Paris—September 3, 2018—As of today, Russel Mills joins Business at OECD as Secretary General and will lead the engagement with its global constituency of leading national business organizations, their respective member companies, and with the OECD and member governments on global governance. To this end, he will deepen Business at OECD’s strategic dialogue with the OECD Secretary General and senior government officials. Mr. Mills succeeds Bernhard Welschke who served as Secretary General from April 2013 until July 2018.
Mr. Mills brings four decades of experience in market development, technology exploitation, and global business management to his new position as Secretary General. He has also set up small businesses and worked for charities. His background will be essential to strengthen Business at OECD’s collaboration with OECD and member governments to ensure businesses can operate, trade and invest in open and fair markets thus contributing to the wealth creation that enables societies to flourish.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Mills stated: “business relies on progressive international organizations like the OECD to develop policy ideas and implementation processes that help us adapt to a rapidly changing world whilst ensuring long-term economic sustainability. To this end, we plan to leverage our unparalleled business network in all OECD countries and beyond and ensure our contributions to global policymaking will be impactful.”
Mr. Mills’ global, on-the-ground experience spans across the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland where he held global responsibilities across a wide variety of sectors, including in the chemical industry and related manufacturing sectors. Mr. Mills previously chaired the Environment and Energy Committee of Business at OECD for over 5 years, representing the organization in several Ministerial meetings. He is a UK national, and speaks English and conversational French and German. He is a physics graduate of Oxford University.
About Business at OECD
Established in 1962, Business at OECD stands for policies that enable businesses of all sizes to contribute to growth, economic development, and societal prosperity. Through Business at OECD, national businesses and employers’ federations representing over 7 million companies provide and receive expertise via our participation with the OECD and governments promoting competitive economies and better business.
For more information, contact Ali Karami-Ruiz, Senior Director, Policy, Communications, and International Affairs.