International Alert announces new Chair
Peacebuilding charity International Alert has announced the appointment of David Nussbaum as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees, replacing Ambassador (retired) Carey Cavanaugh who is leaving the role after almost five years. The appointment takes effect this month.
David will bring extensive experience to the role. He is currently Chair of the Joffe Charitable Trust, and of the Transparency International UK Advisory Council; Senior Independent Director of Drax Group plc; a Board (Council) member at Chatham House, and of the International Budget Partnership; and a member of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group of the Church of England. David was formerly CEO of The Elders, working directly with global leaders on peace and human rights. Before that he was CEO of WWF-UK and Chair of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative, and CEO of the global anti-corruption organisation Transparency International based in Berlin.
Commenting on his appointment, David said:
“I am honoured and excited to be joining International Alert.
“Conflict continues to rise globally, blighting the lives of hundreds of millions of people: it has become the single biggest obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The accelerating effects of climate change, the lasting impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the global repercussions of the war in Ukraine have made the need for peacebuilding only more acute. International Alert and all those working for peace globally must rise to these challenges.
“I share Alert’s vision that sustainable peace can be built only if those directly affected by conflict are at the heart of such efforts. I look forward to working with my fellow Board members, Alert’s staff teams and our partners around the world in the years to come.”
Alert’s Executive Director, Nic Hailey, said:
“I’m delighted to welcome David as our new Chair. He brings a wealth of experience, expertise and connections to the role. All the team at Alert look forward to working with him in the years ahead.
“On behalf of Alert’s staff around the world, I would like to thank Carey for his service and commitment to peacebuilding, including through the challenging years of the Covid-19 pandemic. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Notes for Editors
International Alert was founded in 1986 and is one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organisations. Alert works to solve the root causes of conflict with people from across divides: from the grassroots to the policy level, we bring people together to build peace. Alert has a proud track record of achieving change in fragile and conflict-affected countries and territories.
Alongside the roles mentioned above, David has previously served as Chair of Traidcraft plc; Vice Chair of Shared Interest; Chair of Transparency International UK; Deputy Chair of the International Integrated Reporting Council; CFO of Oxfam; CFO of Field Group plc; and on the Marks & Spencer plc Executive Advisory Board on Sustainability. David has two degrees in theology, one in finance, and an honorary doctorate.
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