Leadership changes for WNA

18 April 2012

The World Nuclear Association (WNA) has welcomed a new chairman and announced the resignation of its director general.

CEO and president of Cameco Tim Gitzel today began a two-year term as chairman of WNA, taking over from the president and CEO of Exelon, Chris Crane, who moves into the vice-chair position.

Gitzel's first duty as chair was to open the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference, organised in Helsinki this year by WNA in partnership with the US trade body the Nuclear Energy Institute.

The opening session carried an announcement from WNA that its director general, John Ritch, would retire from the post this year.

Ritch has served as leader of the global nuclear industry group since 1 January 2001, building it from the foundations of the former Uranium Institute. Prior to this, Ritch had spent seven years as US Ambassador to UN organisations in Vienna, notably the International Atomic Energy Agency.

World Nuclear News is one of the services provided by WNA.

Gitzel said that Ritch had "served for over ten years with integrity and uncompromising professionalism." The WNA board will now create a multinational and cross-industry search committee to find a replacement while planning to celebrate Ritch's contribution in London this September at the Annual Symposium conference.

John Ritch said, "My legacy will live on through the brilliant staff of the WNA secretariat."

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News