Consumers International - Director General

Consumers International Appointment brief

Director-General Appointment Brief October 2018

Director General | October 2018

1

Consumers International Appointment brief

Welcome Letter

Dear Applicant, I am delighted that you are interested in Consumers International and our Chief Executive opportunity.

At Consumers International we believe in a world where everyone has access to safe and sustainable goods and services. We bring together over 200 member organisations in more than 100 countries to empower and champion the rights of consumers everywhere.

It is an exciting time at Consumers International with the development of a new strategy to ensure greater impact and relevance for the organisation.

We are currently seeking an inspirational and influential Director-General with strong interpersonal abilities, able to command respect across a broad and diverse membership and also with business, government, civil society and staff.

He or She will have extensive experience and knowledge of international advocacy and civil society and an understanding of the consumer movement.

2

Director General | October 2018

The Director General reports to the Board and is responsible for the effective leadership of the Consumers International; for sound financial management of the organisation; and for the management of staff in the London global office and across the regions in the network. The role of Director General is critical to the success of Consumers International in meeting its objectives.

The successful candidate will bring an understanding and experience of the digital economy and society, good fundraising skills and a proven experience of creating a sustainable operating model for similar types of organisations by building networks with partners from governments, businesses, civil society, private foundations and NGO’s and developing relations with them that are impact and revenue driven.

If you are excited by the possibilities and feel you have the motivation, skills and experience to lead the organisation and articulate a vision of a safer, fairer, more sustainable world for consumers, I’d really like to hear from you.

Bart CombĂŠe President

Consumers International Appointment brief

Director General | October 2018

3

Consumers International Appointment brief

Background on the organisation

What is a consumer?

We are all consumers. From the obvious necessities we purchase daily, to how we connect with the world using mobile phones or travel to and from work. We consume every day and in every part of our lives.

Do consumer rights & needs matter?

At Consumers International, our core belief is that all people have a right to access safe goods and quality services, to be treated fairly and offered effective solutions if things go wrong.

This is more than just making sure you get a good deal on a new car. It’s about our right to access the basic things we need to live, including food, shelter and safe drinking water.

4

Director General | October 2018

It’s about making sure your new television won’t break down after three months, that your car has the features and technology to keep you safe, and that the data companies collect about you online isn’t lost or stolen. Sometimes accessing our consumer rights can be the difference between life and death. And in many countries the goal of realising these rights is still a long way off.

Consumers International Appointment brief

About us

Consumers International is the membership organisation for consumer groups around the world.

We believe in a world where everyone has access to safe and sustainable goods and services. We bring together over 200 member organisations in more than 100 countries to empower and champion the rights of consumers everywhere.

We are their voice in international policymaking forums and the global marketplace to ensure they are treated safely, fairly and honestly. We are resolutely independent, unconstrained by businesses or political parties.

We work in partnership and exercise our influence with integrity, tenacity and passion to deliver tangible results.

Consumers International. Coming together for change.

How we’re run Our global staff are led by our Director General, who is guided by and accountable to the Consumers International Board of Trustees. Our Trustees are ultimately responsible in law for the charity, its assets and activities.

Consumers International is the world confederation of consumer rights groups.

Our Board and Council are made up of senior executives from our member organisations. The Board of Trustees is appointed from our Council.

The Council is an advisory body to the Board of Trustees and is elected by voting member organisations at the Global General Assembly that takes place every four to five years.

Our history Consumers International, formerly known as the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (IOCU), was started in 1960 by a group of five consumer organisations from the US, Western Europe and Australia. Originally we were established as a global information exchange between the increasing number of consumer product-testing organisations that had sprung up in the post-war boom years.

However we quickly established a formidable reputation as an agent for change on the consumer issues of the day.

In 10 short years after we started, we attracted 50 member organisations. Another decade later, we had achieved General Consultative Status at the United Nations (UN) – having helped wage and win major campaigns against transnational companies over issues relating to baby food and pesticides.

Our history has taken us from the US and Europe to Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, through Eastern Europe and across Africa. Today, we have more than 200 member organisations in over 100 countries, and we continue to grow.

Our work has evolved to reflect greater involvement in issues ranging from public utilities and food and drug safety, to the environment and credit and debt that affect consumers everywhere.

What has not changed is our commitment to building a powerful international movement to protect and empower all consumers.

Director General | October 2018

5

Consumers International Appointment brief

Our biggest achievements

Since the 1960s we have pioneered new methods of campaigning, mobilising disparate groups of people on a particular issue and targeting influential figures within government and industry to bring about change. Some of our campaigning achievements include:

UN guidelines on consumer protection Getting guidelines on consumer protection adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1985 after ten years of campaigning. The Guidelines spell out the main principles of consumer protection globally. Numerous countries have since adopted laws based on this model. The Guidelines were brought fully up to date in 2015, when, following campaigning by Consumers International and our members the UN General Assembly adopted the revised UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection.

International networks Establishing networks in the 1970s and 80s that achieved positive results for consumers including the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Pesticides Action Network (PAN). As a result we saw the adoption of the International Code of Marketing on Breast Milk Substitutes by the World Health Organisation – the first such code designed to control widespread marketing abuses by baby food companies. We also campaigned against toxic pesticides and unethical marketing practices, successfully preventing the export of banned or restricted pesticides without the consent of governments in importing countries.

6

Director General | October 2018

World Trade Organisation Starting work in World Trade Organisation negotiations in 2001 and contributing to the 2015 abolition of export subsidies for agricultural products. This achievement supported consumers by helping to stabilise violent price fluctuations in agricultural products, particularly in developing countries.

International standards Working on international standards and contributing to setting international benchmarks to guide businesses and governments towards providing and regulating for better services to consumers. The areas covered include water and sanitation, secondhand goods and social responsibility to most recently, mobile payments and energy. The energy standard was the first ISO standard ever to be initiated by an NGO.

G20 Successfully campaigning for the G20 to develop international principles on financial consumer protection and formalise FinCoNet, the international network of regulators for financial consumer protection. We were the first witnesses to give evidence to the G20 task force on consumer protection in financial services.

We contributed to the high level principles adopted by G20ministers in 2011. The principles help guide financial services providers and legislators to protect consumers in their financial affairs.

Consumers International Appointment brief

current progress and key challenges for the future

Over the last few years Consumers International has delivered substantial and effective change and development for the organisation and its members. Such as: •

Substantial impact for consumers globally on a number of key issues in relation to food, finance, digital, sustainable consumption, trade etc.

•

Fundamental governance reform to ensure the leadership of the organisation is fit for purpose. This was delivered with unanimous support from the membership.

•

Greater member engagement and satisfaction globally including record engagement in World Consumers Right Day.

•

Retention of members through adverse economic conditions – especially large members and even bringing old members back into the fold. And introduction of new members where appropriate.

•

Restructuring and reorganisation to put the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and to deliver necessary cost reductions.

•

Building a strong effective, confident Management Team to benefit the everyday running of the organisation.

•

Delivering substantial increase of recognition and engagement from key stakeholder audiences including G20, UN, OECD etc as well as a total brand revamp.

•

Developing a new strategic plan with exciting prospects for greater relevance, impact and sustainable future in terms of diversified finances.

•

And building excellent substantial foundations throughout this year for the implementation of the new strategy to ensure proof of concept and sponsor/ partner pipeline going forward.

Strong foundations have been laid for the future. However, in a world that is increasingly globalised and digitalised it is clear that one single organisation cannot make impact alone. There are still major challenges for the organisation to overcome for the future, these include:

The need to further broaden and strengthen the organisation’s current global network and membership base in order to increase relevance, reach and impact.

Balancing this with current member needs and aspirations will be crucial to ensure on-going member retention and satisfaction.

The need to ensure sustainable diversified finances for the organisation is also a key challenge going forward.

Director General | October 2018

7

Consumers International Appointment brief

The Role

Timing The current Director General of Consumers International, after 5 successful years of delivering positive impact and transformation for the organisation has taken on new challenges outside Consumers International.

She will leave at the end of 2018.

It is an exciting time at Consumers International with the development of a new strategy to ensure greater impact and relevance for the organisation. Please see the attached strategy document. The new strategy aims to bring together a broader network from civil society, business and government who can deliver positive outcomes for consumers. The foundations have been laid to get this strategy off the ground with business and government sponsors of concept-proving work already in place and underway. Additionally, much work has already gone into building the necessary positive relationships for the partner and sponsor pipeline. 2019 will be an exciting year for Consumers International including the Consumer Global Summit event aimed at putting the consumer at the heart of digital development. Past versions of this event have been highly successful – opened by Heads of State and engaging a global audience on consumer protection. The 2019 Summit will be a landmark occasion. It will be the first global event that aims to bring ‘supply and demand’ together to tackle the many opportunities and challenges facing consumers in the digital world. The event will be a key moment in taking forward Consumers International new strategy and launching the new Change Network.

8

Director General | October 2018

Purpose and scope The Director General reports to the Board and is responsible for the effective leadership of the Consumers International; for sound financial management of the organisation; and for the management of staff in the London global office and across the regions in the network. The role of Director General is critical to the success of Consumers International in meeting its objectives of the organisation.

Consumers International Appointment brief

The main purpose and scope of the job is to: •

Be responsible for the representation of the organisation in international fora to advocate for safe, sustainable and fair products and services for consumers and to ensure that the consumer voice is heard in global policy-making forums.

•

Be responsible for driving the agenda, envisioning and developing new initiatives and continuing the work to transform Consumers International into a modern, progressive and digitally enabled organisation with a broader global network of members and associates from civil society, government and business to catalyse positive consumer outcomes.

•

Be accountable to the Board for the day-today operational management and financial management of Consumers International.

•

Lead, manage and support the staff and their work, including their training, development and recruitment.

•

Further widen the membership base and retain existing members ensuring member value.

•

Be responsible for representing Consumers International in business, regulatory and government, civil society and funder relationships.

•

Key accountability for engaging and developing the membership and broader network.

•

Influence opinion formers and identify the most significant market issues for action.

•

Develop a sustainable operating model for the organisation, by building relevant networks among governments, NGO’s and businesses and developing commercial relations with them where appropriate. Responsible for fundraising and commercial activities through our subsidiary, Consumers International Trading Services, to deliver diversified income for the organisation.

•

Be responsible for identifying any risks facing the Consumers International and, as far as possible, put in place appropriate measures to manage/mitigate them.

•

Maintain the high reputation of Consumers International among all external audiences.

Director General | October 2018

9

Consumers International Appointment brief

The Person The Director General will be an inspirational and influential leader with strong interpersonal abilities, able to command respect across a broad and diverse membership and also with business, government and civil society and staff. The ideal candidate has extensive experience and knowledge of international advocacy and civil society and understands the consumer movement. The candidate has a strong personal conviction and passion for our work. Key to the strategy going forward will be to develop a thriving global change network supported by influential and engaged partners.

Therefore, the successful candidate will bring a substantial understanding and experience of the digital economy and society, fundraising skills and proven experience of creating a sustainable operating model for similar types of organisations by building networks with partners from governments, businesses, civil society, private foundations and NGO’s and developing relations with them that are impact and relevance driven.

They will lead the organisation, articulating a vision of a safer fairer, more sustainable world for consumers, based on a sound understanding of the issues and opportunities that they face.

To do so, they will need to demonstrate their ability to show: •

CEO or senior director leadership experience in a complex organisation.

•

Substantial demonstrated and referenceable (where possible) history of increasing role, scope, complexity, and budget within a business or NGO.

•

Success in motivating and harnessing an experienced and multi-faceted leadership team.

•

A successful track record in a senior executive leadership role, likely to have included a digital, commercial, membership or customer focus.

•

A solid record of advocacy skills and either public, NGO or corporate service at a high international level.

10

Director General | October 2018

•

A substantial understanding of the role of a membership organisation, its governance and challenges.

•

A substantial understanding ability to work in a multicultural highly diverse and global environment.

•

Sound commercial experience working with business organisations and NGO’s to attract funding.

•

Strong communication and relationshipbuilding skills and ability to argue a case persuasively at the most senior levels.

•

Experience of developing an accountable senior leadership team through performance management, mentoring and coaching.

•

Sound financial acumen, with budget management experience.

•

The ability to present effectively to a wide variety of audiences, with well- developed skills of influence, persuasion, advocacy and negotiation.

•

The ability to think globally and engage an international cross-sector audience

•

Excellent understanding of working multiculturally with experience of working and thinking globally.

Consumers International Appointment brief

Essential for Success Collaboration

Execution Excellence

Develops and maintains strong professional relationships, internally and externally to gain alignment and generate business results. Demonstrates ability to explain and clarify complex problems so that others can understand, support and contribute in developing good solutions. Demands a collaborative approach from self and team, ensuring that cross-functional partners are integrated and engaged. Recognizes others for performance achieved through teamwork and collaboration.

Demonstrates an exceptional ability to conceptualize and strategically execute plans, operational programs, and initiatives to achieve results. Assumes personal ownership and accountability for results and solutions.

Consistently delivers results that exceeds the Board of Trustees’ expectations. Keeps focus on driving value. Constantly scans internal and external trends in order to prepare and develop contingency plans. Effectively plans with a high degree of sensitivity to the interconnectedness of the processes and systems of the organisation.

Engenders Trust Establishes culture of trust and respect by demonstrating openness to feedback, keeping confidences and following through on commitments and agreements. Takes personal responsibility for his/her mistakes and makes it safe for others to talk about strengths and weaknesses. Demonstrates respect and values differences of approach, style and opinion.

Solicits and listens to input and gives credit to others for their contributions. Has natural gravitas and establishes own credibility amongst our community and partners.

Integrative Thinking Habitually and automatically makes connections between seemingly disparate pieces of data to create a whole new picture of critical patterns and trends that then enable the development of a holistic continuum of strategy, tactics, action, review and evaluation for addressing problems and issues. Able to keep the ‘big picture’ in mind while working on the individual parts of the problem. Creatively resolves tensions without making costly tradeoffs, turning challenges into opportunities.

Innovative Thinking

Communication

Clearly understands issues of consumer detriment and the potential for collaborative cross-sector engagement to deliver positive consumer outcomes. Interprets information strategically, tying new and proven ideas together to develop innovative solutions.

Supports and rewards innovative thinking at all levels while creating an environment where intelligent risk-taking is encouraged in order to foster out-of-the-box thinking. Actively seeks out and supports originality in ideas and thinking to enhance decision-making.

Effectively delivers key messages across all levels of the organisation while demonstrating a balanced use of communication techniques.

Conveys messages effectively with a variety of different audiences, internally and externally.

Inspires and empowers accountability to positively drive results. Treats others with respect and dignity. Is recognized as a positive source of energy and motivation by team members and partners when times are negative and when times are positive. Is fully aware of the political dynamics of the organization and of relationships when choosing a course of action or making decisions. Understands when and how to broach difficult topics.

Demonstrates ability to explain and clarify the most complex problems so that others can understand, support and contribute in developing good solutions.

Director General | October 2018

11

Consumers International Appointment brief

How to Apply

Please forward a CV together with a supporting statement (maximum two pages of A4). Please ensure that you have included mobile, work and home telephone numbers, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.

Applications should be made via the Prospectus website at:

www.prospect-us.co.uk/executive/job/HQ00173670

Recruitment Timetable Deadline for applications: Midnight, Sunday 4th November Interviews with Prospectus: 7th - 14th November Interviews with Consumers International: 26th/27th November

Queries If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Linda griffiths, fiona wansborough or selam petros at Prospectus on 020 7691 1920, or email: linda.griffiths@prospect-us.co.uk fiona.wansborough@prospect-us.co.uk selam.petros@prospect-us.co.uk

12

Director General | October 2018

Consumers International Appointment brief

Director General | October 2018

13

Consumers International Appointment brief

Created by the Prospectus Talent Attraction team.

14

Director General | October 2018

Prospectus Ltd 20-22 Stukeley Street London, WC2B 5LR