Mr. Abdallah S. Jum'ah, former President and CEO of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, has joined the top governance body for AccountAbility, the international corporate responsibility organization. Mr. Jum'ah will be part of a veritable "Who's Who" of prominent CEOs, policymakers, and thought leaders from the public and private sectors, and civil society who comprise the AccountAbility Advisory Council.

The newly-appointed Advisory Council will provide strategic guidance and facilitate AccountAbility's mission of advancing corporate responsibility and sustainability by increasing the impact of its standards, shaping a leading research agenda, and delivering transformative service solutions.

"AccountAbility is well-known in the Mideast for its work helping companies and governments address the region's critical challenges and opportunities - employment, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, health, and education and skills building," noted Jum'ah. "I am committed to working with AccountAbility to facilitate the 'mainstreaming' of corporate responsibility and sustainability into business thinking and practice in the region."

The Members of the Advisory Council include:

Mr. Hans W. Decker - former President and CEO of Siemens Corporation (USA); Adjunct Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Board of the Graduate Faculty of the New School University, NYC (Emeritus); President of Heidelberg University Association 
- Ms. Carol Atwood - Entrepreneur; Chair of King Arthur Flour; Board Member - Community Investment Partners (CIP), Calvert Foundation, New Paradigm Fund 
- Mr. John A. Fraser - Chairman and CEO of UBS Global Asset Management; Member of UBS Group Executive Board; former Deputy Secretary (Economic) of the Australian Treasury 
- Mr. Robert H. Herz - former Chairman of the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB); Board Member of Fannie Mae; Trustee of the Kessler Foundation; Executive in Residence, Columbia Business School 
- Mr. Abdallah S. Jum'ah - former President and CEO of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco); Board Member -- Halliburton, Saudi Investment Bank , Saudi Economic Cities Authority, Zamil Industries of Saudi Arabia; Member -- Advisory Committee to Saudi Arabia's Supreme Economic Council, International Advisory Council of Reliance Industries of India, International Advisory Council of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC); Trustee of The American University in Cairo. 
- Mr. Mthunzi Mdwaba - Entrepreneur; Member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland); Board Member of the International Organization of Employers (Geneva, Switzerland); former CEO of Torque Holdings; Vice-President of Business Unity South Africa(BUSA) 
- Sir Mark Moody-Stuart - Chairman of Hermes Equity Ownership Services; former Chairman of Anglo-American plc; former Chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell Group; Board Member - Accenture, Saudi Aramco; former Board Member, HSBC 
- Mr. Subramaniam Ramadorai - Chairman of Tata Technologies Limited; Chairman of CMC Limited; Chairman of Tata Elxsi; Vice Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services; Chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange 
- Mr. Decker will serve as Chair of the Advisory Council.

Sunny Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility, commented, "We are delighted to have such a distinguished group of individuals from around the world demonstrate not only their commitment to sustainability but also their support for AccountAbility's vision and direction."

The Advisory Council, together with the Interim Standards Board which provides oversight and guidance for the AA1000 Series of Standards, comprise the independent governance structure for AccountAbility. Council members will serve for an initial term of two years, and depending on the need to maintain balance and continuity, may serve an additional two-year term.