Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Amsterdam-based leading sustainability impact measurement and reporting standards body, has appointed Bekeme Olowola, founder/chief executive of CSR-in-Action, headquartered in Nigeria, as a member of its Board of Directors, where she will be joining a leading caste of global sustainability professionals.
Bekeme Olowola, who is the first West African member on the Board of Directors, will commence her three-year appointment on January 1, 2019. She was appointed alongside Jack Ehnes, CEO, The California State Teachers Employees’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), USA, and Jianzhong Lu, China president of Weir Group, China.
The GRI board appointment process is rigorous and meritorious and other current board members include Tim Mohin, chief executive, GRI; Alexandra Watson, vice-chairman, GRI Board; Girish Ramachandran, president, Tata Consultancy Services Asia Pacific, Singapore; Peter H. Y. Wong, chairman of General Fiduciary Company Limited, Hong Kong SAR; Roberto F. de Ocampo, OBE, founding partner of Centennial Group International, Philippines, and Sandra Guerra, managing director, Better Governance, Brazil.
Eric Hespenheide, chairman, GRI Board, a former Partner at Deloitte stated:
“They are joining at an exciting time, as GRI navigates towards the consolidation of its strategy and uncovers new opportunities for growth.”
According to GRI:
“[The latest] appointments reflect GRI’s multi-stakeholder nature and commitment gender, regional and background diversity.”
Commenting on the appointment, Bekeme Olowola stated:
“I am humbled by this appointment. It tells me that the GRI is committed to engaging its most crucial stakeholders honourably and to pursuing an African agenda. I remain convinced that Africa is ripe for advancing and embedding sustainability practices and that the GRI is a valid partner to work with to drive the sustainability agenda even more than ever.”
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
GRI is an independent international organization that has pioneered sustainability reporting since 1997.
GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being. This enables real action to create social, environmental and economic benefits for everyone. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are developed with true multi-stakeholder contributions and rooted in the public interest.
