ICC gets first woman chairperson

The 212th World Council of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) unanimously elected its vice-chairperson Maria Fernanda Garza as chairperson for a two-year term.

A Mexican businesswoman, Garza is the first woman chair of the world business organisation, according to a press release. Her term runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.

Garza is  chief executive officer of Orestia, a manufacturing home improvement solutions company, which exports its products to the US, Canada, Mexico as well as Latin-American  and Asian countries.

She was the chairperson of the ICC Mexico from 2014 to 2020.

The council also elected Philippe Varin, chair of ICC France, as the first vice-chair of the ICC, and Prof Nayla Comair-Obeid, a partner of Obeid Law Firm in Lebanon, and Harsh Pati Singhania, vice-chairperson and managing director of J K Paper Ltd in India, as vice-chairpersons.

ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, Vice-President AK Azad and Secretary General Ataur Rahman virtually attended the council.