Rainforest Partnership, a US-based non-profit, marked World Rainforest Day this week with the announcement of Sumit Jamuar as the incoming Chair of its Board of Directors. Jamuar, a British Indian who was born and grew up in India, will continue to serve as vice chair and member of the board until he takes on his new role.
He said: “The rainforest is a special place that occupies roughly 6 per cent of the planet’s landmass, yet contributes over 50 per cent of the planet's biodiversity and absorbs 30 per cent of the carbon emissions. The forest and its communities are a tangible bulwark in our fight against climate change. I look forward to working together with the Rainforest Partnership team to preserve this wonderful gift for our future generations.
“Over the last year, I have been fortunate to spend meaningful time with Niyanta, Frank and Rainforest Partnership board colleagues, as well as time with some of the frontline rainforest communities in understanding the challenges, and I look forward to working together to shape the response. I am deeply honoured and humbled by the confidence of my fellow board members.”
Rainforest Partnership pitches itself as an impact-driven organisation founded in 2007 and committed to achieving audacious goals for rainforests, climate and the planet. The non-profit protects standing tropical rainforests by working directly with local and indigenous peoples as guardians and economic participants to create sustainable sources of income and community-led conservation projects. Its global initiatives, including founding World Rainforest Day celebrated annually on June 22 as well as "Films for the Forest", convene, educate and empower individuals and organisations around the world to accelerate action to end deforestation. Rainforest Partnership recently received the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, awarded to non-profit organizations that provide a high level of transparency and publicly share their financial and operational information.
Frank Richards, Rainforest Partnership’s current board chair, stated: "Sumit’s extraordinary business acumen and global insights, fostered with humility, in combination with our incredible team and board, will bring powerful impact for rainforests, for the communities that call them home, for biodiversity and for the entire planet.
“I am delighted that the board and the entire Rainforest Partnership’s team will benefit from Sumit’s compassionate leadership, his unbridled energy for innovation and progress, and I look forward to continuing working together."
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Niyanta Spelman, Rainforest Partnership’s founder and CEO, added: "I am thrilled that Sumit has agreed to serve as board chair. He brings a deep passion for rainforest conservation and the climate agenda, an extraordinary track record as a business professional who has built and operated impact-driven businesses at the leading edge of technology and global finance, and has this tremendous ability to connect to wide-ranging communities across the globe, and always at a deep personal level.
“His clarity of purpose, quiet thoughtfulness and brilliance coupled with empathy are refreshing and I look forward to working with him in shaping the future on this critical agenda."
Jamuar has previously served as co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Global Gene Corp. In the banking industry, he served as CEO of SBICAP(UK) Ltd, the European capital markets subsidiary of State Bank of India, and as managing director in Lloyds Bank in London. He started his career as a consultant in McKinsey & Company, India. He has also served as vice chair of the Gates Foundation and United Nations' ITU focus group on financial inclusion, and is currently a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
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He serves as visiting faculty at City, University of London in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from IIT Delhi and an MBA from INSEAD.
*Info: Rainforest Partnership