Lead global change: IIED seeks new trustee chair

The opportunity to lead one of the world’s leading sustainable development organisations into an exciting new era is open to the new chair of IIED’s board of trustees.

The institute will appoint a new chair in 2026 – and the recruitment process is now under way.

“We are seeking a wise and courageous leader to govern IIED through this time of innovation and change,” said current chair Paul George, who will step down next year.

“At a time that calls for bold new approaches, we are working in new ways and inviting new partners, offering both the prospect of profound impact and the daily promise of fresh challenges.”

Having worked for over 50 years at the intersection of environmental and social justice, IIED has played a central role in shaping influential agendas such as the green economy and loss and damage.

The institute’s work is rooted in the leadership of local partners in the countries and communities who are most disproportionately impacted by today’s climate, nature and inequality crises. We mobilise funding for our partners to address the challenges they face.

As the world has grown more complex and uncertain, we draw together cross-sector networks of state and international institutions, businesses and major philanthropies to highlight and address some of the barriers and headwinds our partners face.

In 2024 IIED adopted a ‘Manifesto for a thriving world’, focusing its work on six global challenges.

Seeking a seasoned leader

George added: “We are now shaping both our internal systems and the structure of our funding to allow us to work flexibly and holistically on these issues without the rigidities of traditional programmatic constraints.

“The next chair of IIED will be a seasoned leader, with a career that demonstrates an understanding of the sectors we operate in, experience of leading strategic change in complex organisations, and a belief in the power and importance of local agents of change.”

IIED is seeking a chair who demonstrates four core qualities:

• An inspiring systems-thinker who will apply their strategic mind to the delivery of the ambitions in the manifesto through a devotedly partnership-centred approach
• A people-person who fosters trust through active listening and clear communication
• A wise guide of change processes who inspires the board’s empathetic care, entrepreneurial courage, and enabling decisiveness, and
• A passionate ambassador who carries IIED’s sense of urgency and inclusive invitation to partnership in creating change.

See full details of the person specification and application guidance in the board chair recruitment pack (PDF).