PricewaterhouseCoopers CEO Appointed Chair...

PricewaterhouseCoopers International CEO Appointed Chair of World Business Council for Sustainable Development

PricewaterhouseCoopers International CEO Sam DiPiazza, Jr. has been elected Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Mr DiPiazza will succeed Travis Engen on 1 January 2008 and is the first representative from a professional services organisation to chair the Council.

PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand CEO Warwick Hunt said: “The appointment of our global CEO to this very important position confirms PwC's ongoing commitment to leading the issue of sustainability. This issue is now firmly on the agenda of many New Zealand businesses, which are responding to both voluntary and regulatory pressures.”

With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the WBCSD was created in 1991 to involve business in the Rio Earth Summit. According to a 2006 world survey by GlobeScan, the WBCSD is not only the leading organization advancing sustainable development, but also the most respected provider of information on sustainability issues.

“Sam DiPiazza, as leader of the world’s largest professional services organisation, is an excellent choice to carry forward the important work of the WBCSD in raising global awareness of the issues of sustainability and helping to forge consensus about the role of businesses in society”, said Björn Stigson, President of the WBCSD.

"I'm honoured that I have been selected to lead the WBCSD at a time when the critical issues of sustainable development, climate change and the environment are at the forefront of the business and social agenda," Sam DiPiazza said. “I believe businesses must act responsibly as global citizens and play a lead role in building of a more sustainable world. The WBCSD is the best organisation to help business achieve this.”

Mr. DiPiazza said he would bring an independent mindset and a wide international and cross-industry perspective to help the WBCSD. With increasing public concern about the environment and the growing gap between have and have-nots, business, government and civil society must address these challenges together. Leading global companies will be those that provide continually improving goods and services and reach new customers in ways that address the world's major challenges. Mr. DiPiazza hopes to generate momentum for the group by leveraging PwC's global networks and engaging other CEOs to become more proactive in addressing sustainability.

ENDS

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