KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Board of Governors is pleased to appoint Joseph D'Cruz (JD) as CEO with effect from 15 March 2022.
D'Cruz has over twenty years' experience in sustainability, working on a range of global development challenges including environmental conservation, climate change, poverty reduction, economic development and disaster recovery. In his most recent position as Special Advisor, Strategic Planning Innovation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) New York, he led UNDP's global strategy development, futures and innovation functions, working directly with the head of UNDP.
RSPO Board of Governors' Co-chairs, Ms. Anne Rosenbarger and Dato' Carl Bek- Nielson said, "We are glad to engage such an expert in sustainability and development who will, with our strong existing team, increase RSPO's impact on the sustainability of the palm oil industry. We are confident D'Cruz will be highly effective in leading RSPO and bringing diverse groups of stakeholders together to facilitate and accelerate the global scale-up of certified sustainable palm oil."
RSPO's CEO, D'Cruz said, "I am honoured to be joining RSPO in advancing one of the most important sustainability agendas in the world. An oil palm sector that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable is critical for our collective global future. I look forward to working with our members and partners to make this vision a reality in the coming years."
D'Cruz's appointment follows the departure of Beverly Postma in May 2021.
RSPO Co-Chairs added, "We wish to sincerely thank Ms. Audrey Lee, Mr. Adam Harrison and Dr. Gan Lian Tiong for supporting the RSPO Secretariat and members as Interim Coordinators during this period of transition."
View full release here.
About RSPO:
The RSPO was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. RSPO is a not-for-profit, international, membership organisation that unites stakeholders from the different sectors of the palm oil industry including oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs, and social or developmental NGOs.