Hikmet Ersek
Hikmet Ersek is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Western Union Company, a global leader in digital and retail cross-border money transfer and payments services. Ersek joined Western Union in 1999 and became CEO in 2010. A citizen of Austria and Turkey, Ersek draws on his international background to speak out publicly for the rights of migrants and refugees worldwide. He has been publicly recognized for his commitment to community and corporate responsibility, including as Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine’s Responsible CEO of the Year. In 2019, Ersek received the Global Economy Prize in Business from the Keil Institute for the World Economy for his international influence on global issues. He speaks English, German and Turkish fluently, and enjoyed a short career as a professional basketball player in Europe. Ersek holds a Master's (Magister) degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Wirtschaftsuniversität (University of Economics) in Vienna, Austria.