Maria Livanos Cattaui is a member of the Board of Directors of Petroplus Holdings AG, Switzerland.  

She was Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce from 1996 to 2005, championing the role of world business in the global economy. She has been instrumental in establishing a global partnership between businesses and the United Nations, and has led to a greater role for businesses in the formation of UN economic policy. Previously, she worked with the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where she was responsible for organizing and publicizing the annual meeting in Davos. She holds board and advisory board memberships on the Institute of International Education (New York), the International Youth Foundation (Baltimore), the International Crisis Group (Brussels), the International Centre for Research on Women (Washington), the Council of Women World Leaders (Kennedy School/Harvard), the Center for Strategic & International Studies (Washington), the EastWest Institute (New York), the Elliott School of International Affairs (George Washington University), the Schulich School of Business, York University (Toronto) and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Mrs Cattaui, who is of Swiss nationality and Greek origin, was educated in the United States. She is an Honours graduate of Harvard University. During her early career, she was engaged in writing and research, then editorial supervision and planning with Encyclopaedia Britannica, and with Time-Life Books. She was a freelance editor and writer of books, speeches and articles.