Gold Standard Announces Marion Verles As New CEO

13 January 2015 | The Gold Standard Foundation, experts in climate and sustainable development activities, today announced the appointment of Marion Verles as the new CEO effective from 1st February 2015. Marion brings more than a decade of relevant industry experience to her new role having previously been the Founder and Executive Director of Nexus Carbon for Development. Marion succeeds Adrian Rimmer, who has served as CEO since June 2010.

“We are delighted to announce this appointment, said David Shelmerdine, Chair of the Gold Standard Foundation Board. “Marion is a natural fit for the organisation given her expertise, the breadth of her experience, and the way in which she values our mission. Marion has a deep knowledge and understanding of our core business and a strong awareness of the wider market opportunities and issues that relate to other areas of our activities, including land use and forests, water, black carbon and our cities programme. We are excited that she is joining us and look forward to having her on board.

Marion successfully created, developed and led Nexus Carbon for Development, a co-operative of pro-poor low carbon project developers, to become leaders in their field. She has a wealth of strategy and management experience and specialises in innovative finance for climate and development programmes, and donor and investor relations. Prior to founding Nexus, Marion worked as a corporate development analyst for Barclays Bank in London. She also has experience working in communications and advertising.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be joining the Gold Standard Foundation. As climate and development challenges keep rising, our window for action is rapidly closing, says Marion Verles. “The need for reliable and timely information on the benefits delivered by each dollar of funding has become more and more important. The Gold Standard will continue to drive innovation in the delivery of practical, yet reliable methodologies to measure climate and development benefits on the ground.

Marion earned a Master of Public Administration with a focus on scaling up aid as well as a Master of Science in European Business. She is Chartered Institute for Management Accounting (CIMA) qualified. She has also served as a Civil Society Representative to the Climate Investment Funds managed by the World Bank.