Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, had become a symbol of globalization Klaus Schwab has stepped down as chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), ending more than five decades at the helm of the organization he founded in 1971. Known for its annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, the WEF and its former leader became symbols of globalization. The decision by Schwab, who turned 87 this year, to resign was announced by the