The Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand of New Zealand is the new chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation in Marlborough House, London. Appointed by heads of government, he will serve an initial term of up to two years.

Sir Satyanand was governor-general of NZ from 2006-2011 and previously spent two five-year terms as one of the country’s parliamentary ombudsmen

He expressed delight at the honor and said he looked forward to advancing the foundation’s encouragement of civil society and professional organizations.

As chairman of the foundation, Sir Satyanand will preside over its board of governors, represent it at intergovernmental meetings and events, and promote the Foundation’s vision and values.

Vijay Krishnarayan, Commonwealth Foundation Director said: ‘We are honoured to welcome Sir Anand Satyanand as the Commonwealth Foundation’s new chair. His background and experience will be real assets to the Foundation and help advance its agenda of citizen participation and inclusion in governance systems.

– Murray Burt