©ARM
June 13th – 2016
After five very successful years as the Executive Director of ARM, Lina Villa will be moving on from her leadership role as of June 30th 2016 to dedicate herself to new professional projects. Having helped ARM to extend its geographic and program reach to unprecedented levels, Lina is committed to continuing to be part of this new and exciting movement of developing ethical products, supply chains and markets.
"This organization and the Fairmined initiative more broadly are part of what I am and what I believe in. I sincerely hope to continue contributing to this mission from new horizons and am very proud of the progress of recent years. I am confident that we have built enduring relationships with miners, refiners, brands, partners and donors and I thank the ARM Board and team for the opportunity to be part of this story as well as the people who believed in our ability to change realities in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The journey has been exciting and what comes ahead for ARM will be even more interesting!" Said Lina Villa.
Under Lina’s leadership ARM gained global recognition for its work with artisanal and small-scale mining and developed an international team of talented and committed individuals capable of advancing our vision: for artisanal and small-scale mining to become a formalized, organized and profitable activity that uses efficient technologies, and is socially and environmentally responsible. In these years ARM has grown rapidly, has developed a practical implementation model of technical assistance, certified 10 mines in the Fairmined Standard and committed over 100 brands to sourcing Fairmined Gold.
This solid foundation reflects in the discipline and professionalism of ARM interventions at the mine site and policy levels. It is rooted in a deep knowledge of and passion for the development opportunities of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) as an important and truly sustainable contributor to the world economy. Lina leaves a solid foundation on which to fulfill our mission of developing standards for responsible ASM and its supply chains.
The Deputy Director of ARM, Marcin Piersiak will assume as an interim Executive Director from July 1st 2016. Marcin has been with ARM for 6 years and is deeply connected with all aspects of the history, mission and projects of the organization and is ideally suited to help us in the transition to the next very promising phase of the ARM mission.
Maria Laura Barreto
Chair of the Board of Director
Chair of the Board of Director