The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has announced that two new Co-Chairs have been elected to its Board of Directors: Daniel Zhang, Chairman & CEO of Alibaba Group, and James Quincey, Chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
The pair will lead the CGF Board for two years and replace outgoing Co-Chairs Özgür Tort, CEO of Migros Ticaret, and Emmanuel Faber, former Chairman & CEO of Danone. In addition, Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, and Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, were appointed Vice Co-Chairs.
James Quincey, Chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, said, “I am honoured to join the Board of CGF, a unique organisation that works to protect the planet and its people. Özgür and Emmanuel have done a tremendous job and I look forward to building upon their work to drive sustainable solutions to the challenges we face as an industry. Together with Daniel and the CGF Coalitions of Action, we will be working against an ambitious agenda to build a better shared future for all.”
Daniel Zhang, Chairman & CEO of Alibaba Group, said, “I am honoured to be the first-ever Co-Chair of the CGF Board from a multinational company born in China, and I want to thank my peers on the Board for their vote of confidence. Under Özgür’s and Emmanuel’s strong leadership, CGF has engaged a greater array of stakeholders and placed greater emphasis on implementation support. Together with James, I look forward to building on this foundation by driving broader representation and inclusivity across our CGF membership, as we work to transform the industry to address challenges and capture opportunities of the future.”
Reflecting on his time as Co-Chair, Özgür Tort, CEO of Migros Ticaret, said, “Sustainability and efficiency have gained even greater importance and relevance for us all during the pandemic. In a period of uncertainty, we provided service without limits. As a new era dawned, we were proactive in reinterpreting our practices to make them relevant in the new reality. Within the CGF, we set up eight separate Coalitions of Action, each with its own mission and a remit to create a sustainable world and bring about positive change. Each Coalition brings together corporate leaders from various sectors with the aim of focusing on new solutions for the future of our planet. By doing this CGF has created a much more inclusive and diversified structure. This flexible structure will inspire new initiatives all around the world.”
Wai-Chan Chan, Managing Director, The Consumer Goods Forum, said, “Özgür and Emmanuel have done a fabulous job during very challenging times. Under their stewardship, the CGF has re-focused to ensure positive impacts on the ground happen quicker and more effectively and we are now starting to see the benefits of this work. However, we are only just getting started and I look forward to now working more closely with James and Daniel as we get to driving positive change faster than ever, and ensure our industry has a positive voice built on tangible actions as we head towards the UN Food Systems Summit and COP 26. Despite our successes, we know there is still a lot more we can do.”
Arya has been a part of the Content & Research Team at Hrnxt.com. She is a keen observer of economic developments, emerging businesses, people in business and keeps a tab on latest happenings in the business environment.