New CBS Students president ditches CLS, delays graduation to lead student union
David Johannes Treschow Ellebye, president of CBS Students. Photo: Caroline Hammargren
Monday evening, CBS Students elected David Johannes Treschow Ellebye, who formerly represented CBS Conservative & Liberal Students (CLS), as its new president. He promises to work to bring back Nexus Thursdays and fight the political reforms.
News | 07. Feb 2023
Only 43 students participated in the elections in which all students at CBS are eligible to vote. David Johannes Treschow Ellebye received 74% of the votes (32 votes) against his only opponent, Duarte Carrasco, who also ran for the post at the general assembly in December. He received 26% (11 votes).
CBS Students’ new president David Johannes Treschow Ellebye is politically experienced. He ran for CBS Conservative & Liberal Students (CLS) in the November student elections and is a member of the Conservative People’s Party (De Konservative), where he has campaigned for a member of parliament. He will now leave CLS to instead represent the rival organisation CBS Students.
“Some of the current issues, especially the political reforms, are so great that joining forces across political spectrums is very important. There are a lot of issues that require a bigger platform and I think CLS doesn’t have the size for that. CBS Students is a more established organisation and we need to come together to face these big issues,” he said while presenting his candidacy at the meeting.
David Johannes Treschow Ellebye says he was approached by friends who encouraged him to run for the post, which unexpectedly became vacant after Tomas Vemola resigned in January, prompting the organisation to call an Extraordinary General Assembly.
We have major political reforms cutting 50 to 75% of graduate programs. That would be a disaster for all students and this university. This is an issue where we can unite and fight to make a difference.
David Johannes Treschow Ellebye, president, CBS Students
The new president says that there should be no doubts about where his affiliations lie:
“I’m now representing CBS Students. I’m CBS Students first.”
He will continue though as a member of the Conservative People’s Party, for which he holds no elected posts.
In his speech, David Johannes Treschow Ellebye said he would leverage his political connections and experience to fight for student issues, mentioning the reopening of Nexus Thursdays and educational reforms as two key issues.
“We have major political reforms cutting 50 to 75% of graduate programs. That would be a disaster for all students and this university. This is an issue where we can unite and fight to make a difference.”
David Johannes Treschow Ellebye was set to graduate with his MSc in Advanced Economics and Finance this summer. But he will now delay his studies to be able to lead CBS Students until the term ends at the end of 2023. His method would be to skip an exam or delay his master’s thesis: “I will go back home and see what fits best with my schedule,” the newly elected president said.
A tough decision so close to the finish line, but nonetheless, an opportunity he could not pass up.
“I thought it was a very interesting challenge and it’s something I saw myself in. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity as it’s the final year of my graduate programme. I won’t have this opportunity next year.”
New management team
David Johannes Treschow Ellebye will lead CBS together with the new management team, who were elected at the ordinary general assembly last December. They consist of Jan Smolinski, Caroline Bering, Stanislas Salavert and Si Eun Stella Lee, all holding the title of Executive Vice President. Their election came after a change in CBS Students’ organisational structure, which aimed to make it a leaner organisation.
The CBS Students board of directors was also reduced from the previous 10 members and one alumni to six regular members, one alternate and one alumni. The new board consists of Frederik Damsgaard, Lars Hansen, Rolf Bach Sundby, Jessica Nguyen (Thi Kim), Maria Zoladkowska, Sebastian Ehrhardt, and Albin Blomkvist as an alternate member. The alumni member has not been chosen yet.
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