As part of a long-planned process to expand its existing governing board, Global Witness is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Chair and two additional non-executive directors.
Mark Stephens, one of the UK’s top media lawyers and a board member of numerous non-profit organisations, will Chair the expanded board. He will be joined by Samuel Nguiffo, Director of the Centre for Environment and Development, the lead native environmental NGO in the Congo Basin focusing on forestry, mining, land and climate change. Global Witness’ board will continue to expand over the coming year. For more detail on the members of Global Witness’ Board of Directors, click here.
Since it was established in late 1993, Global Witness has been led by its three founders, and has grown from an organisation that started with a few donations from friends and got its first laptop from a rubbish container, to almost 100 staff based out of offices in London and Washington DC, with an anticipated budget of £9 million ($14 million) in 2016. It has pioneered a whole new area of work – identifying and focusing on the so-called “natural resource curse” - and is one of the most effective organisations in this field.
Earlier this year Gillian Caldwell took over from Gavin Hayman as Global Witness’ Executive Director, and has embarked on exciting plans to build on the organisation’s success, with an initial special focus on enhancing the organisation’s communications and multi-media capacity and innovative uses of technology to advance its campaigns work.
“This is an incredibly exciting moment in Global Witness’ history,” said Patrick Alley, one of the organisation’s co-founders. “Not only do the new board members bring fantastic experience and knowledge which will be invaluable, but they will continue the evolution that has taken us from a start-up to a leading global NGO. Their role will be critical to enhancing our governance, and in building Global Witness’ campaigning and financial strength going forward. We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work with them and with Gillian to ensure Global Witness expands it’s track record of delivering systems-changing impact.”
Global Witness co-founders Patrick Alley, Simon Taylor and Charmian Gooch remain fully engaged in Global Witness’ work.
