Henrik Kuffner has been appointed as the first CEO of the newly created WindMade organisation. He took up his position on 1 June 2011 and will lead the creation of a global consumer label for companies and products using wind power.
From 2002 to 2011, Mr. Kuffner served as Director General of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), where he was instrumental in promoting the global wool sector. He closely cooperated with the The Woolmark Company, the worldwide marketing arm of the wool sector, and owner of the Woolmark consumer label. In this position, Henrik represented the sector to stakeholders, companies and consumers around the world.
“We are delighted to have found Henrik for this important position,” said Steve Sawyer, GWEC’s Secretary General and Chairman of the WindMade board. “Henrik brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in the labelling field, and his broad background in international marketing and global markets make him the perfect candidate for this role.”
“I believe that WindMade has the potential to develop into a truly global movement, with consumers around the world demanding transparency on the companies and products they choose. WindMade can make a real difference in driving consumer demand for sustainable products, and I am excited to be given the opportunity to spearhead this groundbreaking initiative,” said Kuffner.
First initiated by Vestas, WindMade was founded by some of the leading international organisations in the field of wind power, environmental conservation, certification and consumer products. The founding members include the Global Wind Energy Council, WWF, Bloomberg, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the UN Global Compact and the LEGO Group, in addition to Vestas.
“It is essential for us to have handed over the WindMade initiative to an independent body, and we are very excited to see that with Henrik’s recruitment, WindMade is taking on an identity of its own,” said Morten Albaek, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Vestas Wind Systems.
Since its first announcement at the World Economic Forum Davos in January, the WindMade project has made substantial progress. A technical committee comprised of leading experts has developed the first technical standard which specifies the requirements for companies to qualify for the WindMade label.
This proposed standard will be presented to the public for consultation at a media briefing on 15 June 2011 (Global Wind Day) in New York City, at an event hosted by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Wind Energy Foundation.
For more information visit www.windmade.org.
About WindMade
The WindMade label will be managed through a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy by improving corporations’ ability to communicate their wind energy investments to their stakeholders. WindMade will strive to achieve this by increasing transparency of corporate investments in wind energy, by educating citizens on the implications of using different energy sources, and by empowering consumers to favour corporations who make a real contribution to delivering new wind energy.
