From Competitor to Mentor: IPPF Alum Inspires the Next Generation

As a high school student in 2006 and 2007, Alex Pouille did the remarkable. He became a two-time champion of a high school debate contest sponsored by the Brewer Foundation and New York University. Two decades later, Pouille is still actively engaged with the International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), working to ensure the contest reaches as many students as possible and awakens them to the benefits of written scholarship and public advocacy.  

Alex Pouille (right) and his teammates from the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in Florida at the IPPF Finals in 2007.

“As a high school student, the contest took me out of my comfort zone,” said Pouille. “I was used to oral debate, but written debate gives you more time to formulate and research arguments on complex topics. It forces you to write in a different style than is usually required in high school social studies, English, or science classes. And you're writing an essay as part of a team, which was a first for me.” 

After graduating from high school in West Palm Beach, Florida, Pouille attended The College of William & Mary. He earned his master’s degree in accounting and later went to work for Anheuser-Busch InBev. Over the years, he’s risen through the ranks to become the company's Zone Europe Vice President of Finance, working in Brussels, Belgium. 

 Pouille credits the contest, in part, with helping him begin his career. 

“In my final panel interview to join Anheuser-Busch InBev, the judge panel picked out my debating experience and pushed me to explain why it would make me better qualified to join than the peers on the candidate panel,” said Pouille. 

“Then, after starting working, whether it was writing memos or working as part of a team to deliver an analysis, IPPF learnings were woven throughout. Simply ensuring that you think about both sides of a topic – and not be anchored on solely your point of view – makes you arrive at better business decisions.” 

As Pouille’s career blossomed, so did his contributions to the IPPF. He currently serves on the IPPF Advisory Board, leads the IPPF Circle of Champions, the organization’s alumni group, and travels to New York each year to judge the IPPF Finals. Recently, he won the inaugural award recognizing IPPF alumni who have supported the IPPF – and helped it promote a global message celebrating advocacy and academic achievement. 

“There is an inherent stickiness factor that keeps former debaters coming back each year: the desire to spread the contest to more people,” said Pouille. “This has fueled friendships and personal bonds that strengthen over the years and create a flywheel to encourage even more involvement. Now it's not just about debate, it's family.”  

Members of the IPPF Circle of Champions, the IPPF alumni organization, during 2025 IPPF Finals Weekend.

IPPF Executive Director Andrea Sadberry works closely with Pouille to coordinate volunteer judges for the written rounds and identify mentors for debate teams that are new to the contest. She said Pouille is a catalyst for action.      

“Alex is a driving force that inspires others to stay engaged with the contest," said Sadberry. "His commitment to the IPPF reflects his belief in the power of debate to foster leadership, build confidence, and cultivate a deeper understanding of world affairs — skills that will serve these students well throughout their lives." 

“I want to ensure that future generations get the same opportunity as I did,” Pouille said. “The more we invest time in the competition, from assembling alumni, to hosting judge clinics to boost the quality of judging, to recruiting more teams, the better the competition will become.” 

He continued, “Whenever I am on a business trip, either to Prague, Japan, or even just a few weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, I make an effort to reach out to my mentored teams to ensure they get to meet someone from the IPPF in person. This is what makes the IPPF truly unique.” 

While Pouille wishes that all students could have the opportunity he did to travel to New York and win the IPPF Finals, he believes there is value in every stage of the contest. 

 “Whether a student debater simply enters a qualifying round essay or ends up winning the competition outright, they will have had an incredibly enriching and powerful experience that will better prepare them in the educational and professional world,” said Pouille. “Debate is a powerful tool, and the Brewer Foundation has found a unique way to connect to students from across the world through the IPPF.”