New Managing Director Appointed
Accreditation Services International is pleased to announce that Guntars Laguns has been appointed as new Managing Director. He will take up his position on 1 January 2012.
Guntars Laguns has been working with ASI since 2004, initially as an assessor for the accreditation program of the Forest Stewardship Council. Since early 2011, he became responsible for the overall coordination of ASI’s assessment teams in the forestry sector. Before joining ASI, he worked as a forest manager and certification advisor across the Latvian forestry sector and led the WWF contribution to the development of the national FSC standards.
Andre de Freitas, FSC Director General and head of the recruitment committee, said: “I believe Guntars brings very good knowledge of issues on the ground to this position and I am confident that under his direction ASI will continue on its path to a stronger organization.”
The appointment brings a lengthy transition period to an end, after Sam Ponder, ASI’s Managing Director since 2009, relocated to Australia this summer.
Guntars Laguns added: “ASI is currently on really stable ground: The infrastructure for our services has improved significantly in the past years, and we have a good team. We’re in the best ever position to deliver credible accreditation for standards with an impact.”
Currently based in an outposted ASI office in Riga, Latvia, Guntars will relocate to Bonn in January.
Please join us in welcoming Mr Laguns in his new role.
