Member States Endorse Senior Appointments

Geneva, June 16, 2009
PR/2009/590

A key WIPO decision-making body, meeting on June 15-16, 2009, endorsed proposals by Director General Francis Gurry for a new senior management team, consisting of four Deputy Directors General (DDG) and three Assistant Directors General (ADG). 

The appointments of the DDGs and ADGs are effective from December 1, 2009, to November 30, 2014, following the expiry of the mandates of the current incumbents.

The WIPO Coordination Committee expressed consensus support for the new team, which comprises the following appointments:   

• Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama (Nigeria), DDG for Development; 
• Mr. James Pooley (United States of America), DDG for Patents; 
• Ms. Binying Wang (China), DDG for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications; 
• Mr. Johannes Christian Wichard (Germany), DDG for Global Issues; 
• Mr. Trevor C. Clarke (Barbados), ADG for Copyright and Related Rights; 
• Mr. Ramanathan Ambi Sundaram (Sri Lanka), ADG for Administration and Management; 
• Mr. Yoshiyuki Takagi (Japan), ADG for Global IP Infrastructure  

In endorsing the Director General’s proposals, members of the Committee, which is composed of 83 of WIPO's 184 member states, agreed that the nominees were extremely well-qualified for the proposed positions, and would form a strong new team for the future management and strategic direction of the Organization.

The Director General and the Coordination Committee also paid warm tribute to the outgoing DDGs and ADGs.