The International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), the charity that is committed to developing and supporting responsible one-by-one tuna fisheries and supply chains, is delighted to announce that Jurgita Rhodes, Senior Partner at Marquis Media Partners, and Rahim Hoosen, Trading Head of Groceries, Household, Pet, Personal Care, Print Media at Woolworths South Africa, have joined its Board of Trustees.
In their new roles and alongside their fellow trustees, Rhodes and Hoosen will help guide IPNLF’s future progress, overseeing the governance of the organisation and informing its strategic direction.
Rhodes has a wealth of experience across fintech, media and disruptive technologies, and has led pioneering commercial transformation programmes at the forefront of digital evolution. She has worked in high profile technology and news businesses, providing strategic planning for brand expansion and budget management, delivering award-winning results. Her career has included positions at Bloomberg and the BBC. Based in the UK, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania.
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Hoosen is a retail expert with more than 10 years of leadership and strategy development experience. Driven by his passion for sustainability, Hoosen is responsible for sourcing and supplying responsible and ethical products for Woolworths’ customers throughout South Africa. He was part of the landmark project that saw Woolworths convert all of its canned tuna procurement to responsibly-sourced products. Hoosen holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Management and Marketing from the University of Natal, South Africa.
Welcoming the two new trustees, John Burton, Chairman of IPNLF, says, “Jurgita and Rahim bring very different skills and experiences from different backgrounds, and both are greatly respected in their particular commercial fields; not least for their track records of finding successful solutions to challenging circumstances. I am confident that they will prove to be excellent assets to IPNLF as we build on our promise to bring broader expertise and interests into our organisation. We believe that a diverse board leads to more open-minded, constructive decision making and this will ensure that IPNLF continues to be a relevant and dynamic organisation.”
Rhodes comments, “The International Pole & Line Foundation works to empower some of the most responsible fisheries in the world, safeguarding the futures and livelihoods of coastal communities. This is crucial work and it’s an honour to be asked join the Board of Trustees and also to work closely with the team on the ground to accelerate change in one-by-one tuna supply chains.”
Hoosen adds, “I believe that IPNLF is helping shape the future of the seafood industry. It’s an organisation that’s focused on the overall sustainability of individual fisheries, communities and the actual tuna resource so that many generations to come can enjoy what we have today. Our ocean resources face incredibly challenging times that require a brave few to stand tall and be resilient in order to drive the change needed in the industry. IPNLF is at the forefront, leading that change and making a difference for a more sustainable tomorrow.”
Rhodes and Hoosen take up their places on IPNLF’s Board of Trustees with immediate effect.
Jurgita Rhodes and Rahim Hoosen