Global Leadership Fellows 2027: The Journey Begins
On Friday, September 18, 2026, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta welcomed the Global Leadership Fellows (GLF) 2027 cohort for their first official day together. Hosted by Dentons, the Orientation Retreat marked the beginning of a 10-month journey designed to challenge Fellows to grow as leaders, expand their global perspectives, and build meaningful relationships across sectors.
The day was intentionally centered on connection. Thirteen Fellows arrived representing different industries, experiences, and perspectives—and spent the day getting to know not only the program ahead, but one another.
Setting the Stage
Dan Beal, Partner at Dentons, opened the retreat by welcoming Fellows and reflecting on the importance of global connection and cross-sector leadership. Drawing on Dentons’ global reach, he spoke to the value of working across borders, industries, and perspectives—setting a fitting tone for the year ahead. Rickey Bevington, President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, then officially welcomed the new cohort into the GLF community and shared the story and vision behind the program.
Elena Fernandez, Program Manager – Global Leadership Development, gave Fellows their first look at the year ahead—from six Master Classes exploring the forces shaping today's world to an international immersion in Germany—and outlined the expectations and opportunities that will shape their GLF experience.
From Introductions to Connection
Building a strong cohort begins with knowing who's in the room. Throughout the morning, Fellows moved beyond job titles and résumés to discover the experiences, interests, and perspectives each person brings to the group. The introductions quickly gave way to conversation, laughter, and moments of genuine connection.
For a cohort of 13 people arriving from different industries and backgrounds, these early exchanges begin to lay the foundation for the relationships that will shape the year ahead. By the end of the morning, the room already felt a little less like a group of individuals and more like a cohort.
Fellows then worked together to develop a 2027 Cohort Group Charter, identifying how they want to show up for themselves, for one another, and for the broader GLF community throughout the year. The exercise transformed those early connections into shared expectations and commitments for the journey ahead.
Voices from the Journey
Five members of the GLF 2026 cohort, Jared Evans, Ryan Greenstein, Michal Jensby, Janyne Musso, and Raymond Phillips, returned to share reflections from their own GLF experience.
Their conversation offered the incoming cohort a candid look at the year ahead, from approaching each Master Class with curiosity and learning from leaders and peers across sectors to embracing the relationships that develop along the way. They also reflected on the experiences that brought their own cohort together, including the challenges, unexpected moments, and lasting memories of their international immersion.
Over lunch, the conversation continued in smaller groups, giving Fellows the opportunity to ask questions and connect directly with alumni who had recently completed the same journey.
Strengths-Based Leadership
Later in the afternoon, John Augusto, Ph.D., Executive Director of Leadership and Institutional Development at Kennesaw State University, led a CliftonStrengths workshop focused on understanding both individual and collective strengths. Fellows explored their dominant themes, the unique contributions they bring to a team, and how those strengths influence the way they build relationships, collaborate with others, and approach leadership. They then turned their attention to the cohort as a whole, considering how their different strengths can complement one another and how they can draw on them intentionally throughout the year ahead.
The Journey Ahead
The retreat concluded with the Global Leadership Fellows Welcome Reception, where World Affairs Council board members, alumni, and guests joined in welcoming the 2027 cohort into the broader GLF community.
Orientation was only the first day, but it established an important foundation for everything that follows. Over the next 10 months, Fellows will examine complex global issues, engage with leaders across sectors, travel internationally, and continue developing their own approaches to leadership. They begin that journey not simply as 13 individual Fellows, but as a cohort that will learn, challenge, and grow alongside one another.
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