Laura Gemmell, former director of Global Public Engagement Partnerships at World Vision International, has taken up the role of Chief Executive of Environmental Choice New Zealand, New Zealand’s official ecolabel.

Chair of Environmental Choice New Zealand, Andy Hill says Laura’s strong background in public engagement and reputation management at one of the world’s largest NGOs will benefit the future of Environmental Choice New Zealand.

“Laura stood out for her proven leadership in the not-for-profit space, and her values-driven approach to stakeholder engagement.

“Having recently completed a post-graduate course in Business Sustainability Management through the University of Cambridge, Laura’s strategic approach to environmental management, coupled with her deep experience building partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders will be a powerful asset for Environmental Choice New Zealand,” Mr Hill said.

Laura is looking forward to putting her stakeholder engagement background to use and working with the licensees and partners of Environmental Choice New Zealand.

“Consumers are prioritising sustainability and transparency more than ever before. I’m excited to be joining Environmental Choice and working with businesses to adapt and respond, and through our independent eco label, continuing to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions,” Ms Gemmell says.

“Environmental Choice will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in March. Its longevity and success are very much due to the rigour behind its specifications and strong partnerships with licensees. Looking ahead, we’ll be developing new specifications and growing New Zealand’s only official eco-label”.

Before moving into public engagement roles at World Vision, Laura held a range of communications roles with the NGO, and prior to this, spent time as journalist at Radio New Zealand and NZME.