Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became president on December 10, 2007, after winning the general election. She replaced her husband, Néstor Kirchner, who was president from May 2003 to December 2007. She is Argentina's second female president, but the first to be elected. Prior to her current position, she was a senator for Buenos Aires province and Santa Cruz province. She was first elected to the Senate in 1995 and in 1997 to the Chamber of Deputies. In 2001 she won a seat in the Senate again. Born February 19, 1954, in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Kirchner studied law at the National University of La Plata. The minister of finance is Carlos Fernández.

Australia's Kevin M. Rudd

Kevin M. Rudd became prime minister on December 3, 2007, replacing John Howard who had held the position since March 1996. Before entering into politics, Rudd worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs where he held posts in Stockholm, Sweden and China. He also spent time as a political staffer, and held positions that included chief of staff for the premier of Queensland and director general of the office of the Queensland cabinet. Rudd first ran for office in 1996, but was not successfully elected until 1998. Since that time he has served in various positions including shadow minister of foreign affairs and leader of the opposition. He was born in Nambour, Queensland, on September 21, 1957. He received his degree in Asian studies from Australian National University where he focused on Chinese language and history. He is married to Thérèse Rein.

Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva first assumed the office of the president on January 1, 2003, after being successful elected in October 2002. He was re-elected in October 2006, extending his term until January 2011. Lula first ran for office in 1982 in the state of Sao Paulo, but it was not until 1986 that he was first elected to Congress. He did not run for re-election in 1990 but became more involved in the Workers' Party, where he continued to run for the office of the president. He was born in Caetés, Pernambuco, Brazil, on October 27, 1945. He received no formal education and began working in a copper pressing factory at the age of 14. He became heavily involved in the workers unions at a young age. He is married to Marisa Letícia.

Canada's Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper was first elected prime minister in January 2006, replacing Paul Martin, and led a minority government until winning a second election and a stronger minority in October 2008. Before entering politics he served as a policy advisor to Reform Party. Harper first ran for a seat in 1988, but was not successfully elected to the House of Commons until 1993. He served as leader of the opposition for several years before becoming prime minister. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, on April 30, 1959. He began his academic studies at the University of Toronto and completed a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Calgary in 1985. In 1991, he received a master's in economics from the University of Calgary. He is married to Laureen Teskey Harper.

China's Hu Jintao

Hu Jintao has been president since March 15, 2003, replacing Jiang Zemin who had held the position since 1989. He also currently serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Central Committee and chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Before entering into politics Hu worked as an engineer. He joined the CPC in April 1964, and began working with the party in 1968. In 1992, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central and re-elected in 1997. He became vice-president of China in March 1998 and vice-chair of the CMC in 1999. In 2002, Hu was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. He was born in Jiangyan, Jiangsu, China, on December 21, 1942. In 1965 he received his engineering degree from Tsinghua University. He is married to Lui Yongqing.

France's Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy became president on May 16, 2007, taking over from Jacques Chirac, who had held the position since 1995. France holds the presidency of the European Council from July 1 to December 31, 2008. Sarkozy worked as a lawyer while he pursued politics. From 1983 to 2002, he was mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine. He has been president of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) since 2004. During his time in parliament he held a number of cabinet portfolios including minister of state of economy, finance and industry, minister of the budget and minister of the interior. He was born in Paris on January 28, 1955. In 1978, he received his degree in law from the University of Paris. He is married to Carla Bruni.

Germany's Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel became chancellor on November 22, 2005, replacing Gerhard Schr?der, who had been in power since 1998. She is the first female chancellor of Germany. Before entering into politics she worked as a researcher and physicist. Merkel was first elected to the Bundestag in 1990. She held the cabinet portfolios of women and youth minister and environment, nature conservation and nuclear safety minister. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, on July 17, 1956. In 1978, she received her doctorate in physics from the University of Leipzig. She has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Technology in Poland, Leipzig University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is married to Joachim Sauer.

India's Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh became prime minister on May 22, 2004, replacing Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who held the position from 1998 to 2004 and in 1996. Before entering into politics, Singh worked as an economist, including for the International Monetary Fund. He was governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985. He was first elected to the upper house of Indian parliament in 1995 and re-elected in 2001 and 2007. He held cabinet positions including minister of finance and minister for external affairs. He was born in Gah, Punjab (now known as Chakwal district, Pakistan), on September 26, 1932. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Punjab University in 1952 and 1954, an additional undergraduate degree from Cambridge University in 1957 and a PhD from Oxford University in 1962. He is married to Gursharan Kaur. He also currently holds the position of finance minister.

Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono became president on October 20, 2004, replacing the incumbent Megawato Sukarnoputri. Before entering into politics, he served as a lecture and a military general. His first experience in politics came when he was appointed minister of mines and energy in 1999. He later served as coordinating minister for politics and security. He was born on September 9, 1949, in Pacitan, East Java. He received his PhD in agricultural economics from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture in 2004. He is married to Kristiani Herawati.

Italy's Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi was elected prime minister for the third time on April 29, 2008. He occupied the position previously from 1996 to 2001 and 1994 to 1995. Before entering into politics he worked in business, including construction, telecommunicatins and media. During his time in politics he has held a number of cabinet portfolios including minister of foreign affairs, minister of economy and finance, and minister of health. He is scheduled to chair the 2009 G8 Summit. Berlusconi was born in Milan, Italy, on September 29, 1936. In 1961, he received his degree in law from the University of Milan. He is married to Veronica Lario.

Japan's Taro Aso

Taro Aso became prime minister on September 24, 2008, replacing Yasuo Fukuda, who had held the position since September 2007. Before entering into politics Aso worked in mining. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1979 and has been re-elected eight times. He served in a variety of positions in government including minister of foreign affairs and minister of international affairs and communications. He was born in Iizuka in Fukuoka prefecture on September 20, 1940. Aso studied politics and economics at Gakushuin University and went on to Stanford University and the London School of Economics. He was also a member of the Japanese shooting team that competed at the 1976 Olympics. He is married to Chikako Aso.

Korea's Lee Myung-bak

Lee Myung-bak became president on February 25, 2008, replacing Roh Moohyun, who had occupied the position since 2003. He worked in the business sector, moving up the ranks of Hyundai and becoming the youngest-ever chief executive officer before entering into politics. Lee was first elected into the Korean National assembly in 1992. He served as mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2006. Lee was born in Kirano, Japan, on December 19, 1941. He received a degree in business administration from Korea University in 1965. Lee is married to Kim Yun-ok.

Mexico's Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa

Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa became president on December 1, 2006, replacing Vicente Fox, who held the position since 2000. Calderón was president of the National Action Party's (PAN) youth movement in his early twenties. He served as a local representative in the legislative assembly in the federal chamber of deputies. In 1995 he ran for governor of Michaocán. He served as secretary of energy from 2003 to 2004. He was born in Morelia, Mexico, on August 18, 1962. He received his bachelor's degree in law from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City and a master's degree in economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México as well as a master's in public administration from Harvard University. He is married to Margarita Zavala.

Russia's Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev became president on May 7, 2008, replacing Vladmir Putin, whose term in office had expired. Before entering politics, he worked as a legal expert and a lawyer. He was officially endorsed as a candidate for the presidency on December 17, 2007, by Russia's largest political party, United Russia, and by then Putin as well. He served as deputy prime minister of Russia from 2005 to 2008. He was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) on September 14, 1965. He earned a degree in law in 1987 and a PhD in private law in 1990 from Leningrad State University. He is married to Svetlana Medvedeva.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah

bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

King Abdullahbin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has been in power since August 1, 2005. He replaced Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, who had reigned since June 1982. Crown prince since 1987, he had previously acted as de facto regent and thus ruler of Saudi Arabia since January 1, 1996, when Fahd was debilitated by a stroke. He was formally enthroned on August 3, 2005. He also serves as prime minister of Saudi Arabia and commander of the National Guard. Abdullah is chair of the supreme economic council, president of the high council for petroleum and minerals, president of the King Abdulaziz centre for national dialogue, chair of the council of civil service and head of the military service council. He was born August 1, 1924, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has a number of wives.

South Africa's Petrus Kgalema Motlanthe

Petrus Kgalema Motlanthe became president on September 25, 2008, after the resignation of Thabo Mbeki, who had held the position since 1999. In the 1970s Motlanthe worked for Johannesburg's city council and served as secretary general of the National Union of Mineworkers. He became secretary general of the African ationalCongress in 1997 and elected deputy president in December 2007. He became a member of parliament in May 2008 and in July was appointed to cabinet without a portfolio. He was born on July 19, 1949, in Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is married.

Turkey's Recap Tayyip Erdogan

Recap Tayyip Erdogan became prime minister on March 14, 2003, replacing Abdullah Gül, who had occupied the office since November 2002. Before becoming primes minister Erdo?an was mayor of Istabul from 1994 to 1998. He was born on February 26, 1954, in Rize, Turkey. He studied management at Marmar University's faculty of economics and administrative sciences. He is married to Emine Erdogan.

The United Kingdom's Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown became prime minister on June 27, 2007, three days after becoming leader of the Labour Party. He was first elected to parliament in 1983 as representative for Dunfermline East. Since 2005 he has been the representative for Kikcaldy and Cowdenbeath in Scotland. Before entering politics he worked as a lecturer and journalist. He served as chancellor of the exchequer from 1997 to 2007 and he accompanied Prime Minister Tony Blair to G8 summits as finance minister. He was born in Govan, Scotland, on February 20, 1951. He studied history at the University of Edinburgh and completed his PhD in 1982. He is married to Sarah Brown.

The United States' Barack Obama

Barack Obama became president-elect on November 4, 2008, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2005. He worked as a community organizer, a civil rights lawyer and a state legislator for Illinois. The first black president, he was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Kenyan father and American mother. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1983 and a law degree from Harvard University in 1991. He is married to Michelle Obama.

The European Commission's José Manuel Barroso

José Manuel Barroso became president on November 23, 2004. Prior to that he was prime minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004. Before entering into politics he worked as an academic. He graduated law from the University of Lisbon and has a master's in economics and social sciences from the University of Geneva. He received his PhD from Georgetown University in 1998. He also received an honorary degree from Liverpool University in 2008. He is married to Maria Margarida Pinto Ribeiro de Sousa Uva.

The Czech Republic's Mirek Topolánek

Mirek Topolánek became prime minister in August 2006. He took over the presidency of the European Council on January 1, 2009. from France's Sarkozy. He will remain in the position until June 2009, when Sweden will take over. He was a member of the Czech Senate from 1996 to 2004 and its deputy chair from 2002 to 2004. Since June 2006 he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Born in 1956, he studied at Brno University of Technology where he received a degree in mechanical engineering.

(G20 Research Group Report)