The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) today announced that it is strengthening its supervisory board as it continues to grow its now 130 alliance to drive the private sector to meet the UN SDG’s. WBA is welcoming six new members to its existing supervisory board to total ten, including Chair, Paul Druckman.

The newly strengthened team, with truly diverse experience and expertise across business, government and civil society from around the world will help further support WBA to be an agent for systems change to build more resilient companies and a more sustainable future for all. Now more than ever this change requires diversity of thinking and collaboration to embed sustainability into the most influential companies in the world and ensure this impact is felt where it is needed most.

The new board members include: Lysa John, Secretary- General, Civicus; Victoria Márquez-Mees, Managing Director at EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development); Veronica Olazabal, Director at the Rockerfeller Foundation; Joyce Cacho, President, Adinura Advisory Services; Mark Kramer, Co-Founder and Managing Director, FSG and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School; and Bukola Jejeloye, Executive Director and Founder, Offline Diplomat.

They join existing board members Kirsty Cooper, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary from Aviva; Elizabeth Cousens, CEO, UN Foundation; and Josien Piek, Head of EMEA, GRESB.

Commenting on the new appointments, WBA’s Chair Paul Druckman, said: “We believe we have created a Board make up that is unique in this space. The new board has a shared vision to drive systems transformation yet the context and activities individual members come at it from are different. These distinct reference points can only help WBA take our vision deeper and wider to meet the UN SDGs. There is an urgency in our work and together we are deeply invested in and convinced of the potential for companies to create a more sustainable future that leaves no one behind.”

Victoria Márquez-Mees, Managing Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said: “For developing countries like Mexico and others in the LAC region, the achievement of the SDG’s represents a challenge not only because of limited resources but also due to the lack of expertise and know how.  WBA brings this expertise and know how as vital support to ensure they remain committed to the SDGs. Achieving the SDGs is essential for the improvement of living conditions of communities all over the world.  I hope through my experience and WBA we can continue to support the LAC region in its pursuit of sustainable inclusive development.”

Veronica Olazabal commenting on her appointment said: “This moment of crisis calls for transformational change across all our systems. WBA is uniquely positioned to catalyse this change–bringing public and private sectors together to measurably achieve the SDGs.”

Earlier this year WBA announced the SDG2000, the list of the most influential companies in the world by their contribution to the UN SDGs. Later this year WBA is set to launch benchmarks on utilities, oil and gas, automotive, food and agriculture and seafood, gender and human rights, now in its fifth consecutive year.

The role of the supervisory board is critical to WBA’s governance structure which compliments the Donor Committee and independent Expert Review Committees for each benchmark. The Board will meet quarterly.

Meet the new supervisory board

Photo: Paul Druckman