Mr Will Martin, chairman of the Marine Stewardship Council, welcomed five new appointments to the MSC Board of Trustees. Mr Martin said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome this talented and diverse group of trustees to our board. As the MSC continues to progress within the changing global fisheries arena and seafood market, new expertise and perspectives are vital to keeping our organisation effective and innovative.
"Our strategic plan sets out a number of ambitious targets to move us towards our mission of using our certification program and market-mechanisms to safeguard seafood supplies for current and future generations. This new group of trustees brings a wealth of skills and experience that are closely aligned with the opportunities that we face."
Monique Barbut
Appointed February 2013 for a board term commencing in July 2013. Ms Barbut is an economist and financier who has specialised in development and environmental programme financing. Until July 2012, she served as CEO and Chair of the Global Environment Facility; and vice-president of the World Bank. Previously she had senior roles with the UN Environment Programme; the Agence Française pour le Dévelopement; the French Global Environment Facility; and the Ministries of Cooperation and Finance. Ms Barbut currently serves as special adviser to the CEO of the Agence Française pour le Dévelopement.
Stephen Groff
Appointed February 2013 for a board term commencing in July 2014. Stephen Groff is an economist with extensive experience in international development and close knowledge of Southeast Asia, gained in senior positions in the OECD and Millennium Challenge Corporation. He is currently vice-president of the largest operations division of the Asia Development Bank, which encompasses East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, a post he has held since 2011. He oversees a portfolio of some $23 billion of investments and leads 700 staff. Based at the ADB headquarters in Manila, he is responsible for the Bank’s operations in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Lynne Hale
Appointed February 2013 for board term commencing in July 2013. Ms Hale is director of the Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative, with responsibility for leading the growth and development of its marine programmes. TNC has major organisational marine initiatives in 22 countries with a focus on sustainable fisheries, integrated ocean management, and habit protection and restoration. She has previously held senior positions with the Coastal Resources Centre (University of Rhode Island) LZH Associate Consulting, and the Alaska Native Foundation; she has published extensively on coastal resources and management issues.
David Mureithi
Appointed February 2013 for board term commencing in July 2013. Mr Mureithi is an experienced senior executive within Unilever’s leadership team in West Africa. Mr Mureithi is currently managing director (MD) of Unilever West Africa, and previously held positions as MD Unilever East & Southern Africa; MD Unilever Kenya, supply chain director for Unilever East Africa and chief engineer of Unilever Francophone West Africa. Other roles include founder and Chair of Business Action Against Chronic Hunger (Kenya), former vice-chair of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and former Chair of the Kenya Shippers Council.
Bill Rylance
Appointed in February 2013 for board term commencing in July 2013. Mr Rylance is the founder & CEO of WATATAWA, a Singapore-based consulting firm. He has lived in Asia for the past 30 years during which he has worked on a wide range of significant events and issues advising Asian heads of state, senior government officials, CEOs and business leaders. He managed the global communications programme for the 1988 Seoul Olympics after which he launched – and later sold – his own firm in Korea. He was integral to Korea’s successful bid campaign and hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He then took the regional reins of a New York headquartered global public relations firm as Asia CEO and later as worldwide vice Chairman before launching WATATAWA in 2010. He is a graduate of the University of London with an MSc in Economics from the London Business School. Bill is a member of the Hong Kong and Singapore Institutes of Directors.
Rupert Howes, MSC chief executive, said, “We are pleased to continue the tradition of very high calibre board members serving the MSC. As the MSC charts its course over the next decade, we are extremely fortunate to be able to draw upon the support, advice and leadership of such diverse and expert trustees. I would like to thank our new board members for their willingness to contribute their insights and expertise to ensure the continuing relevance and rigor of the programme; I very much look forward to working with them.”
For more information on MSC governance, contact Richard Ryan, governance secretary, at richard.ryan@msc.org
Source: Marine Stewardship Council
