FSC International Board initiates global executive search for next Director General

The Board of Directors of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) today announced the launch of a global executive search for the next Director General for FSC. 

Zandra Martinez, Chairperson of the FSC Board of Directors said, “We are grateful to Kim Carstensen for his 11 years of service and commitment to the vision and mission of FSC.  He has served with passion and dedication, over these years and has led unprecedented growth of FSC across 60 countries and five continents. We believe the coming years are fundamental to continue our growth and enhancement of our global mission advocating for a holistic approach towards responsible forest management. FSC is ultimately a community of passionate individuals who work together towards one common goal: ensuring the long-term resilience of our world’s forests."

Under Carstensen’s leadership, FSC led the establishment of FSC Investment & Partnerships and the FSC Indigenous Foundation. He also drove the launch of FSC Ecosystem Services Procedure and a very significant increase in FSC’s global importance and reach. Noteworthy was his leadership through the challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.  

Mr. Carstensen will continue as Director General of FSC international as the organization reaches its 30th anniversary in 2024. He will focus on working with the board on securing a good leadership transition process. In addition, he will lead the delivery of four key priorities in 2024 for the organization:  

· FSC’s relevance in the context of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

· Increasing certification of tropical forests  

· Enhancing the focus on Climate and Ecosystem Services   

· Growing the Forest Management certification   

The Board of Directors has selected the global executive search firm Odgers Berndston to identify a new Director General for FSC, to be appointed by the board next year.

Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General said, “I am proud of what we have achieved at FSC International with our global network and partner organizations. We are a team of incredibly talented and passionate people who have committed our skills to keep forests for all forever. Guided by our global vision to meet the world’s need for forest products, without compromising the health of the world’s forests for future generations, we are providing very important contributions towards a sustainable planet." 

Ms. Martinez added, “We look forward to seeing FSC continue to flourish and grow from its current position of strength to even higher levels."

Note to Editors

About the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)

FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven sustainable forest management solution. Currently, over 160 million hectares of forest worldwide is certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social, and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are sustainably sourced, from forest to consumer. www.fsc.org.

For further information contact: media@fsc.org