GRI CEO to Step Down at Year End

June 21, 2024 /3BL/ - GRI today announces that, after seven years of working in a range of roles with GRI, Eelco van der Enden has elected to step down at the end of his current three-year fixed term contract as CEO. He will continue to serve as GRI CEO until 31 December 2024.

Eelco was appointed CEO in January 2022, towards the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. His relationship with GRI commenced in 2017, serving in advisory and supervisory roles for the organisation, including membership of the technical committee that developed the world’s first global tax transparency standard. He was appointed to GRI’s Board of Directors in 2020.

Eelco van der Enden, CEO of GRI, said:

I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together at GRI in my time here, during a period in which there has been an explosion of interest in sustainability reporting, and a rapid shift in expectations as we move from voluntary to mandatory disclosure requirements in many markets. We have been able to build on 25 years of GRI’s heritage, at the same time as ensuring the organization is fit for the future.

The past few years have been a time of transition, where we have worked closely with partners to ensure there is a common baseline for globally applicable and comparable sustainability data. Alongside our widely-used reporting standards, initiatives such as the Sustainability Innovation Lab have laid a solid foundation for capacity building.

By enabling the transparency that builds trust in organizations, I believe we are helping to create a happier and healthier world for business and society. I look forward to seeing GRI go from strength to strength, as we go beyond simply serving as the architect of the global language of impact reporting to also teaching people to speak this language fluently and communicate more effectively with one another. 

The end of the year and my fixed term three-year contract is a natural point for me to pass on the role of CEO to someone who can take GRI through the next phase of its evolution. Until then, the work continues and I look forward to working with GRI’s Board and senior leaders to find my replacement during the remainder of the year.”

Jessica Fries, Chair of the GRI Supervisory Board, said:

“Eelco has done a tremendous job leading GRI through increasing harmonisation of reporting standards and has positioned the organisation to fulfil its purpose and expand its impact in the future – financially, structurally, and strategically. He’s been hugely effective and we are confident that his successor will build on the strong foundations that he will leave behind.”

The recruitment process to find Eelco’s successor has started, and he will remain fully operational as CEO until his departure, helping to ensure an orderly transition.

Eelco van der Enden was appointed GRI CEO in January 2022, following four years in governance roles with the organization. In 2017, he was appointed to the Technical Committee that developed GRI 207: Tax 2019, and he then joined the GRI Board in January 2020. Prior to GRI, Eelco worked for PwC, as a Partner and latterly as Global ESG Platform Leader for Tax, Legal, People & Organisation Services. He has also served as Chair of the Tax Policy Group of Accountancy Europe, and held a range of senior roles with listed companies, including as head of treasury, risk management and tax.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an independent not-for-profit organization and standard-setter that is the architect of the common global language used to assess and report on environmental, social, and economic impacts. GRI provides tools and training that enable organizations of all sizes to harness the skills, capabilities and data they need to create sustainable, long-term value and unlock positive change in the world.

For over 25 years, GRI has led a global multi-stakeholder process to develop and refine rigorous yet practical sustainability reporting. Using the GRI Standards, organizations can understand and act on the full range of their impacts.

GRI’s consistent, comparable and globally-applicable standards have become the world’s most widely-used sustainability reporting framework. GRI is trusted by thousands of companies to provide the building blocks for transparent reporting, managing risks and opportunities and supporting strategic decision-making.