RSPO Board of Governors Announces Appointment of Francis Sullivan as Chair of the Executive Committee

Kuala Lumpur, 1 July 2026: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Board of Governors is pleased to announce the appointment of Francis Sullivan as Chair of the new Executive Committee (ExCo), with effect from 1 July 2026.

As an experienced Board Chair and senior leader, Francis brings over 35 years of experience across the conservation, certification, sustainable finance, and non-profit sectors. With extensive knowledge in sustainability governance, he has held high-level executive positions at both World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and HSBC. Currently, he contributes his leadership as a Trustee and Chair of various sustainability-focused entities and international certification systems. Throughout his career, Francis has played a key role in the development of global environmental standards and certification frameworks including work related to sustainable forestry, responsible investment, and climate transition initiatives. Francis also brings significant experience in multi-stakeholder governance and board leadership for complex international organisations.

The Co-chairs of the RSPO Board of Governors (BoG), Ms Anne Rosenbarger and José Roberto Montenegro Baide, said: “We are delighted to welcome Francis Sullivan to the role of Chair of the Executive Committee. His extensive experience in multi-stakeholder governance and global sustainability frameworks makes him uniquely qualified to lead the ExCo as it takes on the critical task of operational oversight. We are confident that under Francis’ leadership, the ExCo will strengthen RSPO’s ability to deliver on its sustainability mandate and maximise impact across the industry.”

Chair of RSPO Executive Committee, Francis said: “Having followed the development and achievements of RSPO since its inception, I am  looking forward to stepping in as the first Independent Chair of the ExCo.  I would like to thank the Co-Chairs and the Board of Governors for putting their trust in me to lead the process to establish the ExCo, which will provide greater oversight of and support to the Secretariat and the delivery of the RSPO work programme for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Following the RSPO Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on 9 September 2025, the BoG confirmed its endorsement and support for advancing the proposed amendments to the RSPO Statutes to introduce a new Executive Committee (ExCo) into RSPO’s governance structure. 

The formation of the ExCo marks a major step forward towards a future-focused governance structure, aligning RSPO with global best practices and ensuring that it remains effective, transparent and relevant. Reporting to the BoG, the ExCo will manage operational oversight and accountability with specialised expertise in key areas of RSPO’s work, including finance and digital and technology.