Geneva (15 April 2023) – As of today, current Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Simon Gimson will lead Interpeace as Acting President until the organisation welcomes its new President later this year.

An open recruitment process led by Interpeace’s Governing Board is underway to identify the next President.

Simon Gimson was appointed Vice-President and COO of Interpeace in October 2018, having previously served as Vice-President and COO of the International Crisis Group. Mr. Gimson has focused on multilateral diplomacy, peacebuilding and organisational management throughout his career, including in roles at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was formerly a New Zealand diplomat with appointments in Papua New Guinea, France and Britain.

“It is a privilege to bridge the leadership and enduring peacebuilding impacts of Scott Weber with those we anticipate from our next President. This is an important transition period for Interpeace as we approach our 30^th anniversary year. The Interpeace team together will continue to innovate and respond energetically to new peacebuilding challenges, to deliver the results of our five-year Strategy, and to justify the confidence invested in us by the communities we serve and our generous financial supporters,” Mr. Gimson said.

Commenting on the transition, the Chair of the Interpeace Governing Board, Mr. Amre Moussa, said: “Scott Weber’s unwavering commitment and outstanding service to Interpeace over the last 23 years has transformed the organisation from an innovative start-up project of the United Nations to an established and significant international organisation creating positive change at the community level and in the international system. With Simon Gimson’s support, I am confident that Interpeace will continue to build on its vision and mission over the transition period.”

Mr. Gimson will work closely with the Governing Board and with the incoming President, once identified, to ensure a smooth transition.

Contact: Luvini Ranasinghe, Head of Communications, ranasinghe@interpeace.org and +41 794756495.