and widow of Nelson Mandela Mary Robinson (Chair), former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile Ban Ki-moon (Co-Deputy Chair), former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Zeid Raad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 11. Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia Elders Emeritus Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria and United Nations envoy Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Former Elders Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, former Archbishop Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and former Chair of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of South Africa, was the founder of The Elders. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, microcredit pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is a former Elder. Yunus stepped down as a member of The Elders in September 2009, stating that he was unable to do justice to his membership of the group due to the demands of his work. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was an honorary elder. Until her release from house arrest in 2010 the Elders kept an empty chair at each of their meetings, to mark their solidarity with Suu Kyi and Burma/Myanmar's other political prisoners. In line with the requirement that members of The Elders should not hold public office, Suu Kyi stepped down as an honorary Elder following her election to parliament on 1 April 2012. Li Zhaoxing, former Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, attended the launch. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize laureate was Chair of The Elders from 2013 to 2018. Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India. Donors and team The work of The Elders is coordinated and supported by a small team based in London. The team is headed by Alistair Fernie, who was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) in November 2021. The Elders are independently funded by a group of donors,