The Selection
Committee

Andrea Meza's journey to Miss Universe glory is nothing short of remarkable. Born in the vibrant city of Chihuahua, Mexico, this extraordinary woman captured the world's attention when she clinched the prestigious Mouawad crown on a memorable evening, May 17, 2023. At 26 years old, she embarked on a journey that was both unprecedented and undeniably challenging, becoming the 69th Miss Universe, all while the world grappled with the harsh realities of a global pandemic.

 

Behind the title and the dazzling crown lies a story of passion, determination, and a deep-seated commitment to making the world a better place. Andrea Meza's journey began with a degree in software engineering, demonstrating her remarkable intellect and dedication to personal growth from the very start. She hails from a warm and loving family, which instilled in her the values of unity and compassion that have shaped her journey.

 

Beyond the realm of beauty pageants, Andrea's heart lies in advocacy. At the core of her mission is championing women's rights. In her own words, "I see myself as an ambassador for women's rights because that's something I truly care about." She recognized the power of the Miss Universe platform to shed light on important issues, and she seized that opportunity to encourage young girls to stand up and fight for their rights. Andrea's unwavering dedication to this cause has inspired countless individuals worldwide.

 

During the pageant's final round, Andrea Meza gracefully addressed issues of empowerment and the unfair standards placed on women. Her words echoed in the hearts of many: "Never permit someone to tell you that you are not valuable." Her message transcended the boundaries of the competition, resonating with those who aspire to redefine beauty and self-worth in a society that often falls victim to stereotypes.

 

In addition to her advocacy work, Andrea is an unapologetic health enthusiast, actively engaging in pursuits like CrossFit, rappelling, and sandboarding. Her resilience shines through in her ability to hold a three-minute plank, showcasing her strength and determination. As a vegan, Andrea's dietary choices reflect her commitment to the well-being of our planet and its animals, further reinforcing her status as a compassionate global citizen.

 

Andrea Meza is no stranger to the pageant world. In 2017, she was crowned Miss World Mexico, earning the privilege to represent her country at the Miss World competition in Sanya, China. Her remarkable journey led her to the first runner-up position, standing shoulder to shoulder with global beauty queens.

 

Beyond her titles and accolades, Andrea isn't shy about voicing her opinions on government policies. Her active involvement in public discourse reflects her commitment to making a meaningful impact on the world, both within and beyond the realm of beauty pageants.

 

In May 2023, Andrea Meza secured her place in history as the third Mexican woman to win the prestigious title of Miss Universe, following in the footsteps of Lupita Jones and Ximena Navarrete. Her story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, demonstrating that beauty is not confined to physical appearances but radiates from the heart and spirit. Andrea's reign is a testament to her unwavering dedication to women's rights and her unshakable belief in a more compassionate, equitable, and beautiful world.

She was born in Izmit on July 3, 1998. After completing her primary education and high school education in Ankara, she started her university education in Istanbul. She graduated from Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Management Engineering. Her mother is a geography teacher and her father is a doctor. She has one older sister. She has always given great importance to social responsibility projects. Participates in many projects especially for disabled individuals. Due to her sensitivity to these issues, she knows Turkish sign language well. She also played professional volleyball for many years. 

 

After being chosen as Miss Turkey, she takes her engineering career and her work in the media sector together. At the same time, she continues to work on owning a small business. In her words, "There is a time for everything in life, there is no need to rush, you are not late, everything has a flow." Her biggest goal is to represent the strong and free spirit of Turkish women in everything she does. Entering and winning the competition initiated by the founding leader of the country, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is the biggest achievement she is proud of in line with this goal. She made an impressive reference to Atatürk's blue eyes in her first interview: "I walk in the light of a pair of blue eyes."

Fahsai Paweensuda Drouin is a Thai-Canadian public figure, DJ, influencer, and beauty pageant titleholder. Her pageantry journey began in 2013 and was known by many as the ‘runner-up girl.’ She worked her way up to be crowned Miss Universe Thailand in 2019, ultimately placing as a top 5 finalist in the Miss Universe 2019 competition.

 

Fahsai’s fighting spirit has empowered many lives, especially young women, to never give up when pursuing their dreams. Fahsai is passionate not only to help others, especially those who are underprivileged, to have a better quality of life but also to promote inclusivity and equal opportunity among all members of society.

 

When Fahsai isn’t busy with her charity projects or work schedule, you will find her songwriting, teaching, interpreting, snorkeling, wall climbing, traveling and enjoying rides on a frequent flier tube.

 

With CI Talks, Fahsai aims to empower others by helping individuals to get to know their identity, build their self-confidence and help create a positive mindset so people can live life to their fullest potential.

I'm Gabriela dos Santos, a Certified Life Coach and Model born on March 28, 2002, in Curacao.

 

In Miss Universe 2022, I surprised everyone by making it to the Top 5 despite having no previous experience. This taught me the value of taking risks and discovering hidden talents.

 

I love exploring new places, facing challenges, and meeting different people. I also find joy in helping others through "Iight4change', an organization I started in 2019.

 

I.m passionate about holistic health, which is about keeping the body, mind and soul in balance. In five years, I hope to have a positive impact on the world, especially through my work and by staying true to my values and finding fulfillment. My journey is about embracing the unknown, empowering others, and making a difference in the most authentic way.

Janick Maceta Del Castillo miss universe 2nd runner up 2020 , is an audio engineer activist that advocates for sexually abused children, Founder of Little Heroes Perú a nonprofit organization that is building bridges between private companies and local authorities to get funds to provide legal and psychological aid to children and their families that can’t afford such cost.

Jonathan Levav is a professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. His research is aimed at understanding consumer’s judgments and choices by using tools from experimental psychology and behavioral economics. In particular, he studies the contextual factors that influence people’s choices and judgments. His research is both basic and applied — from probability judgment to product customization decisions.

 

Jonathan received his PhD in marketing from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and his AB in public and international affairs from Princeton University. He is the winner of the Hillel Einhorn Young Investigator Award, awarded biennially by the Society for Judgment and Decision-Making. Prior to joining Stanford he was a member of the faculty at the Columbia Business School.

Leonard A. Schlesinger is a Baker Foundation Professor at the Harvard Business School where he serves as Chair of the School’s Practice based faculty and faculty Chair of the MBA Field Global Immersion program. He has served as a member of the HBS faculty from 1978 to 1985, 1988 to 1998 as George F. Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration and 2013 to the present.  During his career at the School he has taught courses in Organizational Behavior, Organization Design, Human Resources Management, General Management, Neighborhood Business, Entrepreneurial Management, Global Intelligence, Leadership and Service Management in MBA and Executive Education programs.  He has also served as head of the HBS Service Management Interest Group, Senior Associate Dean for External Relations, and Chair of the School’s (1993-94) MBA program review and redesign process.

 

Throughout his career Professor Schlesinger has transitioned between academic and managerial roles in education and business settings.  He served as President of Babson College from 2008-2013, held a number of key executive and operating positions (ending as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer) at Limited Brands (later L Brands) from 1999-2007, was a Professor of Sociology and Public Policy and Senior Vice President and Counselor to the President at Brown University from 1998-1999, and was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Au Bon Pain from 1985-1988.

 

His writings on entrepreneurship, service management and organizational management have been widely published and influenced.  His work on “The Service Profit Chain” has been recognized as one of the most researched management concepts of the last 30 years.  He is the author or co-author of 12 additional books (many of which have been published in multiple languages), including What Great Service Leaders Know and Do: Creating Breakthroughs in Service Firms (Berrett-Koehler, 2015), Just Start:  Take action, Embrace uncertainty, Create the future (Harvard Business School Press, 2012), The Value Profit Chain (Free Press, 2002), The Service Profit Chain (Free Press, 1997) and The Real Heroes of Business ... and Not a CEO among Them (Doubleday Currency, 1994), and has written numerous articles and blogs for academic audiences as well as for The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes and Harvard Business Review.  He has served on the editorial boards of five major academic journals and has published numerous management case studies that have sold well over one million copies.  He has also completed three video series on service management.

 

Schlesinger has lectured and consulted on strategy, service quality, customer satisfaction, entrepreneurship, human resources and organizational change for over 250 major corporations, non-profit organizations, governments, and international leadership organizations around the world.

 

Schlesinger currently serves as a Director of RH, Inc. (Chair of Compensation Committee), and the DP Acquisition Corporation (Chair of Audit Committee). He has served on the boards of numerous for-profit and non-for-profit organizations throughout his career. He also serves as an advisory council member of Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative, and as a member of both the Council on Competitiveness and the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

Schlesinger holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, an MBA from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Arts in American Civilization from Brown University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Babson College.

Mia Mamede, born 1995, is a Brazilian model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned 67th Miss Universe Brazil and was the first woman from her state of Espírito Santo to win Miss Brazil. She represented Brazil in the Miss Universe 2022 competition.

 

Mia graduated from New York University with degrees in audiovisual journalism and socioeconomics. She has since worked for Brazil's largest TV networks as a host and producer for travel, culture, and sports programs and also has her own production company. Mia Mamede is also a spokesperson for the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Nadia Ali is the head of global experts relations for the Hult Prize Foundation, a world-leading platform for social entrepreneurship. She spent the last six years working closely with student entrepreneurs from around the world and helping them build capacities to lead social change. 

 

With a business analytics background and deep experience in project management, she has been supporting the creation of startups through different mediums and in diverse areas. She is passionate about working with young innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs who are ready to build ventures with high local impact and potential to scale. 

 

Currently, Nadia is helping the Hult Prize Foundation develop better expert outreach and implement a stronger international mentorship structure for the students. Nadia is also an expert in residence with She Starts Africa, whose mission is to empower women to actively engage in the economy through leadership and entrepreneurship.

Pascal is Co-Founder of GRAGER SA, a real estate group with assets in Bangkok, Berlin, Brussels and Paris, as well as Founder of OCEANFRONT INVEST in Myanmar , a hospitality company dedicated to building high end sustainable resorts in emerging markets based in Yangon; with current projects in Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.

 

He previously served as the CEO of GERKEN Group( founded in 1936), a leading engineering & production company in carbon and graphite technology. The group is composed of 12 production companies located in Asia, Europe and USA ; with headquarters in Brussels and is now part of Wabtec corporation(Fortune 500).

 

He also served in multiple board YPO leadership roles including Global Chairman in 2018/2019 and remain active in the organization as a YPO gold member in national and regional Europe leadership roles. He is mostly based in Bangkok, Yangon and the French Riviera.

Born & raised in Bangkok, Thailand to an Indian Father & a Canadian Mother I have been blessed to live in two continents & encounter people from all different walks of life. I attended the International School of Bangkok from the age of 5 all the way through to senior year of high school. I chose to leave home & attend college in California where I had always been a fan of the fabulous weather & laid back lifestyle. I have my Bachelors degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Sociology from Chapman University in Orange County, California. After that I attended The Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California where I graduated with a Graduate Gemologist degree & a diploma In Jewelry Business Management. Finally I chose to end my schooling in California at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising where I received a Masters Degree in Luxury Brand Marketing.

 

“I am deeply committed to finding a Miss Universe delegate who displays both beauty & intellect. Someone who is more than just a pretty face. I want a true force for good who is ready to show the universe women can be anything & do anything they want. Never ever stop dreaming & never ever stop believing. Change starts with YOU”.