Supervisory Council Member, Private Finance & Investments

About Wetlands International

Since 1937, Wetlands International and its predecessor organisations have worked to protect wetlands and the life they support. What began as a focus on waterbird conservation has grown into a global effort to safeguard and restore wetland ecosystems worldwide. In 1996, this long-standing international collaboration came together under one name: Wetlands International, with its headquarters in the Netherlands. Today, we are the only global not-for-profit organisation dedicated exclusively to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of wetlands worldwide.

From peatlands and mangroves to rivers, lakes and deltas, wetlands are essential for biodiversity, climate resilience, water security and livelihoods. At Wetlands International, we are committed to protecting these vital ecosystems for their beauty, the life they support, and the benefits they provide to people.

What makes us who we are

At Wetlands International, our work is driven by a shared sense of purpose and guided by strong values. Our vision is a world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support, and the resources they provide. Our mission is to inspire and mobilise society to safeguard and restore wetlands for people and nature.

Everything we do is grounded in sound science and shaped by global relevance. We believe lasting change can only be achieved through strong partnerships across sectors, communities and borders. We respect traditional knowledge, uphold human rights and strive to contribute to gender equality in all that we do. Transparency and accountability are at the heart of the way we work.

Wetlands are our life support systems, but they are still being lost and degraded at an alarming rate. That is why we at Wetlands International have launched an ambitious Strategy “Wetlands for Life (2026-35)” for the next decade – a new approach that will deliver solutions and drive transformative change in wetlands for the benefit of people, nature and climate.

The organisation

Wetlands International (WI) works through our network of offices, our partners and experts to achieve our goals. Most of our work is financed on a project basis by governments and private donors. We are also supported by government and NGO membership.

Today WI has 18 offices in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. At the global level WI is represented by the WI Global Office (WIGO) based in The Netherlands which also plays a central coordinating and support role to the WI network. WIGO supports the two legal entities at the global level: the WI Association and the WI Foundation. The global CEO leads WIGO and has formal responsibility for the daily management of both legal entities.

Supervisory Council and Board of Association

At the global level the international Supervisory Council (SC) supervises the WI network, notably WIGO (Global Office). The SC consists of five to fourteen members, currently seven with one existing and one upcoming vacancy.

The SC has a supervisory role for the WI Foundation with the CEO acting as one-person Management Board (2-tier governance). Its supervision particularly concerns the achievement of the Foundation’s objective and the continuity of the Management Board and the Foundation’s activities.

The Board of the Association (BoA), supported by the CEO as executive manager, facilitates Wetlands International members (countries and NGOs) in fulfilling their governance role. The BoA consists both de facto and de jure of the SC members.

Appointment of the SC/BOA members requires approval by the WI Association members.

Key responsibilities of the SC / BoA are among others:

• Oversee and supervise the WI network mission and organisation
• Supervise particularly the continuity of the organisation’s activities and executive management (CEO and Management Team)”
• Approve key decisions, upon proposal by the CEO, including:
  • multi-annual global WI strategy
  • policies e.g. on External engagement, Communications, Operations, Risk Management
  • organisational development plans (general course of affairs)
  • Annual Plan and Budget, Annual Accounts and Report of the WI Foundation and WI Association

General qualifications of SC members:

• Commitment to the WI vision and mission.
• Senior level experience and expertise relevant for supervision of WI mission and organisation, authority at international level.
• Expertise and competence for, and preferably experience with, supervision and/or board responsibility of an (inter)national organisation.
• Availability to attend 4-5 general SC meetings per year, of which one in-person, and 3-4 meetings (digital unless decided otherwise) of a SC Committee.

Required expertise:

• Private finance & investments

Complementary expertise/attributes:

• Professional expertise in supervisory role.
• Communication, public affairs, governance, legal, branding & marketing.
• Overview and insights in relevant developments and actors in the regions WI operates, notably Asia and Latin America, preferably through citizenship and/or professional track-record.
• Science in relation to water and food systems.

Diversity:

The Supervisory Council aims for a balanced composition in terms of gender, age and geographical representation.

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