The B Team announced today that Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF International (World Wide Fund for Nature) and Ecuador’s former Minister of Environment, will join co-founders Richard Branson, Jochen Zeitz, and 21 other global leaders from business and civil society in their collective effort to redefine the role of business as a force for social, environmental and economic benefit.The announcement comes as the organization begins to place a greater emphasis on the conservation of precious land, water and oceanic natural resources, to complement its previous focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the effects of global climate change.

"We’re thrilled to welcome highly respected international conservationist Yolanda Kakabadse to The B Team," said Keith Tuffley, The B Team’s CEO and Managing Partner, "We’re particularly eager to engage her deep experience as a diplomat and campaigner, which will strengthen our efforts to build alliances among different sectors of society required to transform markets, protect the environment and fight climate change."

"I’m delighted to be joining a group of leaders who are leading the way on what a more sustainable business model looks like - and inspiring others to join them on the journey," Kakabadse said, "The B Team is helping to raise awareness, and to drive urgent private sector investment and action to protect our planet’s precious natural resources to benefit people and nature”.

Kakabadse’s work with the environmental conservation movement began in 1979, when she was appointed Executive Director of Fundación Natura, one of Latin America’s most important environmental organizations. From 1990 until 1992, she coordinated the participation of civil society organizations for the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Geneva. Kakabadse also served as President of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and was the Minister of Environment for the Republic of Ecuador, from 1998 until January 2000. Currently she is the President of WWF International.

For more information, contact:David Stearns, Director of Communications, The B Team at +1 718 501 8666 or ds@bteam.org.