ICC elects new Secretary General, First Vice-Chair

The extra ordinary World Council of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) held in Tokyo on March 08 unanimously elected John W.H. Denton AO, currently Chief Executive Officer of the leading Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, as the next Secretary-General and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, as ICC's new First Vice-Chair, says a statement received on Monday.

Mr. Polman will succeed current ICC Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal from July 01. He will in turn take the position of Honorary Chairman of ICC, the world's largest business organisation.

The ICC World Council was attended by more than 50 Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen/ Secretary Generals of the ICC National Committees from different parts of the World. ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, Vice President Latifur Rahman and Secretary General Ataur Rahman also attended the council.

ICC Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said: "We are delighted to have secured John Denton as ICC's next Secretary General.

John will bring to the role a wealth of experience from the world of business, law and international diplomacy.

Commenting on his election, Mr Denton added: "I'm deeply honoured to have been elected as Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce. At a time when the dual threat of populism and protectionism still loom large, it's more vital than ever for business to have a seat at the table in global policymaking. ICC has a unique role to play in ensuring the views and experience of the global private sector are taken into account in key global forums -- from the United Nations to the G20. I look forward to working with ICC's global network in over 100 countries to do just that."