière, Ernest-Antoine
GB
Gaitskell, Hugh T.N.
USA
Sheinkman, Jack
USA
Gerstner, Louis V.
I
Silvestri, Stefano
USA
Getchell, Charles
GB
Smith, John
CDN
Griffin, Anthony G.S.
B
Snoy et d’Oppuers, Jean C.
GB
Gubbins, Colin
D
Sommer, Theo
S
Gustafsson, Sten
USA
Stone, Shepard
ICE
Hallgrimsson, Geir
USA
Summers, Lawrence H.
USA
Hauge, Gabriel
GB
Taverne, Dick
N
Hauge, Jens
USA
Taylor, Arthur R.
GB
Healey, Denis W.
DK
Terkelsen, Terkel M.
USA
Heinz, Henry J.
N
Tidemand, Otto Grieg
D
Herrhausen, Alfred
CH
Umbricht, Victor H.
N
Höegh, Leif
I
Valetta, Vittorio
N
Höegh, Westye
A
Vranitzky, Franz
USA
Holbrooke, Richard C.
S
Wallenberg, Marcus
USA
Hubbard, Allan B.
N
Werring, Niels
A
Igler, Hans
USA
Whitehead, John C.
FIN
Iloniemi, Jaakko
USA
Whitman, Marina von Neumann
A
Jankowitsch, Peter
USA
Williams, Joseph H.
B
Janssen, Daniel E.
USA
Williams, Lynn R.
NL
Karsten, C. Frits
D
Wischnewski, Hans-Jürgen
TR
Kiraç, Suna
D
Wolff von Amerongen, Otto
GB
Knight, Andrew
INT/USA
Wolfowitz, Paul
INT
Kohnstamm, Max
I
Zannoni, Paolo
D
Kopper, Hilmar

• July 3rd, 2010
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Brief history
Bilderberg takes its name from the hotel in Holland, where the first meeting took place in May 1954. That pioneering meeting grew out of the concern expressed by leading citizens on both sides of the Atlantic that Western Europe and North America were not working together as closely as they should on common problems of critical importance. It was felt that regular, off-the-record dicussions would help create a better understanding of the complex forces and major trends affecting Western nations in the difficult postwar period.
The Cold War has now ended. But in practically all respects there are more, not fewer, common problems – from trade to jobs, from monetary policy to investment, from ecological challenges to the task of promoting international security. It is hard to think of any major issue in either Europe or North America whose unilateral solution would not have repercussions for the other.
Thus the concept of a European-American forum has not been overtaken by time. The dialogue between these two regions is still – even increasingly – critical.
Character of meetings
What is unique about Bilderberg as a forum is
the broad cross-section of leading citizens that are assembled for nearly three days of informal and off-the-record discussion about topics of current concern especially in the fields of foreign affairs and the international economy;
the strong feeling among participants that in view of the differing attitudes and experiences of the Western nations, there remains a clear need to further develop an understanding in which these concerns can be accommodated;
the privacy of the meetings, which has no purpose other than to allow participants to speak their minds openly and freely.

In short, Bilderberg is a small, flexible, informal and off-the-record international forum in which different viewpoints can be expressed and mutual understanding enhanced. Bilderberg’s only activity is its annual Conference. At the meetings, no resolutions are proposed, no votes taken, and no policy statements issued. Since 1954, fifty-seven conferences have been held. For each meeting, the names of the participants as well as the agenda are made Public and available to the press.
Participants
Invitations to Bilderberg conferences are extended by the Chairman following consultation with the Steering Committee members. Participants are chosen for their experience, their knowledge, their standing and their contribution to the selected agenda.
There usually are about 120 participants of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from finance, industry, labor, education, communications. Participants attend Bilderberg in a private and not an official capacity.

Governance and Funding
Bilderberg is governed by a Steering Committee which designates a Chairman; members are elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected. There are no other members of the Bilderberg conference.The Chair’s main responsibilities are to chair the Steering Committee and to prepare with the Steering Committee the conference program, the selection of participants. He also makes suggestions to the Steering Committee regarding its composition. The Executive Secretary reports to the Chairman.

The expenses of maintaining the small Secretariat of the Bilderberg meetings are covered wholly by private subscription. The hospitality costs of the annual meeting are the responsibility of the Steering Committee member(s) of the host country