14 July 2023

World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) is proud to announce the results of our Board elections and the new Executive Committee, effective as of 1 July 2023. We have also selected Chairs and Vice Chairs for our Green Building Council (GBC) CEO Network, Corporate Advisory Board and Regional Leadership.

WorldGBC’s Board of Directors are a group of influential and seasoned sustainability leaders bringing diversity of knowledge and expertise to catalyse WorldGBC’s mission to lead the transformation to sustainable and decarbonised built environments for everyone, everywhere.

Their most pressing objectives over the next two years will be to advance at a greater pace decarbonisation, circularity and regeneration solutions through a systemic change angle. WorldGBC´s strategy is ambitious and aligned with climate science and the Sustainable Development Goals. We deliver systemic change principally through our network of around 75 national GBCs and their 46,000 members. 

Directors were nominated by Established GBCs and elected at WorldGBC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) which took place in London on 14 June 2023.

Members of the Executive Committee were appointed by the Board of Directors during its 22 June 2023 meeting.  

Cristina Gamboa, CEO, WorldGBC:

“We give a warm welcome to all our elected and influential sustainability leaders. Their leadership, knowledge and expertise will be crucial in accelerating our global mission to catalyse change around the world. We greatly look forward to working with these change makers alongside our international network of GBCs and partners to lead the way in delivering the sustainable transformation of the built environment at speed and scale for everyone, everywhere.”

The Executive Committee (Exco) of the WorldGBC Board of Directors, includes our new Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. The Chair has been elected for a two year term and the rest for a one year term starting 1 July 2023:

• Chair of the Board of Directors: Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy Programme at World Resources Institute, nominated by CCCS (Colombia GBC).
• Vice Chair: Davina Rooney, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), nominated by GBCA.
• Treasurer: Matthew Bell, Global Leader Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young, nominated by GBC South Africa (GBCSA).
• Secretary: Elizabeth Wangeci Chege, CEO and co-founder of WEB Limited, nominated by Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS).

The following four directors were re-elected for a further two year term starting on 1 July 2023. 

• Habiba Al Marashi: President of Arabia CSR Network, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), nominated by Emirates GBC.
• Hastings Chikoko: Managing Director of Regions & Mayoral Engagement & Regional Director for Africa at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, nominated by Alliance HQE (France GBC).
• Rachel Skinner: Executive Director, WSP and President of Institution of Civil Engineers UK, nominated by Czech GBC.
• Elizabeth Wangeci Chege, CEO and co-founder of WEB Limited, nominated by Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS).

The following director was elected for a two year term starting on 01 July 2023.

• Maria Fernanda Aguirre: CEO, Chile Green Building Council (Chile GBC), nominated by Chile GBC.

The following other governance positions were appointed by the Board of Directors during its 22 June 2023 meeting.  

CEO Network Chair:

• Alicja Kuczera (Polish GBC) will be the next Chair of the GBC CEO Network for a two-year term. 

Corporate Advisory Board (CAB):

• Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited, was elected as Chair of the CAB for a one-year term
• Emmanuel Normant, Vice-President, Saint-Gobain, and Tobias Huber, Sustainability Officer & Startup Founder, Siemens Smart Infrastructure, were elected Vice Chairs of the CAB for a one-year term.

Regional Chairs (all for two-year terms): 

• Jeff Oatman, Head of Collaboration and Membership, GBCA, Chair Asia Pacific Regional Network (APN)
• Christopher De La Cruz, CEO, Philippine Green Building Council, Vice Chair APN
• Pamela Castellan, Executive Director, Guatemala Green Building Council, Chair Americas Regional Network (ARN)
• Viviana Valdivieso, CEO, Colombia GBC, Vice Chair ARN
• Raji Hattar, Chief Sustainability Officer at Aramex and Chairman of Jordan GBC, Chair Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Network
• Khaled Bushnaq, CEO & Founder of Energy Management Services-Emirates L.L.C, Vice Chair MENA
• Nasra Nanda, CEO, Kenya Green Building Society, Chair Africa Regional Network (AfRN)
• Lisa Reynolds, CEO, GBC South Africa, Vice Chair AfRN
• Pat Barry, CEO, Irish GBC, Chair Europe Regional Network (ERN)
• Richard Teichman, Managing Partner, Teichmann et Compagnons Property Networks GmbH / Vienna, Vice Chair ERN

Read more about WorldGBC’s Board of Directors, GBC CEO Network, Corporate Advisory Board and Regional Leaders, as well as their professional journeys. If you have any questions about the election process, please contact Alexis Dangel, Operations Director, WorldGBC, at adangel@worldgbc.org