The Marine Stewardship Council board of trustees has appointed Werner Kiene as MSC chairman.
Kiene will take up the role in 2013, when current chairman Will Martin will retire from the board.
Kiene has more than 40 years of experience in key strategic positions in global development, leading international, multi-stakeholder initiatives in the fields of food security, strengthening communities, and systems for effective and sustainable resource management.
At the United Nations World Food Program, as the first director of its newly-established office of evaluation, Kiene helped strengthen corporate oversight and governance. While country manager for the UN-WFP in Bangladesh, he was responsible for managing the international and national relief effort in response to the floods that devastated the country.
He has chaired the World Bank Inspection Panel and is currently involved in a similar assignment at the Inter-American Development Bank. He is also vice chairman of the Board of Fairtrade International Certification, ensuring producers, processors and traders comply with the Fairtrade social and environmental standards.
“My interest in serving on the MSC Board arose from my strong conviction about the importance of the MSC’s mission and the significant contributions that eco-labeling efforts are making to global environmental management,” said Kiene. “I am delighted to be appointed at such an important stage of the MSC’s development, and will bring to bear my experience with mission-led organizations to help the MSC realize its vision of seafood supplies safeguarded for future generations. I look forward to working with the Board and all the MSC’s partners over the coming years.”
